A group, Transparency and Accountability in Public Service, has reiterated it call on the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to guide against elements who are bent on misleading him to achieve their selfish interest.
TheHintsNews reports that the group had earlier urged the minister to be wary of public servants who are doing everything humanly possible to remain in service.
The National Coordinator of the group, Chidi Ejifor, in a statement issued Tuesday called on Wike to beware of the antics of the Most Senior Director and Ag Permanent Secretary, Prince Samuel Atang’s, obvious attempt to remain relevant in the system even after his retirement from service.
He alleged that Atang was boasting that the minister cannot function well administratively without his inputs, adding that he has been tipped to head the proposed FCT Commission.
He said: “The minister had in a live television programme at the flag off of Gwagwalada rural road project instructed that Mr. Samuel Attang should not be addressed as the Ag. Permanent Secretary, but the Most Senior Director having fought for the abolition of the Permanent Secretary’s office.”
Ejiofior noted that Atang with few of his ‘boys’ are overheating the system, saying they are allegedly compiling a list of directors particularly from certain sections of the country for retirement.
He added: “However, the minister’s directive runs contrary to a circular issued by the Director of Finance and Administration (DAF) in the Minister’s office, Mrs. Nancy Nathan, who informed heads of SDAs that they should address all correspondence to the Ag Permanent Secretary”.
“The Ag. Permanent Secretary is claiming that the directive to come up with the list of Directors within two years to their retirement is from the minister, and it is one of the measures to be adopted by the Administration to save money.
“The point here is not whether the Hon. Minister gave the directive or not, but the manner in which the Ag PS and his ‘boys’ are flaunting this around with the slogan; “it is our time” is worrisome.
“The minister should be very careful with such characters because it is on record that he has issues with telling the truth. He always parade himself as the only man with institutional memories that can guide the Minister on all administrative issues.”