Okwe Obi, Abuja
Over two months after leaving office, portraits of former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh and his State counterpart, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri are yet to be removed from the walls of the ministry and some agencies like the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) and Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN).
Although, Lokpobiri may not be reappointed minister because he has joined the race for the governorship election slated for November 16 in Bayelsa State, but there are speculations that Ogbeh might be brought back.
Saturday Sun gathered that most staff of the ministry are currently at loggerheads with most political aides of Ogbeh who are still carrying out duties meant for staff, an act enabled by some directors. Also, a source who preferred anonymity said Ogbeh’s personal effects are still in the minister’s office pending the appointment of new ministers.
Our reporter gathered that the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Umar Bello, had allegedly questioned the continuous stay of some political aides which most of them claimed to be on secondment. The ministry’s Director of Press, Mohammed Nakorji, was said to have made a case for one of them, claiming to have heard that she is on secondment. He said: “One of them told me that she is on secondment, but I have not seen any letter.