Palpable tension has engulfed the Federal Ministry of Water Resources as the workers union have threatened to carry placards in the next 48 hours as the erstwhile Director of Finance and Accounts, Mr. Clement o. Uwaifor, who was recently promoted to the position of Permanent Secretary and posted to the Federal Ministry of Health has refused to hand-over at the Water Resources Ministry.
A Union source at the ministry who confirmed the development to this reporter said the promoted Director of Finance and Accounts who has since resumed at the Federal Ministry of Health is still in charge of the ministry’s finances in Water Resources and doubles also as the Accounting officer at the Health Ministry, a move unknown to the civil service regulations.
Checks at the Water Resources Ministry by this reporter indicate that the said Uwaifor has at the time of pushing this report allegedly locked up the door to his office while there has been no fixed time yet for handover just as others who were promoted alongside him had done so in their various ministries.
A key official of the Union at the Water Resources Ministry also posited that the said erstwhile Director of Finance and Accounts was supposed to have handed over since August 24th, 2017, but wondered whether the sit-tight former Director of Finance and Accounts and now Permanent Secretary has any other agenda in Water Resources Ministry.
It was also gathered that the Official had earlier after his promotion allegedly boasted that he would seek to retain the position as Permanent Secretary in Water Resources trusting in his well-oiled contacts at the presidency.
At the time of filing this report, Mr. Clement Uwaifor was not available to hear his own side of the story why he has refused to hand over. Our reporter also tried to get the views of the Permanent Secretary at the Water Resources Ministry but was told had gone for an official engagement.
