Group threatens to sue FCT minister for appointing junior staff as director of treasury.

By Sadiq Abubakar, Abuja.

A civil society group, Citizens Awareness Against Corruption And Social Vices Initiative (CAACSVI) have threatened to sue the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello for allegedly appointing a junior staff as director of treasury of the FCT administration.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, on Sunday, the group executive director, Comrade Olamuyiwa Olende, also threatened to mobilise a mass protest if the minister fail to reverse the appointment and allow the most senior staff to be replaced as director of treasury of the FCTA.

He said the minister has no justification appointing a junior staff as director of treasury ahead the most senior in the accounting department, which he said was against public service policy.

He said the rigorous excercise that led to the birth of an act to establish the federal capital territory civil service commission, which he said was duly accented to by the president of the federal republic of Nigeria in the year 2018, during the 8th assembly should be obeyed.

According to him, five years down the line, the law is yet to be implemented as directed, even as he said a white paper committee was set up to make recommendations for the implementation.

“And unfortunately, both the act and the report of white paper committee were swept under the carpet by the two FCT ministers and permanent secretary for reasons best known to them,” he said.

He, however, noted that the implementation of the act will enlarge the scope of responsibility and service of the FCTA/FCDA to the people and the nation as a whole, which he said the morale of the FCTA staff will be rekindled with the advent of the commission.

“As the commission will now reign and select suitable candidates from within the qualify staff of the FCTA/FCDA to be appointed as permanent secretaries as we have in order states of the federation,” he said.

Comrade Olande, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to direct relevant government authorities to investigate such appointment and take action against the two FCT ministers, Muhammad Musa Bello, and Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu as well as the permanent secretary, Mr Adesola Olusade.

“Except this is done, the group will explore other constitutional means including mass protest and litigation against the management of the FCTA and FCDA and the national assembly to press home our demand to ensure the right is done,” he said.

When contacted, the director of press to the FCT minister, Anthony Ogunlewe, said he is in church and asked our reporter to call back later.