Governance: AMAC Chairman makes U-turn, redeploys sacked Sup. Councillors

By Stanley Onyekwere

In what seems as a swift political U-turn, the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Adamu Candido, following the recall and redeployment of his hitherto sacked supervisory councilors, rarely a week after.
Precisely, on 30thSeptember, the AMAC boss terminated appointments of all the councilors, thereby relieving them of their supervisory roles in different segments of the council.
The Chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, Dayo Lawal, described his boss action a usual ‘cabinet shakeup’ in any administrative structure.
He added that their replacements would be announced later, but it wasn’t to be, as the sacked councilors were almost immediately reinstated, with some of them redeployed to different areas.
As it stands, the supervisory councillors are: Gabriel O. Bravo Supervisory Councilor for Health; Muhammed Dan’Azumi, Supervisory Councilor for Agriculture; Murtala Usman Karshi, Supervisory Councilor in charge of Environment; Adamu Abari -Supervisory Councilor for Finance and Investment.
Others are: Engr. Ndidi Nwagba who now supervises Special Duties; Mrs. Ramat Abisola Abdullahi, Education and Social Development; and Adamu Jagaba, Supervisory Councilor for Works.
Meanwhile, Hon. Charles Iheh, former supervisory councilor for Investment has been redeployed to AMAC-IPDC; whereas Hajia Rakia Ibrahim is Special Adviser on Empowerment and Mobilization.
There are claims in some quarters that the sudden U-turn by Candido on his earlier decision to sack the appointees was because of political pressure emanating from within his party- the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Also, some observers attributed the Chairman’s sudden twist and turn handling his appointees to fear of losing his rising political profile and influence in the FCT, especially with recent addition of a serving lawmaker into the ruling party.
However, dismissing that the Candido acted under pressure, his Media Aide, Lawal via telephone conversation says: “Oga (Candido) doesn’t work under pressure. He can hire and fire!
“It is a cabinet reshuffle. Some of them did not go back to their previous posts; only two went back to their former positions.
“He did it to strengthen his administration for better service delivery.
“As a good administrator, from time to time, you appraise your governance, performance, then you energize, re-energize and reposition.
“Where you think that someone can work better, you take him there. The whole idea is to render improved governance to the people.”