Embattled the head of service of the federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, has offered to quit her position as she tenders a retirement letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, She was also conspicuously absent at the ongoing ministerial retreat in Abuja.
The widow had been under pressure from her immediate family to retire after news reports emerged that she was being probed over an alleged N3 billion contract scam.
Oyo-Ita who offers to proceed on retirement, Sunday.denied involvement in any scam, but she finally took the path of honour as she bowed to family pressures.
Buhari is yet to take a final decision on it he is favourably disposed to the option.
“Mrs Oyo-Ita has sent in her letter of retirement,” a family member, said
Oyo-Ita was absent at the presidential retreat for ministers-designate, federal permanent secretaries and top government functionaries held at the state house conference centre in Abuja.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently questioned Oyo-Ita over allegations that she used front companies to get contracts when she was a permanent secretary before her appointment as head of service by Buhari in 2015.
Oyo-Ita has also told her associates not to drag Kyari into the matter because “it is not true”, according to a family member who spoke with TheCable.
The EFCC said the petition against her was written in 2014 when President Goodluck Jonathan was still in office.
It was also reported that N600 million was traced to the account of one of her aides who has been quizzed by the anti-graft agency and released.
However, Oyo-Ita also denied the allegation, saying the money was meant for the death benefits of staff and was meant to be kept in a designated account for that purpose by the project accountant.
“She denied knowing anything about where the money was kept and said there was no fraud involved, at least not from her end,” the family member said.