Workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) are wondering why the office of the Permanent Secretary still exists in its system, 11 years after it was outlawed.
A presidential order in 2004 removed the office of the Permanent Secretary from FCTA following reform initiative that dissolved the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory (MFCT).
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on December 24, 2004 signed Order No. 1, 2004 with the heading “Federal Capital Territory (Establishment of Functionaries and Departments) and Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory (Dissolution)” dissolved the FCT ministry.
The order in its stead established FCTA and eliminated the permanent secretary’s portfolio.
However, Dr. Aliyu Modibbo Umar reintroduced the office in 2007 as the then minister of the FCT when he appointed Abdulrafiq Ogunbambi as the Permanent Secretary.
Others that served as permanent secretaries include: Goke Adegoroye, B. N. Olorunfemi, Anthony Ozodinobi and Obinna Chukwu.
Paragraph 7 of Order No.1, 2004 states: “Immediate upon the completion of the tasks in Paragraph 6 above as certified by the minister, the Permanent Secretary shall also be transferred to the office of the Head of Service of the Federation.”
Paragraph 6 states that with effect from the commencement of the Order No.1, 2004 on 31st March 2005, the Permanent Secretary would advise the minister on the wind up process like modalities for proper transfer and disposal of assets and liabilities.
The order provides that the Chief of Staff appointed by the minister performs the functions that the Secretary to Government of a state customarily performs in relation to a state.
Reacting to this, the Chief Press Secretary, FCTA, Muhammad Hazat Sule denied that Umar reversed Order No.1, 2004, arguing that what government did was to improve on the reform.
“Government revisited the reform to install institutional memory,” he maintained.
FCTA staff who spoke with Daily Trust but would not want their names mentioned, said where government’s directives are not strictly adhered to, official indiscipline is bound to be the order of the day.
Umar did not respond to enquiries concerning the development.
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