Crisis is brewing within President Buhari’s Federal Executive Council
between two ministers, the Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi and the
Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika
SIGNAL can report.
An informed source familiar with the portraits of both ministers were missing at the federal airports across
the country, Datti told SIGNAL, “We are awaiting the official portraits
of the ministers. They are yet to send them in to us.”
Pushing further, our reporter asked Datti if the reason for the
missing portraits was connected to reports of an ongoing power tussle
between both ministers. At this point, Datti replied, “The portraits are
there. Amaechi’s portrait is at the airport. It is only that of the
Minister of State that is not there.”
“But you just said you were awaiting the portraits?”, our reporter
fired back. “I have a right to make a mistake. I am not God. Or is this
an examination?”, Datti queried.
“You have a right to make mistakes, but as journalists, we have a
right to ask questions and make clarifications. So, why are Sirika’s
portraits not at the airports side by side with Amaechi?”, our reporter
asked Datti.
“It is one ministry with one permanent secretary. So it is only the
portrait of the senior minister that should be there”, he replied.
However, investigations by SIGNAL reveal that the standard practice is to have the portraits of both ministers at the airports.
Both portraits were still missing at the airports at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, civil servants in the aviation sector are said to be
embarrassed on behalf of both principals who have displayed little or no
concern in making their squabbles a matter of public spectacle.
“It is a shame. Both ministers are embarrassing themselves publicly.
It is a mess. And President Buhari on his part has been silent over this
issue. He should call them to order immediately. The aviation and
transport sectors are very key sectors of our economy.
We can’t continue
to have two adults who should know better fighting over the pettiness
of who is in charge or control of what. When two elephants fight,
unfortunately, it is the ground that suffers. Nigerians are the ones who
will bear the brunt over this unnecessary squabble”, a senior
government official who did not want to be named, told this newspaper.
Efforts to reach the ministers involved proved abortive at the time
of filing this report. Presidential spokespersons, Garba Shehu and Femi
Adesina did not take their calls when SIGNAL contacted them for
comments.
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