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Tag: perm sec

  • Alleged diversion of N2b contract funds: Ex-minister, perm sec to testify

    Alleged diversion of N2b contract funds: Ex-minister, perm sec to testify

    Ahead of their arraignment tomorrow, the Federal Government has lined up 11 witnesses to testify for the prosecution in the case of alleged diversion of about N2.3 billion meant for dualisation of Section IV of the East-West road involving ex-Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Godsday Orubebe, and three others.

    Orubebe, Oludare Lawrence Alaba (an assistant director, Ministry of Niger Delta Affiars), Ephraim Tewolde Zeri (director of Contracts in Gitto Costruzioni Generali Nigeria Limited and the company are named in the charge, marked: CR/265/2016

    Among those scheduled as prosecution witnesses are Orubebe’s successor in the Niger Delta Ministry, Dr. Stephen Orise Oru, a former Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, two senior personnel in the ministry – Annietie O Effiong and John Ngene.

    Also included are a senior official of the Federal Ministry of Works, Joseph Gande (who claimed to have been assigned to, among others, monitor execution of the project), consultants and community leaders in Akwa Ibom State.

    They were initially scheduled to be arraigned before Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on August 18. It was shifted to August 30 when prosecution lawyer Osuobeni Akponimisingha told the court his agency, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) was yet to effect service of the charge on the defendants.

    The Nation learnt yesterday that the prosecution altered the charge, raising the counts from five to six.

    According to court documents filed last week, Dr. Oru is expected to testify in relation to his role in the project as Niger Delta Affairs minister from 2014.

    It was learnt Oru may testify that on assuming office, all relevant decisions in relation to the single lane running through Eket Town had been taken.

    In a proof of evidence served on the defendants, Oru is also expected to speak among others, that “a meeting of stakeholders was convened by his predecessor, Godsday Orubeb, where the deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State, elders of Eket community, chief of staff to ex-Governor Godwill Akpabio and others attended.”

    On his part, Ngene is expected to state all he knew about the contract and how “the compensation fund of N2.3 billion was released to Messrs Gitto Construzioni Generali Nigeria Ltd for further release to the appointed consultants for disbursement to beneficiaries, which Messrs Gitto Construzioni Generali Nigeria Ltd failed to do.

  • Perm Sec promises harmonious relationship with police

    Perm Sec promises harmonious relationship with police

    The Permanent Secretary, Police Service Commission (PSC), Mr Musa Istifanus, has promised to ensure harmonious working relationship between the commission and the Nigeria Police Force to reduce crime in the country.

    This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Ikechukwu Ani, Head, Press and Public Relations of the commission yesterday in Abuja.

    Istfianus made the promise during a handover ceremony between him and the outgoing acting Secretary to the commission, Mr Emmanuel Ibe, who is also the Director of Administration and Finance.

    He noted that the country’s security should be of concern to every Staff of the commission.

    He said that Nigeria was safe and that the crime rate in the country had drastically reduced.

    The permanent secretary said henceforth, “the story here should be to reduce crime in the society because that is the bigger picture of our responsibility as a Commission”.

    According to him, “We must make the society safe and this should be of concern to all of us here.”

    He also said there was need for the commission to look at performance in the promotion of Police Officers to ensure efficiency in the system.

    Ibe pledged the loyalty, support and cooperation of members of Staff of the commission to the new permanent secretary.

  • Budget padding: EFCC writes Clerk, Perm Sec

    Budget padding: EFCC writes Clerk, Perm Sec

    Buhari not executing padded budget, says Minister Udoma

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has written the National Assembly Clerk, Mohammed Sani Omolori, and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and National Planning over the budget padding scandal, it was learnt yesterday.

    The EFCC, which yesterday began probing the scandal rocking the House of Representatives, asked Omolori and the Permanent Secretary to produce documents on the contracts awarded by the Assembly and the budget.

