Employees at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have expressed strong opposition to Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent appointment of Dr. Magdalene Ajani as the new permanent secretary.
The decision, part of a larger reshuffle involving 24 permanent secretaries, has sparked discontent among FCTA staff.
Dr. Ajani, formerly with the Ministry of Transportation, has been designated to replace the outgoing permanent secretary, Olusade Adesola, who is set to retire on January 29, 2024.
The discontent stems from the anticipation among FCTA employees that Adesola would be the final permanent secretary, particularly in light of Tinubu’s prior approval for the establishment of an independent Civil Service Commission (CSC) for the FCT.
Despite a law in place to facilitate career progression for civil servants in the FCTA, the protest unfolded on Monday as employees expressed dismay over the appointment of Dr. Ajani. The law, signed in 2018 and awaiting implementation, was intended to address the concerns of civil servants regarding career advancement.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike had highlighted these issues in October 2023, emphasising the need to implement the 2018 law.
Wike asserted, “So, I wrote a memo to Tinubu. I say, you have a Renewed Hope agenda; civil servants in FCT are suffering; they have lost hope.
“They are not committed to work. Why should I be working because at the end of the day, I can not get to the apex of my career? As such, we must implement that 2018 law as passed by the National Assembly. If there are challenges, of course, there is no law that is perfect,” the minister disclosed.