By Chuks Akunna, Executive Director
Foot soldiers of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and those of All Progressives Congress (APC) Leader and frontline presidential aspirant, Senator Bola Tinubu have taken their battle to a key agency of the federal government, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA).
The calvary on the side of Vice President Osinbajo are Minister of Works and Housing Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN and FHA Managing Director, Senator Gbenga Ashafa. On the side of Tinubu is controversial former Kano lawmaker Hon. Abdulmumini Jubrin.
Tinubu has formally declared his presidential aspiration, leaving supporters of Osinbajo, who served as Commissioner for Justice when the APC leader was governor of Lagos State, insisting that the Vice President was still “consulting.”
Yesterday, a “secret memo” emerged online indicating that Abdulmumini spurned an invitation to appear before an in-house disciplinary committee. The memo dated 15th February 2022, was entitled “Invitation To Appear Before the Governing Board’s Investigation/Disciplinary Panel.”
In the memo, Jubrin was reminded of an earlier query on “serious misconduct’ and his “deliberate refusal to respond to the query as required by the rules of public service as applicable to public officers.”
The letter revealed that the agency’s board sat and appointed a disciplinary committee to investigate the former lawmaker.
“Consequently, you are kindly invited to attend the Governing Board’s Investigative/disciplinary panel” on Friday 18th February, 2022, the letter noted, warning, “your failure to appear will not invalidate the proceedings of this panel”.
The letter was signed by one Zubairu N. Saliihu, who introduced himself as the panel’s chairman.
Sources close to the warring political camps told The Authority that the “serious misconduct'” mentioned in the letter was a recent interview Jubrin granted Arise TV, introducing himself as
Director-General of Bola Tinubu Support Management Council,
The Authority further gathered that the interview and attention it attracted had greatly unsettled the Osinbajo camp, and that they immediately began working on how to cut the former lawmaker and his “master” to size.
FHA is a housing agency under the supervision of the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, SAN. Fashola, who succeeded Tinubu as governor of Lagos. He is said to be opposed to his predecessor’s presidential aspiration and is routing for Osinbajo.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in August 2020 appointed Gbenga Ashafa, a former Lagos senator FHA Managing Director. Buhari also appointed outspoken former federal lawmaker Abdulmumini Jibrin FHA’s Executive Director in charge of Commercial, Corporate and Social Housing.
The Authority gathered that Ashafa, whom Tinubu appointed
Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Lands Bureau, and later helped serve two terms in the Senate, was cross with his former boss after failing to return to the Senate for the third time.
“Ashafa didn’t hide his anger. He was so upset that Jagaban (Tinubu) stopped him from returning to the Senate in 2019, but allowed his wife (Senator Oluremi Tinubu) return. Ashafa thereafter dumped the Tinubu camp and moved to Osinbajo. That was how he got the FHA job under Fashola,” one source volunteered.
Hon. Jubrin didn’t respond to telephone calls on whether or not he’ll honour the board’s invitation. However, an associate of his told The Authority that it would be foolhardy to attend what he described as a “kangaroo panel with an agenda.”
He said, “if you read the letter you will notice that they have already made up their minds. All they’re waiting for is for him.to come and give a seal of legitimacy to their actions. Hon. Abdulmumini Jibrin is on political appointment. He is free to support anybody- so long as the person is not a member of any of the opposition parties.”