    At a Town hall meeting in Abuja, Minister of Budget and National Planning Udoma Udo Udoma said the government is not implementing a padded budget.

    In the August 3 letter, Omolori was asked to furnish the commission with the details of all contracts awarded and executed by the Assembly from June 2015 to date.

    The Permanent Secretary is to provide documents on the budget.

    For about four hours yesterday, EFCC grilled former House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Abdulmumin Jibrin, who blew the scandal open following his removal by Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

    Jibrin accused Dogara, Deputy Speaker Yusuff Lasun, Chief Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Minority Leader Leo Ogor and nine others of padding the budget with N284 billion.

    The commission aslo received a petition demanding the probe of Jibrin and the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons(NCFRIM) for  10 contracts worth N418million, allegedly awarded to firms with links to  Jibrin.

    The EFCC said it would investigate the petition.

    In the letter to Omolori, EFCC demanded a “list of all contracts awarded by the Assembly from June 2015 to date.”

    The letter said the Assembly must “provide the beneficiaries of the contracts, the account details into which payments were made, the total amount already paid for each contract as well as the outstanding balances where applicable.”

    The EFCC asked the Permanent Secretary  to provide it with a “draft copy of the 2016 budget submitted to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari and the final copy returned to the President by the National Assembly.”

    A source in the commission said: “Although no timeline was indicated in the two letters, the Clerk  and the Permanent Secretary are expected to treat it with dispatch.

    “All these documents are vital to the ongoing investigation of all the petitions with us.” Jibrin, who arrived at the EFCC headquarters at about 1pm, had a four-hour session with a team raised to probe his petition.

    It was gathered that the session was meant to “interact with Jibrin to enable him provide more flesh to his allegations.”

    The EFCC source added: “We engaged Jibrin between 1pm and 5pm on the allegations in the petition he filed before this commission including those already in the public domain and the new ones presented to us.

    “The allegations include alleged insertions of N40billion projects into the 2016 Budget by the Speaker, padding of the budget with projects worth over N284billion and padding of the budget by some committee chairmen.”

    The source listed the new allegations as follows:

    • Duplication of contracts by Speaker Yakubu Dogara
    • Renting of Guest Houses for the Speaker  at very high rate
    • Receiving of self-rent by the Speaker and others at inflated cost when they have already got accommodation allowances.
    • Abuse of office and mismanagement of funds by House leadership.

    Udoma said the budget signed by the President was well scrutinised and passed the due process of appropriation at the Assembly before it was assented to in May.

    Responding to a question at the meeting, Udoma said: “We did not assent to a padded budget. The budget followed through the various stages of preparation and scrutiny and appropriation before it was signed into law.’’

    In the petition against Jibrin, the petitioner, the Anti-Corruption Unit of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), alleged that 10 contracts, amounting to the N418million, were awarded to firms with links to Jibrin.

    The unit claimed that the contracts were awarded on September 26, 2014 to five companies with three of the firms located in Suite A47 at EFAB Mall, Area 11 in Abuja.

    It alleged that one of the contracts was given to Eleku Construction Limited for “the supply of beans and millets to Kano State.”

    The petition said: “No specification of some of the contracts, no completion date, no certification. Efforts to trace some of the projects have been unsuccessful.

    “Jibrin was copied all the letters of the award of the contracts. No other member of the House from Kano State, no Senator from Kano State and the governor of the state was not copied.

    “We call for the investigation of the culpable of Jibrin and the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRIM).”

    When contacted, the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said: “We have commenced investigation into all the petitions submitted to us.”

  • Perm Sec tasks teachers, pupils on academic excellence

    Teachers and pupils in Alimosho Educational District have been urged to strive to attain academic excellence.

    Speaking yesterday at the 10th Annual Awards and Honours of the Education District 1, the Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufolayinka Abiose Ayandele enjoined them not relent in their efforts saying: “Education District 1 has always been known for its academic excellence. Series of awards and prizes have been won by this district. We must not relent in our efforts.”

