Former FCT Minister of State Refuses to Relinquish Official Car

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Nearly a month after the inauguration of a new administration, the former the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has blatantly refused to return the official car attached to her.

THISDAY gathered yesterday that the development is already causing anxiety at the Federal Capital Territory Administration(FCTA) given that the SUV Prado Jeep in question is valued at about N200 million.

Some senior FCTA management officials questioned the action of the former minister, noting that her constitutional privileges had elapsed with the expiration of the Buhari administration.

They also voiced displeasure that two of her key aides, the Special Assistant on Special Investment Programme (SIP), Mrs Chinwe Amba and the Special Assistant on Climate Change, Fache Rekyat Ahuoza are still occupying their former office spaces illegally.

Amba is said to have come from the private sector while Ahuoza is a staff on secondment from Development Control Department under Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) of FCTA.

The argument is the two aides ought  to have gone back to their parent organisations after serving out their appointments.

FCTA officials, who spoke under anonymity, wondered why the ex-minister was still in possession of the government’s car after the end of her ministerial tenure.

They insisted that in line with convention, she ought to have returned the car after vacating office to enabled it to be serviced and made available for the next occupant of the office for official engagements.

Insiders claimed the ex-Minister of State chose the path of illegally holding unto government property after her silent war with the former FCT Minister Musa Mohammed Bello nearly truncated administrative productivity before the expiration of their tenure

They said the continual occupation of the official office spaces by her aides has reinforced the speculation that the ex-minister is lobbying to return to FCT as a minister.

Effort to get her side on this development was futile as she is said to be out of the country

Ibrahim Oyewa