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Reports have it that embattled Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, may have sent her retirement letter to President Muhammadu Buhari.
TheCable, in an exclusive report, says “the widow had been under pressure from her immediate family to retire after news reports emerged that she was being probed over an alleged N3 billion contract scam.”
The report added that even though Oyo-Ita has vehemently denied involvement in any scam, she bowed to family pressures and sent in a letter on Sunday offering to proceed on retirement.
President Buhari is however yet to take a final decision as there has been no word from the presidency.
The report of her alleged voluntary retirement was strengthened on Monday as she was conspicuously absent at the presidential retreat for ministers-designate, which federal permanent secretaries and top government functionaries held at the state house conference centre in Abuja.
She was listed in the programme of the retreat as one of the resource persons and was expected to be among the top government officials to seat on the high table with the President.
But at the high table with President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday were the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari and National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno.
Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently quizzed Oyo-Ita over allegations that she used front companies to get contracts when she was a permanent secretary before her appointment as head of service by Buhari in 2015.
It was also reported that N600 million was traced to the account of one of her aides who has been quizzed by the anti-graft agency and released.
There were however insinuations that she is the current victim of a political power play within the presidency.
FLASHBACK: Interior Ministry reinstated Maina without my approval – Oyo-Ita
In a tweet, Reno Omokri, a former new media aide to ex-President Jonathan, alleged that “the real reason why the EFCC moved against the Head of Service, Mrs. Eyo Ita, is because she is suspected of leaking the memo proving that Buhari was behind the reinstatement of pension thief Maina”