Since the inauguration of ministers few days ago, there have been full of intrigues as some civil servants received more than one Minister from different ministries in same building.
More intriguing, according to a report by Tribune online, was an instant where some directors, even Chief Executive Officers of Agencies in the ministry of Marine and Blue Economy during a meet and greet meeting, kept referring to the minister, Adegboyega Oyetola as Minister of Transportation.
This occurred on Monday the 21st of August, when staff of the Ministry of Transportation received the Minister at the Ministry.
The Permanent Secretary, Dr Magdalene Ajani said at the meeting that the process of carving out the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry from the Ministry of Transportation was ongoing.
On Tuesday, the 22nd of August, 2023, the Minister of Transportation, Sen. Said Ahmed Akali resumed work at the same ministry (Transportation) and was received by same staff.
Also at the meeting in the ministry’s conference room, the same Permanent Secretary told Sen. Akali that the process of separating the ministries was ongoing.
Nigerian Tribune investigation revealed that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy has occupied the office that belongs to the main Minister of Transportation, while the office that used to be the office of the Minister of State for Transportation is left for the now Minister of Transportation.
Speaking to Tribune based on anonymity, a senior staff of the ministry said; “At the moment I don’t know which ministry I belong to.
“For now, we are working for both the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the Ministry of Transportation”.
Further investigation revealed that the Bukar Dipcharima House inhabited by the former Ministry of Transportation was donated to the ministry by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), an Agency that now falls under the purview of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
It is not clear whether the Ministry of Transportation would continue to operate from the same building with the new ministry which seems to have taken charge of the building or look for another office space.
Also, there is no clear picture in sight on which staff would be deployed to the new ministry and which one stay with the Ministry of Transportation.
