The minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT ), Muhammad Bello, at the weekend allegedly foiled an attempt by Babatope Ajakaiye, the immediate past permanent secretary of FCT Administration (FCTA), to steal five vehicles belonging to the FCT Administration.
A security officer, who asked not to be named, said that he personally arranged the five cars preparatory for removal by Ajakaiye when the FCT minister got wind of it and ordered that none be removed or taken away.
The officer, who is a member of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps said “I personally arranged the cars; two in front of the parking lot and three behind preparatory for removal when the minister got a wind of it and ordered that any security man who allows any vehicle to be removed would be made to pay for it.”
Speaking further, he reiterated that “if you are in doubt, ask my other colleagues standing there.”
Another closed source in the former permanent secretary’s office said it was on record that when one of the past permanent secretaries, Obinna John Chuckwu retired, a 2015 model Toyota which he took was recalled from his car park when his successor assumed duty.
The officer noted that in the past, it used to be a tradition for retiring senior officers to go with a fleet of cars.
This, he noted was because of the practice at the time that each of the seven mandate secretariats would buy a car, amounting to seven cars, in addition to the three cars in the pool of the permanent secretary’s office.
According to findings from the ministry, since monetisation was introduced in 2006 by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, public officers and civil servants are already given money for such things as official vehicles and houses, and there is no longer free car to take away by public officers.