    At the ceremony, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI) donated books on Physics, Chemistry, Account, Commerce, Literature and Government to Alimosho Senior Grammar School through Education District I.

    AEI Agege Zone Project Coordinator Prince Adesegun Ogungbayi, pledged that the public schools would be benefiting from AEI programs such as Guidance and Counselling sessions, mentorship, and learning centres beginning from the next academic session.

    Ogungbayi sought partnership with the state education ministry in order to add to the value and better performance of the sector.

    The book donation, he said, was in recognition of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s gestures towards achieving academic excellence in the state.

    The Principal of Alimosho Senior Grammar School, Mrs Olatunji Eunice Adedola thanked the AEI officials for their gesture.

     

  • Ripples as Dickson extends services of retired HoS, Perm Sec

    Stakeholders are angry with the decision of the Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, to extend the services of the state’s retired Head of Service (HoS), Dr. Peter Singabele and Permanent Secretary, Mr. Joseph Akedesuo.

    The governor extended Singabele’s appointment as Head of Service by six months and Akedesuo who is the Head of the state’s Protocol Service by one year. The governor’s action is breeding bad blood among the permanent secretaries and other senior civil servants. They are grumbling and accusing Dickson of violating the civil service rules.

    A statement sent through the office of Dickson’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson said the extension was in exercise of the governor’s executive powers.

    The statement quoted the Secretary to the state Government, Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff as saying that the extension was informed by the numerous important ongoing service related issues being handled by Singabele.

    It said allowing the retried Singabele “to leave the service now” could be detrimental to the administration’s programme of repositioning the civil service for greater efficiency.

    The governor in the state also extended the appointment of Mr. Joseph Akedesuo as a Permanent Secretary and Head of State Protocol services for a period of one year.

    But some elders under the auspices of Bayelsa First Initiative (BFI) kicked against the action of the governor. BFI said there was no basis for Dickson to extend the appointment of Singabele.

    The Director-General, BFI, Chief Nathan Egba, accused the governor of manipulating government’s institutions and policies to advance his personal interests.

    Egba said: “This development is coming on the heels of the Bayelsa State government’s inability to pay salaries of their Civil servants, teachers, University lecturers, local government employees as well as retirees, after series of Staff Verification exercises since January of this year.”

    Egba recalled that Dickson on assuming office in 2012 sacked the HoS who was barely a year in office because she was appointed by his predecessor, Chief Timipre Sylva.

    Also, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) frowned on the decision of the governor to extend the service of the retired HoS. They called on Dickson to with immediate effect appoint a new HoS to fill the exalted vacant position.

    The state NLC Chairman, Mr. Ndiomu Bipre and his TUC counterpart, Mr. Tari Dounana in a joint statement warned against the politicization of the HoS office in the state. According to them no Head of Service stays in office beyond the retirement age of 60 or 35 years whichever is applicable.

    “The continuous stay of the current Head of Service Doctor Peter Singabele beyond the retirement age of sixty years or thirty five years in service is a source of worry to workers in the state.  The Public Service Rules 02081 is very clear about retirement of public servants.

    “As a career civil servant, we expect the Head of Service to step aside or refuse any form of tenure elongation in order not to truncate promotion in the civil service,” they said.

    Furthermore, the leadership of the state’s branch of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) rejected the extension of Singabele’s and Akedesuo’s appointments.

    The Association, in a statement signed by its Secretary, Mr. Ebi Sikpi, said the contract appointments were a violation of the Public Service Rules, PSR 020810.

    Quoting the rule, he said: “No officer shall be allowed to remain in service after attaining the retirement age of sixty or thirty five years of pensionable service whichever is earlier”.

    Sikpi said there were qualified and competent permanent secretaries in the service to choose from for apportionment as HoS.

    But the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Jonathan Obuebite, insisted that Singabele’s reappointment is part of the governor’s efforts to reposition the civil service for effective performance.

