Yemi Obafemi
Concerned civil society groups, staff of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), popularly known as the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), and members of the public are calling on top government authorities to launch a thorough investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding the service records and promotions of Mrs. Deborah Osho Alaba, the current Deputy Director (Operations) at the DRTS.
The call, directed to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Civil Service Commission, the Transport Permanent Secretary (Common Services and Transport), and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), follows what insiders describe as a coordinated attempt to impose Mrs. Osho as the next Director of DRTS despite alleged breaches of the Public Service Rules (PSR).
The controversy comes in the wake of the retirement of DRTS Director, Mr. Bello Abdul-Lateef, who bowed out of service on September 12, 2025.
Sources within the agency say tension has been mounting following an “improper handover” process, despite a directive from the Transport Permanent Secretary instructing Mrs. Osho to hand over to the most senior Deputy Director pending the appointment of an Acting Director in line with the PSR.
“Since the retirement of the Director Directorate of Road Traffic Service (DRTS), Mr. Bello Abdul-lateef, from service on September 12, 2025, tension has been mounting within the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, popularly known as VIO in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) over the improper handover of leadership by the former director in this critical agency.
“Despite the directives of the permanent secretary transport, instructing Mrs Deborah Osho Alaba to handover to the most senior Deputy Director pending the substantial appointment of the acting director according to the Public Service Rules (PSR). Deborah Osho Alaba flaunted the permanent secretary’s instructions.
However, reports from internal sources and whistleblowers allege that Mrs. Osho defied the directive, a move that has deepened discontent among senior staff and stakeholders. It revealed that, “a pattern of dubious promotions, irregular conversions, and defiance of established Public Service Rules (PSR), now culminating in an alleged plot to impose her as the next substantive Director of DRTS.”
The double promotion Which Public Service Rules, Chapter 7 (Promotion, Conversion, and Advancement) which stipulates clear timelines, performance evaluations, and competitive processes as prerequisites for elevation. Such preferential treatment not only breaches the rules but also undermines fairness and meritocracy in the service.
“Reports filtering out of the FCTA suggest a covert move to appoint Mrs. Deborah Alaba Osho, the current Deputy Director (Operations), as the new Director to replace the outgone boss.
“This development has sparked outrage among concerned stakeholders, who insist that her service record is fraught with irregularities and inconsistencies that should disqualify her from heading such a strategic and disciplined agency.
“Allegations of Irregular Career Progression; Findings reveal that Mrs. Osho’s career progression is riddled with gaps and questionable elevations. From her early days as a Library Attendant in 1992, she rose rapidly through the ranks in a manner critics say contradicts the Public Service Rules (PSR) and extant regulations.
Among the red flags raised are:
“No record of official conversion or re-designation from Library Attendant to Personnel Assistant III.
“No letter of conversion from Personnel Assistant to Assistant Education Officer.
“Promotion from Master Grade II (GL 08) to Senior Executive Officer (GL 09) in just one year, contrary to service guidelines.
“Conversion to Assistant Chief Admin Officer (GL 13) on 28 January 2015 even though the result that qualified her came in April 2015.
“Receiving two promotions in the same year (2015) — to Assistant Chief Admin Officer (January) and Chief Admin Officer (January) — raising concerns about procedural abuse.
“Discrepancies in her designations as Assistant Education Officer, Master Grade II, and Senior Executive Officer, which do not align with the Schemes of Service, especially since she only holds a National Diploma in Secretarial Studies (1995).
“Further scrutiny reveals that required career conversions and service documentation were bypassed or overlooked, leaving serious gaps in her official records. These irregularities, instead of being addressed, were allegedly ignored by those tasked with upholding discipline and transparency, thereby fast-tracking her career advancement at the expense of qualified and duly eligible officers.
Reports also indicate a troubling pattern of disobedience to superior directives, with Mrs. Osho allegedly flouting instructions from the FCTA Transport Permanent Secretary and senior officials. This act runs contrary to PSR 030301, which clearly outlines the obligation of civil servants to obey lawful directives of superiors. Such disregard for authority undermines discipline, a core foundation of the civil service.
She is also accused of high-handedness, insubordination, assaulting staff, and displaying tribal bias in the course of her duties. Critics argue that such tendencies raise serious doubts about her leadership capacity to manage a sensitive agency like the DRTS.
Observers and advocacy groups are now urging the Honourable Minister of the FCT to intervene and ensure due process is upheld. They argue that an officer whose career progression is allegedly “built on irregularities” should not be rewarded with such a crucial leadership position.
“In recent times, two officers of the Directorate who benefited from irregular promotions were demoted and compelled to follow due process. Why should this case be treated differently?” one source queried.
Analysts warn that appointing an unqualified or controversial figure to lead the DRTS would not only demoralize staff but also damage public trust in the civil service system. They emphasize that the DRTS, which oversees road safety, vehicle inspection, and traffic management in the FCT, requires a leader with impeccable credentials and integrity.
“The FCTA, and by extension the Federal Civil Service, cannot afford to reward alleged breaches of due process with leadership positions,” the statement added.
“To do so would compromise the integrity of the DRTS, weaken staff morale, and signal to the public that rules only apply to the powerless.”
As the controversy unfolds, stakeholders insist that the FCTA must act decisively to protect the integrity of the civil service and ensure that merit, not manipulation, determines the next leadership of the Directorate.
“All eyes,” one insider noted, “are on whether due process will prevail or whether backroom deals will dictate the future of one of the FCTA’s most strategic agencies.”
