A grand conspiracy to forcefully retire a Senior Federal Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service is in the works and about to be implemented, PRNigeria learnt on good authority.
The Permanent Secretary, Nkechi Ejele, was the immediate past Permanent Secretary in the Special Duties Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
The embattled officer, who is from Enugu State, alongside two other female Permanent Secretaries, Fatima Binta Bamidele from Oyo State and Ibukun Abimbola Odusote from Ogun State, were wrongly accused of abuse of office, which were unproven.
Based on a recommendation of a special panel exonerating the Perm Secs from many wrongdoing, President Muhammadu Buhari directed that they should not be retired prematurely.
The panel, known as Federal Service Management Committee, was chaired by the immediate Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, with the current HoS, Folashade Yemi-Esan, as a member, among others.
In a handwritten memo to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, dated June 20, 2018, President Buhari directed: “Their careers should not be terminated as allegations against them could not be proved.
“They are to be retained until they reach retirement age or they voluntarily retire.”
On the strength of the Presidential directive, the SGF wrote to the Head of Service vide letter ref. no. 59814/s/t/144 dated June 22, 2018 conveying the President’s action on the matter.
His letter, sighted by PRNigeria, stated: “Mr President has carefully considered all the issues outlined in the memo, and in particular the recommendations made on the following three Permanent Secretaries: Mrs Ibukun Abimbola Odusote, Mrs Fatima Binta Bamidele and Mrs Nkechi Ejele.
“The President noted that Mrs Fatima Bamidele recently retired from the civil service on account of the attainment of the mandatory age of 60 years. He has therefore directed as follows: the careers of the remaining two permanent secretaries should not be terminated as allegations against them could not be proved and that they are to be retained until they reach retirement age or they voluntarily retire.”
The SGF in the letter further stated President Buhari’s directive: “In view of the above, you are to take further action to deploy the permanent secretaries as appropriate.”
While Odusote and Bamidele retired peacefully after reaching their retirement ages on April 18, 2018 and February 19, 2020 respectively, Ejele, who would officially retire on September 22, 2022, is being harassed to retire immediately.
Ejele, the erstwhile Permanent Secretary with Special Duties Office of the Head of the Civil Service, handed over to her successor following a circular, no. HCSF/095/11/368, dated December 18, 2019 on the posting of Permanent Secretaries, but she was not posted and currently has no portfolio.
An investigation revealed that in what looked like a direct affront on President Buhari’s instructions, Ejele was refused posting for more than six months now when the conspiracy to retire her began.
She is currently being cajoled to voluntarily retire from the service against her wish and efforts are in top gear to stop her salary and allowances in order to seal their planned conspiracy.
Meanwhile, Concerned Igbo Citizens in Abuja have petitioned President Buhari on the planned forceful retirement of their own.
The Igbo group under the aegis of Abuja Igbo Elites in a letter dated June 25, 2020 and sighted by PRNigeria noted that there was a grand plan to retire the Permanent Secretary in contravention of the President’s directive.
The Abuja Igbo Elites said: “We the above-named Socio-Cultural Organization based in Abuja respectively write to express our concerns over an advanced plan to forcefully retire the above underlined subject matter, Mrs Nkechi Ejele from the Federal Civil Service when she is not due. The Subject matter is the most senior Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service.
“Since her exoneration alongside two other Permanent Secretaries two years ago by President Muhammadu Buhari and subsequent letter to that effect by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation dated June 22, 2018, the Permanent Secretary has not known peace.
“As a champion of due process and accountability and whose anti-corruption drives have made marks in the public service, we shall remain grateful if you quickly intervene to stop this widow from early retirement where she has not committed any wrong, as this will no doubt send signals to those in authority who have not imbibed the anti-corruption crusade of the present administration.”