Immediate past minister of state for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu has said that all the official cars with her have been returned to the government pool.
The clarification, she said, became necessary in view of the rumour making the round that she refused to return the official cars assigned to her by the FCT administration during her tenure.
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She said the reports in some sections of the media were meant to smear her politically and dent her integrity rating.
The former minister revealed that she had since returned all the vehicles in her possession to Life-camp, the official residence of the Minister of FCT.
In a statement she personally issued, Aliyu said she had evidence to prove that all the vehicles had been returned to the appropriate quarters.
She described the reports as unfounded, untrue and the imagination of the writers, scheming to ruin her reputation that she took time to build over the years.
The statement reads in part, “There are misleading reports in the media pointing at official vehicles assigned to me by the Federal Capital Territory Administration during my days as the minister of state for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which the public must know the truth, not the fiction.
“All the vehicles that were assigned to me are no longer in my custody, I have since returned them in good condition to the official residence of the minister of the FCT in Life Camp, anyone who doubts should go there and verify, as well reach out to the FCT Administration for more clarifications.
“I am miffed by the unfounded reports apparently sponsored by weak minded individuals to undermine my hard earned academic, political, family and public reputations.
“Indeed, as a female politician standing tall in the society, some persons must adverse me, but it should be in a concise manner, facts based than to weaken me insidiously.
“While the allegations of hijacking FCT pilgrims slots is the writers’ imagination, because the official procedure adopted by organs responsible for pilgrimage affairs cannot be subverted.
“Our preparations and ratings in the FCT Pilgrims Board while I was holding sway, received positive commendations in the preceding years. After my departure from office my influence on the operations and its success is no more. Even then I had to go out of my way to insist a better accommodation be provided when I became aware of the challenge faced by some of the pilgrims in the past.
Of my aides still in FCT Administration, I do not have any aides still in the Administration. The letter of appointment issued by the FCTA to the special assistant on Special Investment Programme (SIP) will be terminated in August 2023, while the special assistant on climate change is a staff of FCTA, who I engaged within the system as a cost cutting measure while in office. Both are employees of the FCTA, not mine,” she said.