CCT replaces Spokesperson after Controversial Statement
The spokesperson for the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Abuja, Mr Ibraheem Alhassan, has been replaced a few days after releasing a statement filled with grammatical blunders in defence of his boss, the Chairman, Justice Danladi Umar.
Umar had publicly assaulted a security guard at the Banez Plaza in Abuja because the latter asked him to park his car appropriately.
After Alhassan was heavily criticised over the statement, he described the release as an unedited draft that had not received authorisation.
Confirming his recall by the Ministry of Information on Tuesday, Abdumalik Shaibu, Chief Registrar of the CCT, told TheCable that a replacement had already been sent to the tribunal.
“It is true. He was posted to us from there in the first place,” he said.
“I got the news that he has been recalled but there is no official letter yet from the ministry.
“I was told there is an official letter but we are still waiting for it. A replacement came in last Friday, and Ibrahim came to introduce him to us.
“We are hoping an official letter will come this week so that the new person can resume fully.”
When asked if there is a fixed tenure for the position, Shaibu said he was unaware.
“It is like a routine posting. They can post and recall at any time. Ibrahim has spent about seven years with us,” he said.
“There is no fixed tenure. Or the ministry should know. We don’t know what the norm is in the ministry. We just see them.”
Shaibu also said he didn’t know the reason(s) given for Alhassan’s recall.
“Maybe if I see the letter which we are still expecting, the reasons might be stated,” he said.
Alhassan’s error-ridden statement had read, “Our attention was drawn on a report from some online publication with a video cliff suggesting Hon chairman, Justice Danladi Y. Umar assaulted a security guard at Banex Plaza.
“To start with, the said plaza has been his usual place of visits for the past 18 years for shopping and repairs of his phones, and in all these periods there have never been any time he had any turmoil with anybody,” Al-Hassan said.
He continued, “Unfortunately, yesterday’s altercations started over a packing lot, which chairman met vacant and it was directly opposite a shop he want to make a purchase and to fixe his phone, when the young security guard sighted him, he ordered that chairman should not pack his car in that particular empty space, but chairman asked why, the security guard couldn’t convinced chairman, though chairman didn’t identify himself, because to him is needless and is a place he visited often, but the boy was rode in his approached and threaten to deal with chairman if he refuse to leave the scene.
“Again, if chairman had went there to cause trouble or intimidate some one, as suggested in the report, he would have gone there in his full official paraphernalia, but he went there alone with his younger brother.
“The police men seen in the video cliff were not the chairman’s police team, they were policemen operating around the plaza whom at first instance intervened before the arrival of police team from Maitama police station.
“As the few policemen in the complex were apparently overwhelmed by the mobs, consisting of BIAFRAN boys throwing matches and shape object to his car, which led to deep cut and dislocation in one of his finger, causing damage to his car, smashing his windscreen.
“At a point he attempted to leave the scene, these same miscreants, BIAFRAN boy ordered for the closure of the gate thereby assaulting him before the arrival of police team from Maitama police station.
“An incident like this when it happened, sympathy usually goes to the low personalities. Though is unfortunate as I said, it ought not to have happened.”
