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The Niger Government has confirmed the removal of Abubakar Kolo as the Secretary of the Niger state Transport Authority (NSTA) for allegedly insulting the Commissioner of Transport.
The Head of Service (HOS). Hajiya Salamatu Abubakar, made the confirmation during an interface with the state House of assembly committee on transport in Minna on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that trouble started during the review of the 2021 budget performance and the screening of the 2022 budget of the ministry of transport by the house committee on transport on Monday.
NAN reports that during the screening, the commissioner, Hajiya Ramatu Yaradua, alleged that she was insulted by the secretary.
Abubakar said investigation was ongoing to unravel the truth, adding that the redeployment was not a punishment.
Speaking, Mr Ahmed Marafa, member representing Chanchaga Constituency said the HOS has a responsibility to protect every civil servant in the state.
He said the action of the HOS was not inline with civil service rules, adding that the secretary was being victimised for revealing the facts and directed the HOS to redeploy him back to his former position.
“Return him back to his office to enable him complete the assignment to him by the committee, if he is not redeployed to his office, then passage of the budget will be delayed,” he said
Similarly, Mr Malik Madaki and Mr Ahmad Bello, members representing Bosso and Agwara constituencies, said the lawmakers would not fold their arms and allow any civil servants to be victimised for speaking the truth.
They said during the budget screening, the committee raised a question on NSTA which the secretary answered by telling the truth without insulting anyone.
Meanwhile, Alhaji Ibrahim Garba, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Transport, said the secretary insulted the commissioner when he the committee that the commissioner was not telling the truth on the issue of buses procured for NSTA.
He said that the secretary had been at loggerhead with the commissioner.(NAN)
