Ilorin Master Plan: Kwarans condemn Gov Abdulrazaq, expressed disappointment over N.6b design

Stop sack, witch-hunt of Kwara civil servants – Retired officer to Abdulrazaq …urges Gov to implement minimum wage, clear backlogs By Mumini AbdulKareem A retired principal executive officer in the Kwara State civil service, Mr Issa Solomon has called on Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to stop the reckless sack and witch hunting of civil servants in the state even as he noted that such action will stunt the growth of the sector. Mr Solomon therefore advised the Governor to follow the footsteps of President Buhari on the management of Civil Service and domesticate policies and decisions of the federal government in state. In an open letter to the governor, the retired officer noted that the civil service is the engine room of government and called for training and retraining of the civil servants, commencement of the payment of minimum wage, clearing of backlogs of gratuity arrears, furnishing of office accommodation and direct the Head of Service to organize send-forth ceremony for the retired permanent secretaries for their meritorious service. The statement reads: “This letter is in response to the open letter of Olorungbe Yusuf and Rejoinder of Oba Abdulqadir on Kwara State Civil Service. My write-up is to set the record straight about the Kwara State Civil Service as at 2003, with the hope that those sycophants who are bent on destroying the Kwara State Civil Service would drop their pens. “They are misrepresenting facts about the Civil Service because they actually don’t know the facts. They did same for Bukola administration in 2003. They need to stop the spread of falsehood about the Kwara Civil Service to enable Governor succeed. “Please be reminded that it was one week to the expiration of Lawal Administration in May, 2003 that Governor Lawal appointed ten Permanent Secretaries. Among them are S.A. Musa (Edu & erstwhile DOP), Alh Umar (Director, MOF & Present Emir of Kaima), Ayinke Saka (Director, Nursing & friend of the 1st Wife of Governor Lawal), Alh AbdulRahman Oyinloye Igbaja (Liaison Officer, Abuja), Alh Hamidu Dare (Ilorin South) and host of others. Immediately after the appointment, the then Chairman, Transition Implementation Committee for Incoming Bukola Saraki Administration; Prof Oba Abdulraheem made a counter announcement that the incoming administration will not recognize the newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and advised Governor Lawal not swear them in. They premised their advice on the fact that the names of the newly appointed Permanent Secretaries were not on the list of Permanent Secretaries contained in the Handing over Notes and Report, already submitted to the Transition Implementation Committee. Prof Oba Raheem, Raheem Adedoyin, Muhammed Ahmed, Kale Belgore (Director-General, Mandate Campaign organization) and Gani Cook can confirm these revelations. “Note that during the first week of Bukola’s administration, the appointment of the ten newly appointed Permanent Secretaries was cancelled and they were reverted back to their former Directorship Positions. Please note further that serving/inherited Permanent Secretaries such as Dr Alanamu (Governor Lawal close friend and PS, Health), Alh Awodi (PS,General Services),Alh Waheed (PS, Political), Dr Alao (PS lands) and a host of others were not relieved of their appointments. Rather, they completed their Service year of 35years. Records are in the Civil Service Commission and Pension Board for confirmation. Interestingly, when new Permanent Secretaries were appointed, Bukola’s administration again re-appointed the likes of S.A Musa (Edu), Umar Kaima (Present Emir of Kaima), Ayine Saka (Ilorin West & PS Health), Hamidu Dare (Ilorin South & PS Finance), because they still retained their seniority in their respective LGAs. Among the canceled appointments, I know of only Alh Oyinloye Abdulrahman that was not reappointed because he has five Officers ahead or that senior him from Ifelodun LGA. In his place, Alh S.A Ibrahim was appointed Head of Service, which blocked Oyinloye’s reappointment chance. At the same time, the likes of Oba Babatunde Qudus (from Asa LGA) who was given punitive posting by Lawal Administration to Agency for Mass Education as Deputy Director), Baraje Kawu (who was given punitive posting by Lawal Administration from SUBEB to Establishment Division as Deputy Director), and Kawu Daibu(Chieftaincy Division) etc were appointed Permanent Secretaries by Bukola Administration. At the same time, two serving Permanent Secretaries were queried for Valuation and Auctioning of fifteen convoy vehicles to Governor Lawal during the last week of his administration. They are; Engr Adewuyi (PS Works) and Alhaja Habibat Yusuf (PS Finance). They were later found culpable and were demoted by Civil Service Commission. However, they pleaded for clemency and were later retired as Permanent Secretaries. Also, some Labour Leaders that were dismissed from service by Lawal Administration such as Fatai Adebiyi (Offa) over minimum wage issue were recalled back to service by Bukola Administration in 2003. Kale Belgore, Gani Cook, Prof Oba, Raheem, Raheem Adedoyin and Muhammed Ahmed can confirm all these revelation. Concomitantly at this period, some Civil Servants that were tagged “Lawal boys” by sycophant politicians in Bukola Administration were removed from their duty posts and were given punitive postings to “dry land” as we call it in the service. Among those given punitive posting to dry land for serving under Lawal Administration were Isiaka Gold (Posted from Government House as Deputy Director to Pension Department), G.B.O Bello, nicknamed “Power” by Governor Lawal and a close friend of Rasak Lawal (posted from Government House as Principal Private Secretary to Auditor-General Office), Garba Majo (posted from Kwara Investment Company as Secretary to Ministry of Rural Development), Ayo Yusuf(posted from Tender Secretariat to Debt Management Division , Benjamin Fatigun (posted from Government House as Accountant to Information Division), Oyinloye Abdulrahman (posted from Abuja Liaison Office to Ministry of Commerce)and a host of others Secretaries of Parastatals and Agencies appointed during Lawal Administration. Alh Gani Cook and Kale Belgore can confirm this 2003 punitive postings saga of Bukola Administration”, the statement added.