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The Presidency on Monday said it was not in possession of any letter by the embattled Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Winnifred Oyo-Ita, indicating interest to go on retirement.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said this in a text message in response to earlier reports that Oyo-Ita had formally informed President Muhammadu Buhari of her desire to proceed on retirement.
An online newspaper, TheCable, had reported that Oyo-Ita had communicated her decision to proceed on retirement to the President.
Later, a source close to her had also confirmed the development to one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity.
But the presidential spokesman insisted that the Presidency had not received such communication.
“Thanks. We have no such letter here, in the event that such a letter exists. This is our position,” Shehu wrote.
Oyo-Ita could not be reached on the telephone as of the time of filing this report as her known telephone line kept indicating that it was not not available.
The Director of Communication at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Olawunmi Ogunmosule, told one of our correspondents that she was not aware of the resignation of Oyo-Ita.
According to her, the office that Oyo-Ita occupies is not an ordinary one and resigning from such position cannot be done secretly.
She said, “The Head of Civil Service of the Federation is not an ordinary position. If something like that (resignation) will happen, there will be official communication to me. I have not received such communication and I cannot speak for her family. If I receive as official communication to that effect, there will be a press statement from here to all journalists.”
The HOCSF is currently in the eye of the storm after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission reportedly questioned her over an alleged N3bn bribery, duty tour allowance falsification and fraud case.
She was on Monday conspicuously absent at the opening of the two-day presidential retreat organised for ministers-designate at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
SATURDAY PUNCH had reported exclusively that she was making frantic efforts to meet Buhari, who was as of the time in his home town, Daura, Katsina State, to enable her to explain her side of the story directly to the President.
Punch
