Perm Sec Removed Over Daughter's Lavish Dubai Wedding

There were indications last night that President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the redeployment of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ambassador AbdulAzeez Musa for giving out his daughter to the son of an oil magnate (Jide Omokore).
Besides alleged expensive nature of the wedding, the President was said to have taken the decision following an alleged conflict of interest.
But a source also alleged that the President acted against the Permanent Secretary because some key opposition figures were at the wedding.
According to findings, the wedding was held in Dubai , United Arab Emirates last Saturday after an initial introduction ceremony in Abuja.
The Permanent Secretary, who hails from Jigawa State, allowed her daughter to marry the son of the oil magnate who is a Christian from Kogi State.
The Presidency has, however, directed the Permanent Secretary to report to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr.Abba Aji Goni, for redeployment.
It was learnt that a senior director has been mandated to act as Permanent Secretary pending the reshuffling of permanent secretaries in the Federal Civil Service.
A reliable source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The Permanent Secretary has been asked to report to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation for redeployment. But he is currently on leave. The redeployment will take effect after he resumes.
“The Presidency did not take kindly to the alleged expensive nature of the wedding in Dubai. It believes that a serving public officer should not have been involved in such.
“The truth of the matter is that the redeployment has to do with an alleged conflict of interest because the father of the groom is a high net worth stakeholder in the petroleum industry.
“Out of envy, some stakeholders decided to petition the Presidency that the Permanent Secretary might use his position to favour his in-law.
“But the petitioners did not take cognizance of the fact that the Permanent Secretary was deployed in the ministry six months ago. There could not have been any conspiracy with the oil magnate.
“The groom and the bride met in the UK about eight years ago without the knowledge of their parents and the Permanent Secretary had no knowledge that he would be posted to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
“Being inter-religious marriage, it took time before both parents consented to it. Some oil marketers were just determined to get at the father of the groom.”
Another source, however, said what hastened the redeployment of the Permanent Secretary was the presence of some key opposition leaders at the wedding in Dubai.
The source added: “I think some forces in the Presidency took exception to the presence of key opposition figures at the wedding in Dubai.
“They are suspecting that the father of the groom might be romancing the opposition figures who they are desperate to deal with. And these forces were unhappy that a serving Permanent Secretary allowed opposition leaders to be at her daughter’s wedding.
“But some government functionaries have a different opinion because the wedding was purely a social gathering and not a political type.
“There was no political statement or campaign at the wedding. These opposition leaders are first and foremost Nigerians. They were not even invited by the Permanent Secretary.”
When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the Head of Service, Mr. Tope Ajakaiye, said he had no such information yet on the fate of the Permanent Secretary.
He declined further comments because he had not been briefed.
But a source close to the Permanent Secretary said: “Ambassador Musa was not sacked; he has only been redeployed but he is on leave.
“Contrary to insinuations, the Permanent Secretary did not engage in lavish wedding for his daughter.”