By Daniel Tyokua
There is anger in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) as the former minister of state for the FCT, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu refused to return the official SUV Prado Jeep, said to worth millions of naira.
This development followed the failure of the minister to hand over the car and other property in her possession to the appropriate quarters weeks after the expiration of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, with constitutional dissolution of his cabinet.
Another issue raising concerns is that, two aides of the minister, Special Assistants on Special Investment Programme ( SIP) and Special Assistant on Climate Change are still sitting tight, occupying official office spaces, also illegally.
Some officials of the FCT Administration expressed worry that the ex-Minister of State was illegally holding unto government property, after the end of her ‘controversial’ tenure, which almost crippled the administrative productivity before the expiration of her tenure.
Checks showed that few months before May 29, the Minister of State, had abandoned her constitutional responsibilities at the FCT, as she intensified lobbying for reappointment in the Tinubu’s led government.
Senior staff of FCTA who pleaded anonymity, expressed shock that with the fleet of exotic cars owned by the ex-Minister, she would still be holding unto government’s car.
It was learnt that tradition demands that the car be returned immediately after vacating office, so that it can be serviced and made ready for other official engagements by the incoming administration.
On her aides who are still occupying official office spaces, the official said that the Special Assistant on SIP came from the private sector while her counterpart in Climate Change is on secondment staff from Development Control Department under Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) of FCTA, and were supposed to have gone back.
The source said that their continuous occupation of the official office spaces is a pointer to the speculation that the ex-Minister was lobbying to come back to FCT as a Minister.
“If President Bola Tinubu could approve the dissolution of all Boards and Parastatals of Federal Government, why should ordinary aides of an ex-Minister be doing within an official office space ?”
“The Ex-Minister has shown the level of her greed by holding unto the SUV she used as a Minister. That car is among the least in her fleet of her personal cars, so why is she refusing to return it ?”, the source added.
It was also gathered that at the twilight of her tenure, she was busy mopping up every opportunity around her to the disadvantage of even her close aides.
Further findings also alleged that the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board had serious logistics glitches in preparing for the 2023 Hajj, because the ex-Minister hijacked almost all available Hajj slots, and allegedly used them to lobby Tinubu’s close allies, for appointment purposes.
Efforts to hear from the ex-minister failed as of the time of filling this report
