By Abiola Olawale
Following the suspension of Ambassador Ibrahim Lamuwa as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Fireign Affairs, over allegations sex harassment and inappropriate conduct, a new permanent secretary has been deployed to Foreign Affairs Ministry, as a substantive permanent secretary.
The New Diplomat gathered that has been assigned to the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the new permanent secretary. Prior to his new role, he was Permanent Secretary at the Federal ministry of Youth Development. Before then, he also served as a director of reforms coordination, and Innovation at the Ministry of Agriculture.
Ahmed’s assumption of duty on Tuesday 23rd, July 2024 at the ministry’s headquarters, Abuja was confirmed by Ambassador Zachariah M. Ifu, director (OPS) in a circular to all staff of the ministry of foreign affairs.
Indeed, his deployment which was unveiled via the circular addressed to all staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and signed by Ambassador Zachariah M. Ifu, was said to have been well received by staff of the ministry who are said to be earnestly looking forward to a new permanent secretary.
Ifu, in the circular, enjoined and requested all staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take note of the development and await further briefings.
The New Diplomat also reports that Ahmed’s appointment followed the suspension of Lamuwa whose inappropriate behavior allegedly ignited a reign of allegations of sexual harassment at the Ministry recently.
It would be recalled that Lamuwa, the immediate-past permanent secretary, came under public scrutiny after the Law firm of Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN) and radical Lagos lawyer wrote a petition against him, alleging sexual assault against a personal political aide to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Simisola O. Fajemirokun-Ajayi, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar.
The minister then conveyed the petition to the HoS for further action. Fajemirokun-Ajayi, in her petition against Lamuwa dated May 29, 2024, and filed by the Law firm of Femi Falana, SAN, had detailed multiple instances of alleged sexual harassment purportedly perpetrated by Lamuwa.”
In the petition, Fajemirokun-Ajayi detailed how Lamuwa allegedly made inappropriate sexual advances at her, urging her to join him in his hotel room, during a policy retreat held on October 7, 2023.
The petition read in part: “While our client was about to excuse herself, Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa thoughtlessly put his arms around our client’s arms and demanded a full frontal hug which she rejected. The Honourable Minister would recall that sometime in March 2024, our client discussed with you concerning her safety for fear of not being raped by Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa resulting from the consistent sexual harassment reported even as a married woman.
“Upon her unfortunate predicament with the Permanent Secretary, the Honourable Minister assured our client of a change of behaviour as he had confronted him.
“Sometime in May 2024, our client went to Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa’s office under the Honourable Minister’s instruction at about 3:20 pm informed the Permanent Secretary to contact his counterpart in the Ministry of Defence for the reports needed for the upcoming US trip.
“Upon arriving at the Permanent Secretary’s office, our client was informed that he was in his inner room. In her desperate attempt to avoid getting molested, our client returned to her office and interestingly, Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa demanded that she return to his office at about 3:41 pm on the same day….”
However, Lamuwa, in his submission, refuted the accusations of sexual harassment made by Fajemirokun-Ajayi, maintaining that the allegations are an attempt to tarnish his integrity, character, and hard-earned image.
Lamuwa, in a responding letter filed by his legal representative, Audu Anuga, a long-standing Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN), faulted the minister’s aide allegations. Lamuwa maintained that his stance on financial prudence and adherence to due process resulted in discord with Fajemirokun-Ajayi, who later accused him of sexual harassment.
He also revealed that the real trouble started when he declined unlawful requests by Fajemirokun-Ajayi to access certain ministry documents that were too sensitive for her clearance level as a junior political appointee. This is because by the Foreign Service laws and rules, all political aides in the ministry are barred from having access to policy files, and also acting on behalf of the MFA.
Lamuwa’s letter read in part: “It is clear that the minister’s aide has misinterpreted ordinary conversations, made openly and in the presence of other participants, for untoward intentions. We believe that these allegations are directly tied to our client’s firm objections raised regarding improper requests that Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi made, particularly regarding financial matters in the ministry.
“For example, Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi made a trip to the World Economic Forum (Davos), for which she sought reimbursement from the ministry. Our client firmly explained to her that while the ministry may look at avenues to refund her expenses, it is not the appropriate process for a trip to be made without approval, and then funded with taxpayers’ money.
“Further to this, is the fact of Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi’s unfamiliarity with civil service rules and processes where she had requested from our client access to policy files and even financial records of high-level activities of the ministry. By no means, should the permanent secretary, as chief accounting officer of the ministry provide such sensitive documents to an aide of the minister, worse via a WhatsApp chat. There are due processes in government, and they must be followed.
“We must emphasise that Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi is a political appointee and not a civil servant. Thus, matters of finance and policy are out of bounds for her in this instance.”
