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Alleged Brawl: Untold story of how Kwara commissioner, Aisha rescinded decision to resign from cabinet

By Mumini Abdulkareem

What really is the cross of her grievances regarding the alleged resignation of former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hajia Aisha Pategi you may want to ask?

Was she coerced or threatened to rescind her decision or it was just a choice that came out of her own volition. And why did she have to walk the path of peace with her employer at the end of the day and at what cost?

These and several other questions have dominated discussion in the state about the action of Pategi who is already been described in higher circles as arguably one of the most powerful commissioners in the history of Kwara State.

A flip to the incident that pitched her against the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs Florence Olasunbo Oyeyemi over alleged illegal withdrawal of council fund to the tune of N300m, Pategi was said to have been highly enraged and decided to confront her counterpart to ask why deduction from her ministry up to such staggering amount could have been approved monthly without her knowledge, albeit after arming herself with relevant bank documents from her investigation.

In the course of the altercation which reportedly involved fisticuffs, Pategi was said to have slipped in anger while descending the staircase after she mistimed her footstep when there was a power failure according to several sources that witnessed the incident.

According to findings, the earlier decision of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to placate the grieving commissioner fell on deaf ears as she finally decided to resign from the cabinet and rejected all the entreaties to rescind her decision initially.

In the course of the altercation which reportedly involved fisticuffs, Pategi was said to have slipped in anger while descending the staircase after she mistimed her footstep when there was a power failure according to several sources that witnessed the incident.

According to findings, the earlier decision of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to placate the grieving commissioner fell on deaf ears as she finally decided to resign from the cabinet and rejected all the entreaties to rescind her decision.

A source said the swapping of about six commissioners to different portfolios including Pategi who was moved to ministry of special duties was an action by the Governor meant to divert attention that the whole issue was not about the two combatants.

It was gathered that the former commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs however rejected the move and tendered her resignation letter instead through one of the DSS officials said to be attached to the Governor.

This medium leant after Pategi rejected the plea to stay on, she was invited to Abuja on the request of the governor and reportedly complained that she was made to look like the guilty person in the whole episode.

One of the sources who was privy to the development confided in National Pilot that “Yes, she actually resigned and her grouse was that nobody is listening to her own side of the story. She felt betrayed that the commissioner of finance was not affected by the swap after the alleged brawl.

“What she (Aisha) was even more concerned about was not the N300m but what could have warranted such deal between the Governor and Commissioner of Finance Aisha that at what level did the agreement she had with the Governor before her appointment to head the ministry  of local government collapsed.

“She was also pained that the alleged withdrawal did not have any value to local government administration in terms of projects. Although she initially vowed not to return to the cabinet and preferred to go back to her professional calling as a communication strategist, the governor later got the traditional institution involved before agree to stay but with condition.

Another source who also spoke on the issue said Aisha told the governor that she should be allowed to however operate from Abuja as the commissioner for special duties instead of from the state which was reportedly granted.

Recall that she recently visited the Transition Company of Nigeria (TCN) in Abuja, an incident that was wieldy reported.

The invitation of the EFCC by the governor and decision to probe the alleged diversion of council funds by the House of Assembly, it was further learnt, was to sort of safe face following the backlash that has trailed the incident.

For now, some of the puzzles that has been raised by observers is in what capacity will she be operating as Kwara Commissioner from Abuja and what has happened to the alleged illegal withdrawal of N300m monthly from the council funds among others.

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