Barely a month and few weeks after the infamous furore between Kwara State Commissioner for Special Duties, Hajiah Aisha Ahman-Pategi and her finance counterpart, Mrs Florence Oyeyemi-Olasumbo, the former has resigned her appointment with the AbdulRazaq-led administration, declaring: ‘now is the time to leave’.
Recall that The Ravens earlier hinted that as an aftermath of the face-off, Ahman-Pategi was planning to exit the AbdulRazaq cabinet, until she was later reportedly prevailed upon by influential persons in the Northern part of the State.
The face-off, which led to a shouting bout between the two women, reportedly broke out as a result of accusations of diversion of 300 million naira local government funds, currently investigated by the state government.
In a widely circulated statement on social media today, Pategi, who had earlier said that she had ‘moved on’, confirmed her resignation, noting that she needs to focus on new ideals.
The statement reads, “I, Aisha Ahman Pategi, the outgoing Hon. Commissioner for Special Duties, effective from today, Friday 28th August, 2020, humbly wish to formally announce my resignation from the cabinet of His Excellency, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
“I wish to thank God Almighty for giving me the grace and opportunity to serve as Commissioner for Local Government and now exiting as Commissioner for Special Duties, serving my fellow Kwarans and representing Pategi Local Government in our drive to better the lot of Kwarans.
“Life is in phases and I’m bold to say that having journeyed the political terrain with His Excellency, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, now is the time for me to leave and focus on new ideals.
“Going forward, my interest in Community Service and Grassroots’ Development will continue. Once again, I would like to thank Almighty Allah, the People of Patigi, Kwarans, our dear party APC and most of all, His Excellency for bringing me into politics. May Allah reward him and continue to be his guide as he pilots the affairs of our dear State.”
In a related development, the State Commissioner for Communications, Mrs Harriet Afolabi-Oshatimehin has also affirmed the report of Pategi’s resignation in a press release.