Date Published: 04/11/11

Why Ex-FCDA Boss, Alhassan, was removed
…Made unilateral payment of N23 billion to Julius Berger, without minister's consent

Fresh facts have emerged as to why the former Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Sani Alhassan was removed.

A statement issued Tuesday, November 9, 2010, by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed, had predicated Alhassan’s suspension on his penchant for “acts of exclusion and unilateral decisions”.

But Pointblanknews.com investigation has revealed that Alhassan had allegedly overstepped his statutory functions by singlehandedly making a part payment of N23 billion for the N65 billion Airport Road dualisation project to construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, without the authorisation of the minister.

Alhassan was also alleged to have engaged in another unilateral allocation of plots of land to several cronies including the Secretary for Agriculture and his counterpart in the Transport Secretariat, Achara Ivoke.

Ivoke, who is said to have his eyes on the coveted seat of the executive secretary, allegedly played the devil’s advocate by bringing the land allocation matter to the knowledge of the minister, who at first doubted the story but later demanded to see the letters of allocation.

The FCT minister is statutorily empowered to sign letters of allocation and certificates of occupancy (C of O) to alottees on behalf of the president.

Ivoke not only produced his own allocation letter but encouraged his Agricultural Secretariat counterpart to also make his own available which he did thus presenting an incontrovertible proof.

Following the development, the minister had swiftly issued the following statement saying the board of FCDA had approved the suspension of Alhassan, his close associate and Director of FCDA Engineering Services, Engineer Sylvester Ugonabo.

“The Board of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) has approved the immediate suspension of the FCDA Executive Secretary, Engineer Muhammad Sani Alhassan.

“The FCT Minister, Senator Bala Abduladir Mohammed who made this disclosure after the Board’s emergency meeting on Tuesday at the FCT Minister’s Conference, Garki I District, Abuja said that Architect Kabiru Ado Husaini has been appointed in acting capacity”, it said.

According to the statement “the minister further disclosed that the Director of FCDA Engineering Services Department, Engineer Sylvester Ugonabo, is also to proceed on compulsory leave while the most senior Deputy Director, Engineer M.A. Soso, has been appointed to act.

The suspension of the two management officers was based on acts of exclusion and unilateral decisions on their part”.

The suspended executive secretary has since appeared before a panel constituted by the board of FCDA to defend his actions but no action has been taken on the matter.