BY SUSAN MONDAY, ABUJA BUREAU
An anti-corruption group, Citizens Awareness Against Corruption and Social Vices Initiative, CAACASVI, has extended its ultimatum given to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello, to take action on the alleged maladministration in the territory.
The group had on June 21 petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing the Minister of maladministration, incompetence and loss of control in the FCTA.
The petition, dated June 21, was signed by the Executive Director of the group, Olumuyiwa Onlede, and copied to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, and the FCT ministers.
Others copied in the petition included the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Director of Department of State Security, FCT Commissioner of Police and the Media.
The group had also issued a 14-day ultimatum for the minister to act on these allegations and correct these anomalies.
But on the elapsing of the ultimatum, the group, in a statement on Thursday sent to Newsmen extended the measure, citing an ongoing move by the Minister towards addressing some of their demands as the reason for the extension.
The statement said: “We wish to remind the Honourable Minister that the fourteen (14) days ultimatum issued to him to correct some perceived anomalies in the administration of FCT has since elapse and that after crucial meetings and critical analysis with stakeholders involved in the struggle, we have decided to extend the ultimatum by one week.
“The reason for this extension is not farfetched, credible information at our disposal is pointing to the fact that a process of appointing a substantive and qualified Director of Treasury has been initiated by your office and that action answers the most critical among the prayers in our earlier petition.
“Sir, if after a week from now no concrete result is achieved in the process of appointing a Director of Treasury among other things, we will have no other option than to mobilise like minds Civil Society Organizations and well-meaning Nigerians to picket your office in a peaceful demonstration to press home our demands as far as the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria permits.”