    Obuebite said the governor recently met with Permanent Secretaries, Directors and Heads of Departments of various ministries, departments and agencies and commended them for supporting all his reforms in the civil service.

    He said Dickson assured them that whatever the government doing was purely to properly reposition the service to function effectively, in line with best practices. According to him the permanent secretaries, directors and heads of departments were unanimous in their support for the ongoing reforms in the service.

    He said they declared their total support for the six-month extension of the tenure of Singabele and expressed confidence in the ability of Singabele to ensure the proper implementation of the new reforms.

  • Perm Sec laments LASTMA officers’ performance

    Perm Sec laments LASTMA officers’ performance

    Ministry of Transportation Permanent Secretary Mr Sewedo Oluseyi Whenu has expressed displessure over the performance of some Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officers, saying it is below par.

    Whenu urged them to focus on their jobs to ensure smooth flow of traffic, warning them to shun bribery and corruption.

    He spoke last Friday at the 2016 LASTMA Management Retreat in FESTAC.

    The Permanent Secretary reminded the officers of their duties, urging them to move LASTMA to greater heights.

    Speaking with The Nation, LASTMA Chief Executive Officer Chris Olakpe said the retreat was organised to review the agency’s failings and to build on its achievements.

    “We want to introspect after three months into the year, look at our pluses and minuses and to ask other people to come so that we can sharpen our wits and be able to share our weaknesses and strength and opportunities and threats to be able to move forward.

    “We intend to build a new LASTMA through collaboration. In fact, on Thursday, we are building what we call a LASTMA Community Relations Committee which would include LASTMA officials, members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), luxury drivers association, the police and members of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and sundry agencies. It would also include members of the public sector all coming together under one body in order to collaborate on moving traffic in Lagos.”

  • Civil servants reject perm sec’s tenure extension

    Civil servants reject perm sec’s tenure extension

    The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) is miffed over the one-year tenure extension the Federal Government granted to the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Jamila Shu’ara.

    In a statement, ASCSN National President Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Secretary-General Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal said  the extension of the tenure violated Public Service Rules (PSR) 020810, which states: “The compulsory retirement age for grades in the service shall be 60 years, or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier.”

    ASCSN said the PSR emphasised that no officer shall be allowed to remain in service after attaining the retirement age of 60 or 35 years of pensionable service, whichever comes first.

    It said recently, some permanent secretaries were retired on the ground that they were not good enough; yet, Mrs Shu’ara, who was supposed to retire with them, had her tenure extended by one year, adding, “the fact of the matter is that the permanent secretary concerned is neither a petroleum engineer nor an expert in energy matters.”  So what qualifies her for this notorious extension? the union queried.

    Mrs. Shu’ara retired from service on February 17, 2016, seven days later, her service was extended to February 16, 2017 by the Office of the Head of  Civil Service of the Federation (OHSCF).

    The ASCSN regretted that the culture of impunity that characterised the federal administration since 1999 had re-emerged in full force and had become even more brazen.

    “This woman is 60 years of age. She should therefore go. This extension is offensive, vexatious and unacceptable. In the interest of industrial peace and harmony in the civil/public service, this woman should be eased out of the system unless those behind this extension have a hidden agenda somewhere,” the Union insisted.

    ASCSN said if this tenure extension was not reversed, the 36 state governments might be tempted to follow the footsteps of the Federal Government on this ill- advised policy and when that happens, the entire civil services in the country would be thrown into anarchy.

    It added that Mrs. Shu’ara should be disengaged from service since she had attained the retirement age to create room for other permanent secretaries who are floating in the system.

    The Union stressed that if Mrs. Shu’ara is indispensible to the presidency, then, Mr. President had the prerogative to appoint her as his special adviser or even a Minister of the Federal Republic instead of subverting the cherished norms and values of the civil service.

