Between a minister and a general manager
In the Federal Capital Territory, much is left to be desired in prosecuting the fight against corruption. Wittingly or unwittingly, the Minister of the FCT has emboldened the spirit of many opportunists who happen to find themselves in positions of authority. Many such legatees have been reported formally to the minister over and over for […]
In the Federal Capital Territory, much is left to be desired in prosecuting the fight against corruption. Wittingly or unwittingly, the Minister of the FCT has emboldened the spirit of many opportunists who happen to find themselves in positions of authority.
Many such legatees have been reported formally to the minister over and over for breach of trust, misconduct and outright fraud for effective administrative measures to be applied to avert further colossal impairments on the system.
The minister acknowledged receipt of the following, on the water board, by way of example; 1. Notice of picketing on ground of total disregard for codes of ethics in running the organization, 25th of May 2018; 2. Report on excruciating attitudes, breach of extant rules and monumental fraud, 4th July, 2018; and 3. Need to serve a retirement notice on the GM based on rule 020810 of the Public Service Rule (PSR), 10th October, 2018.
All those ancillary efforts at supporting the fight against the corruption monster were instead kept in view by the honourable minister instead of ensuring the application of the service rules. The arrest and arraignment of the GM by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC on corruption charges however came after 18 months of thorough and professional investigations. He was arraigned on the 9th of December, 2019 before Honourable Justice Charles Agbaza of FCT Federal High Court 11, Jabi District.
Administratively, such situations should be accosted by removal from office either through suspension, removal or interdiction as enshrined in rule 030401 et el of the PSR. In this case however, the GM was supposedly protected against the law. His letter of interdiction staggered for five days to transit from Area 11 to Area 3, (9th/12/2019) date of arraignment to (13th/12/2019) apparently granting him an executive fiat to sue against ‘any punitive action.’
The Nation newspaper of 17th September, 2019 reported a similar case against a staff under him, Patience Odumu-Ojobi, who was forced to proceed on interdiction for a similar charge of a lower scale in spite of her filing of motion ex parte before the National Industrial Court (NIC).
In his ruling, Honourable Justice Kiyersohot Damulak stated that interdiction was in order. He set a precedence. Under the purview of the FCT Minister and the GM, the officer was sent on interdiction pending determination of the case.
Today, the GM is in the exact situation, but the position of the FCT authority has changed to that of ‘different strokes for different folks.’ Despite the Administrative Board’s earlier recommendation for his replacement with a suitable alternative officer, justice administration has become practically impossible under the circumstance.
Anguished by the EFCC’s submission for the GM to refund the whooping sum of N175 million from Abaji Comprehensive Water Reticulation Project alone, the minister, instead conceptualized the idea of forming an investigation committee to investigate, not the GM but those officers under him who are determined to expose his dirty deals, and who patriotically resisted all offers placed before them to compromise.
Let me make bold to say that as a responsible union leader, and on the strength of the Nigerian constitutional provisions, PSR, staff, the organization, FCT residents and Nigerians in general and in total commitment to the president’s fight against institutional corruption, we will explore all legitimate constitutional provisions to ensure prompt application of justice as well as resist tyranny in its entirety.
Aliyu Maradun is a union leader in the FCT