Uneasy calm in CCB over reabsorption of retired Acting Secretary without board’s approval
* I was reinstated by the SGF, says Kolawole
There has been an uneasy calm at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) over the re-absorption of former Acting Executive Secretary of the Bureau, Mrs. A.F Kolawole who voluntarily retired from service in April 2017 after she was suspended by the board on the ground of alleged “serious misconduct and abuse of office.”
She however resurfaced in her office this year few months ago and reportedly claimed that she has been recalled without due processes.
Her letter of retirement dated April 12, 2017 reads in part: “This is to most graciously notify you of my voluntary retirement from the services of Code of Conduct Bureau with effect from July 12, 2017, having served the Bureau for 32 years and four months at various levels up to my current position of Acting Secretary, CCB.
”Accordingly, I wish to proceed on my three months pre-retirement leave with effect from today, April 12, 2017.” In a response to her letter, the Board through its then Chairman, Sam Saba, decried Kolawole’s unrepentant posture and reiterated that it has “magnanimously approved your voluntary retirement from service with effect from April 12, 2017.
Sequel to Mrs. Kolawole resignation and retirement from the Bureau, her allowance of N873,860.60 was said to have been prepared and paid to her.
Some aggrieved officials of the Bureau disclosed that Mrs. Kolawole returned to her former office immediately the board that earlier suspended her over her alleged role against the constituted Standard Operational Procedure (SOP), which was introduced in February 2017, completed its tenure and left.
Consequently, there was no board in place to approve her recall as at the time she returned to her former office, even though she was advised to wait pending the constitution of a new board. Meanwhile, the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation has queried the appointment of Kolawole as the Acting Secretary with same consolidated condition of service as that of a Permanent Secretary.
According to a letter dated April 16 and received by the Bureau on April 18, the appointment has led to a monthly salary difference of N620,929.96, culminating into a loss of N14.9million to the government.
“The enabling act of the Bureau did not provide for the position of Acting Secretary or Secretary for the Bureau to be equal to the Permanent Secretary without proper authority of the Presidency.
“It is therefore inappropriate for someone to claim salary of a Permanent Secretary. It is illegal, improper, unjust and absence of integrity for the Bureau that was established as a watch-dog on public officers in the Public Service to engage in this questionable act”, the letter read’s in part.
The return of Mrs. Kolawole to the Bureau was reported to have been endorsed by some powerful civil servant from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
According to the source, a letter purportedly signed by the Permanent Secretary (GSO), Office of the SGF was addressed to the most senior director after Kolawole, directing him to officially recall the retired Acting Secretary.
In his reply dated August 30, the erstwhile Director, Reforms Coordination and Service Improvement Department, Mr. N. Agom-Tor, who was handed over the helm of affairs at the Bureau, emphasized that he constitutionally lacked the legitimate power to recall a retired staff.
Her alleged smuggle back to office led to a legal action by a Non-governmental Organization – Royal Integrity and Accountability Organization. The group had approached the National Industrial Court, seeking an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents (OSGF, CCB and Mrs. Kolawole), from reinstating the former Acting Secretary.
While union protest looms at the Bureau, some concerned Nigerians have called on President Muhammadu Buhari as well as the leadership of the National Assembly to intervene in the matter to forestall another case of Abdulrasheed Maina.
When contacted on Monday Mrs. Kolawole said she was recalled by the office of the SGF.
Asked whether the SGF can unilaterally recalled her to same office without recourse to the Board, she said that she is a public servant and an employee of the Federal Government, and as such, further explanation on the legality or otherwise of her recall should be directed at the office of the SGF.