  • Disquiet in Presidency over extension of Perm Sec’s tenure

    Disquiet in Presidency over extension of Perm Sec’s tenure

    The extension of the tenure of the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Jamila Shu’ara, by the presidency is now generating disquiet at the seat of power, The Nation can now reveal.

    Top civil servants and labour unions have kicked against the “strange extension.”

    The extension is a violation of the civil service rules.

    There were indications last night  that President Muhammadu  Buhari was misled by some forces  into granting the extension.

    The affected Permanent Secretary turned  60 years on February 17  and duly served notice of her retirement.

    However, a February 24 letter from the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, extended her service by a year,courtesy President Muhammadu Buhari.

    In the letter, HCSF/351/S.1/76,  Oyo-Ita said: “This is to inform you that His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, in a letter with reference N0. SGF 12/S.11/C.1/T/2, has extended your retirement period by one (1) year with effect from  February 17.

    ” Your emoluments and other conditions of service will remain sustained up to  February 16, 2017.”

    Findings, however, confirmed that the extension was a “violation of the Public Service Rule Number 020810.”

    The rule says: “(i) The compulsory retirement age for all grades in the service shall be 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier.

    “(ii) No officer shall be allowed to remain in service after attaining the retirement age of 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier.

    “(iii) The provision of (i) and (ii) of the rule is without prejudice to prevailing requirements for judicial officers and Academic Staff of Universities who retire at 70 and 65 years respectively.

    “(iv) Provided the officer would not have attained the retirement age of 60 years or spent 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier;

    (a) “a Director shall compulsorily retire upon serving eight years on the post and (b) a Permanent Secretary shall hold  office for a term of four years and renewable for a further term of four years, subject to satisfactory performance and no more.”

    A top source said  “some forces”  manipulated the system  deliberately to create distortion.

    “This tenure extension has caused disquiet in the presidency because it is not backed by any law. It will also set a bad precedent,” the source said.

    “Most permanent secretaries and directors were shocked by the decision of the Federal Government as if the nation is returning to the era of super permanent secretaries.

    “I think the President was wrongly advised because he is a man of integrity. Over 17 federal permanent secretaries were flushed out of service a few months ago by this same government with some of them still having up to three years to date of their retirement.

    “Shu’ara was supposed to be one of them but the President, out of what we thought was mere magnanimity, allowed her to serve out her three remaining months in service.”

    In her February 15 notice of retirement Dr. Shu’ara had  said: “I write most respectfully to forward to you, my notice of retirement from the Federal Civil Service with effect from February 17  when I shall attain the mandatory age of 60 years, in line with Public Service Rule 100238.

    “I was employed into the public service May, 1982 as a Lecturer Grade III and rose through the ranks to the position of a Chief Lecturer, and also served as a Head of Department, a Dean of a School, a Deputy Provost and the Provost of a Federal College of Education. Thereafter, I transferred into the Federal Civil Service as an Assistant Director, Education in 1999, and moved up the ladder to a Deputy Director and later a Director in 2008.

    “I was appointed the Federal Permanent Secretary on the 20th of December 2012, and was deployed to several duty posts including; the Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation – Special Duties Office; Ministry of Aviation; Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Federal Ministry of Special Duties & Intergovernmental Affairs and finally back to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

    “I thank the Federal Government of Nigeria, especially His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari for giving me the opportunity of a rich employment and founding me worthy to serve in different capacities. I also thank you ma, for giving me support and encouragement as the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

    “I wish to confirm that I am not in any way indebted to the Federal Government of Nigeria as evidenced in the non-indebtedness form duly endorsed by the Federal Housing Loans Board.

    “Please accept the assurances of my high regards and consideration.”

  • Why Govt budgeted N3.2b for State House clinic, by Perm Sec.

    Why Govt budgeted N3.2b for State House clinic, by Perm Sec.

    The Permanent Secretary, State House, Alhaji Jalal Arabi, on Tuesday successfully defended the 2016 State House budget proposal of N18.1 billion before the National Assembly.

