President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari and Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, have embarked on fence-mending as they embraced warmly and smiled to the camera, yesterday, shortly before commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, yesterday .
The new rapproachment was at the council chambers of the Presidential Villa.
Kyari and Oyo-Ita sit side by side during the council meeting.
Oyo-Ita stepped into the Council Chambers, went straight to Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and exchanged pleasantries with him. She was all smiles when Kyari walked in .
They embraced and were all smiles when the camera swooped in on them, while council members clapped and hailed them.
They were both congratulated by Osinbajo, the National Security Advisers (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (retd), Permanent Secretary, Jalal Arabi and the Permanent Secretary, Ecological Office, Dr. Habiba Lawal, who sat in for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Gida Muatapha, who was reportedly away on official assignment.
Oyo-Ita had, last Wednesday, reacted in a an unusual manner to Kyari. Her reaction was witnessed by all those who were in the council chambers for the twin ceremony of the swearing-in of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and the launch 2018 armed forces emblem.
Osinbajo and Kyari were seen questioning Oyo-Ita, shortly before commencement of the event last week. The shocking drama lasted about 10 minutes
Oyo-Ita was seen angrily gesticulating while she tried to make her point in what was obviously a heated argument with Kyari. She later went back to her seat and then rose again and headed straight to Osinbajo, who also engaged her in discussion.
Monguno later joined the conversation after which Mustapha was seen calming Oyo-Ita. She later returned to her seat on the prompting of the Deputy Chief of Staff Femi Ipaye.
when it was now obvious all eyes were fixed on them. A national daily had quoted Oyo-Ita, in the leaked memo, as saying that Buhari was aware of the reinstatement of the former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina.
Oyo-Ita was also quoted to have stated that she had warned the president against the controversial recall of the embattled former pension boss.
President Buhari ordered the immediate disengagement of former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdullahi Abdulrasheed Maina, 24 hours after Minister of Interior, Lt Gen (retd) Abdulrahman Dambazau, admitted that Maina, was posted to the Ministry of Interior by the Office of the Head of Service on an Acting capacity to fill a vacancy created following the retirement of the Director heading the Human Resources Department in the Ministry.
Maina was in 2013 recommended for dismissal by the Federal Civil Service Commission following a recommendation by the Office of the Head of Service.
In 2012, Maina was accused of leading a massive pension fraud scheme amounting to more than N100 billion.
He was drafted by the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2010 to sanitize a corrupt pension system.
Based on the allegation of corruption, Mr. Maina was invited by the Senate Joint Committee on Public Service and Establishment and State and Local Government Administration.
The Press Secretary to the Minister of Interior, Ehisienmen Osaigbovo, in a statement exonerated the minister as having a hand in the controversial posting, saying Maina was posted few days ago to the Ministry of Interior by the Office of the Head of Service on an Acting capacity to fill a vacancy created following the retirement of the Director heading the Human Resources Department in the Ministry.
Oyo-Ita, in compliance with President Buhari’s directive had submitted a report on Maina.
|Sun