Peddlers of lies and fabricators of allegations against the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Mr Olusade Adesola, have been charged to dedicate their brains and energy to more fruitful and meaningful ventures that will help move the nation’s capital forward.
They were enjoined not to distract the FCT minister, Barr Nyesom Wike, who from day one has left no one in doubt about his noble intentions to rid the city of Illegalities and ensure massive infrastructural development.
The call was made by the Coordinator, Pro-Impact Initiative, Dr Osamudiamen Isokpehi, who briefed journalists over the weekend in Abuja to shed light on the allegations.
Dr Isokpehi, who was responding to a write-up titled: ‘Why FCT Perm Sec. must be sacked and arrested now,’
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credited to one ‘faceless’ Babalola Tajudeen which was being circulated online, alleging unfounded misconducts against the Permanent Secretary of the FCT Administration.
He noted that his organisation after studying the write-up was of the view to leave it in the bin of falsehood where it was from and still remains, but resolved to respond for the sake of well-meaning residents, saying there is the need to state the truth and set the record straight.
Dr Isokpehi pointed out that contrary to the ‘satanic lie’ that Dr Olusade plotted the removal of his predecessor, Sir Christian Ohaa, whom he still maintains a cordial relationship with to date, he was posted to the FCTA during a major reshuffle of permanent secretaries which was approved by the then president.
On the allegation that the permanent secretary unilaterally employed 10,000 staff members in three years thus raising the total number of FCTA staff to 40,000, Dr Isokpehi said, “The enemies of the permanent secretary failed to cross-check their facts before circulating the falsehood. Records at the Human Resource department of the FCTA have it that FCTA’s total staff strength currently stands at 32,201 as of August 2023. This we believe was contained in the handing over notes presented to the new minister.
“The record shows that the staff strength was initially 32,703 as of December 2020, rose to 32,831 in June 2021 and steadily came down with efficiency to 32,201 by August this year.”
He stressed that the FCTA is too complex for anyone even the president of the nation or the minister holding it in trust for him to employ mainly people from his village, state, region, or religious group as alleged by the ‘crafters of fallacies’.
Also speaking on the alleged award of a multi-billion naira contract, Dr Isokpehi pointed out that, “The ignorance of the writer or his paymasters was too obvious. Contracts from N100 million and above are presented in a memo to the Federal Executive Council for approval by the minister. There is obviously no way a permanent secretary would award such contracts.”
On land allocation, he reminded the writer that, “ The permanent secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, who is a well-bred bureaucrat knows that it is only the minister that can allocate land and so he did not get himself into what is not in his powers. Even as chairman of the FCT land allocation committee, the permanent secretary knows his role is largely advisory as the final decision remains with the minister who oversees the city on behalf of the president and commander in chief.”
The group, however, called on the FCT minister to disregard such write-ups, describing their crafters as professional liars.