    Addressing members of the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-governmental Affairs, and members of the House of Representatives Committee on Special Duties in Abuja on Tuesday, Arabi disclosed that N3.2 billion of the budget was earmarked for the upgrade of State House Clinic to Centre of Excellence.

    “The budget for the State House Medical Centre included N3.219billion proposed for the completion of on-going work as well as procurement of drugs and other mediacal equipment.

    “The Medical Centre provides health care treatment for the President and Vice-President, their families as well as numerous civil servants working in the State House and across the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government and of course, with due respect, including Parliamentarians and members of the legislature in addition to other notable dignitaries.

    “Interestingly, Mr Chairman, on a lighter note, not only those that have been captured here attend (the Medical Centre) there are poor of poorest that attend because we receive reference from Gwagwalada, Garki, Wuse hospitals.

    “So, if they come, we attend to them and interestingly too at no fee at all, we don’t charge

    “The anticipated improvement of the Medical Centre will propel it to serve as a Centre of Excellence and also reduce medical tourism.

    “May I also add that the State House Medical Centre, unlike other Medical Centres does not charge any fees for its services and hence does not generate any revenue for itself,’’ he said.

    Arabi stated that N3.9billion of the budget was earmarked for the routine maintenance of the State House, while 394million would be spent on rehabilitation of dilapidated structures being occupied by security personnel.

    He said that N1.79billion would be spent on replacement and rehabilitation of mechanical and electrical cables and other accessories in the State House, saying that these installations had been in place since the construction of the villa complex in 1992.

    “Hence, it has become absolutely necessary to replace the critical ones in view of the sensitive nature of the equipment especially as they affect the security of the Presidential Villa.

    “Several attempts were made in the past to capture same in previous budgets, while much concerted efforts deployed since 2012 but to no avail,’’ he explained.

    The Permanent Secretary also disclosed that N699million had been earmarked for the purchase of five CVU cars, 10 each of 33-seater Coaster and Hiace buses and utility pick-up van.

     

    According to him, the vehicles are essentially needed for the CVU and the main pool for staff movements, and huttle of visitors into the Presidential Villa in view of the current security situations.

     

    “It is in record that there were no purchase/replacement of State House pool vehicles in the State House in the last seven years despite the deteriorating level of most them,’’ he added.

     

    In his response, the Chairman, Senate committee on Federal Character and Inter-governmental Affairs, Tijjani Kaura, expressed satisfaction at the presentation made by the Permanent Secretary.

     

    He noted that the explanation offered on the State House Clinic budget had cleared the air on the misconceptions on the matter.

     

    Similarly, Chairman House of Representatives committee on special duties, Alhaji Nasiru Zango-Daura commended Arabi for the details provided in his presentation, assuring that the committee would work on the proposal as required

     

  • Perm Sec inspects ‘high end’ estate

    Perm Sec inspects ‘high end’ estate

    The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Housing, Mr. Olatunji Odunlami, last week, embarked on an inspection tour of housing projects in Gbagada area of the state. Accompanied on the tour by some workers, the team visited the “Baba Omojola” housing estate, which was commissioned on June 12 last year by former Governor Raji Fashola.

    Baba Omojola housing estate shares fence with Gbagada estate,  but has a separate entrance. The estate consist of 11 blocks of 88 units of four and five bedroom masionnette,  while the road within the estate is well paved with interlock bricks.  Other facilities there include 24- hour security, water, among others. Already, about 45 of the units are now being occupied. The estate is a high end income estate built for high income earners who are ready to pay fully for the cost of the units. Odunlami however declined to disclose the cost of acquiring a unit. High end income estate is a public private partnership initiative which is meant to deliver houses to high profile individuals

    Odunlami said the visit is part of the routine check to ascertain the level of compliance in the use of facilities provided at the estate, and to ensure that all necessary facilities are intact before full occupation.