The alleged sexual abuse case involving the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is already before the highest staff disciplinary body, a top official has confirmed.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar had taken the matter to the Office of the Head of Service.
Tuggar had received a petition from Mrs Simisola Fajemirokun-Ajayi, a female staff in the ministry, who accused Ibrahim Lamuwa, the Permanent Secretary, of sexual assault.
The minister quickly sent the petition to the office of the Head of Service, urging it to investigate the complaint.
Adeoye Ayodeji, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office in the Head of Service office, while giving an update on the matter on Friday, told NAN that it had “gone very far”.
“President Bola Tinubu has authorised the Federal Staff Management Committee to look into the matter for further deliberation.
“So, the committee has been authorised to look into the case as approved by the president, for further investigation.
“That committee is the highest disciplinary body across the board; it is authorised to handle disciplinary issues involving directorate cadre officers, including permanent secretaries.
”The only information I can give you now is that President Bola Tinubu has approved that the Federal Staff Management Committee should meet on the issue.
”The committee has met and, of course, such a case is not something you can handle in one hour. Sometimes you have to get additional information.
”His case is one of the several cases being handled by the committee. We have to treat each case on its merit and as it comes,” he said.
The permanent secretary also explained that cases that don’t require the president’s approval could be handled as desired by the committee.
”For cases requiring Presidential attention, we sent to the president for approval,” he said.
He said that the committee was still deliberating on Lamuwa’s case alongside others, adding that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would get the feedback from the committee “as soon as the case is concluded”.
”So, the committee is meeting and looking at all cases. As soon as we conclude, the ministry in charge will get our feedback.
“If it is supposed to go to the president, we will translate it to him for the final decision. For now, we have not concluded the Lamuwa case,” he said.