Politics is everywhere and it’s in everything but the bitter aspect of politicking is the Pull Him Down (PHD) Syndrome, a tool used by antagonists to destroy credibility of credible people by spreading unfounded rumours and lies just to smear someone’s image and subject such a person to ridicule in the eyes of esteemed members of the public.
Mallam Yusuf Bichi, the Director General of the Department of State Service, DSS was recently a victim of the PHD Syndrome when a delusional
element, Jackson Ude who on his X (Twitter) handle @jacksonpnb went to the media space to claim that the Director General siphoned an imaginary payment of Thirty-five thousand naira (₦35,000) meant for the payment of wages approved by President Bola Tinubu for personnel of the service.
He also claimed that Bichi would pocket N200million as he prepares to leave the agency he had once retired from and that Bichi’s tenure is the worst in the history of DSS in Nigeria and that the agency’s personnel are angry with him.
This unsubstantiated claims and diatribe against the DG generated controversy in the media space, some gullible element like him who have no idea of how DSS operates deliberately choose to believe him even when the authority of the DSS through Dr Peter Afunaya, Director, PR & Strategic Communications of the Service came to the open to debunk the story and gave an insght into the true situation.
Afunaya, while clarifying the claims said the allegations are entirely false. Part of his statement states, “It wishes to clarify that neither the DG nor anyone acting on his directive has looted staff subsidy grant. No such grant has been made available to the Service and once that is allocated, staff will, as usual, receive what is due them”. Mr Bichi has, in all ramifications, evidently catered for the welfare of active and retired personnel of the service. This is a common knowledge and this could also be verified by the said Ude.
Similarly, the so called “goodbye allowance” which Ude accused the DG of granting himself is non-existent. It is only an imagination of the writer and his sponsors. But assuming the DG is paid any severance package at the end of his tenure, how is that unethical and outside established public service rule?
Recalled Bichi who retired in 2018 from the service, was recalled back and appointed the DG, DSS due to his spartan, accountable, transparent and incorruptible character.
He has remained resolute in running the Service and has shown uncommon commitment in the management of it’s affairs. His top priorities are staff welfare and judicious application of human and material resources. Any misleading narratives to the contrary are therefore unacceptable.”
A foremost traditional ruler in Yorubaland Olowu of Owu Kuta, Oba Hameed Adekunle Oyelude Makama, CON, Tegbosun III, who also reacted to the baseless allegations, tesfified to the credibility of the DG and cautioned against dirty politics against the DSS.
Olowu who stated that the intention of the purveyors of the fake news is to cause disaffection between the officers and the DG, maintained that “BICHI” does not take welfare packages of officers and personnel for granted that’s why many operatives and stakeholders wants President Tinubu to retain the services of the DG. This false narrative is dead on arrival because the Service has been enjoying series of packages even before President Tinubu came on board”
Several other groups and individuals including, the Coalition of Civil Society Groups Against Terrorism in Nigeria in defending the DG opined that the DSS under the leadership of Mallam Yusuf Bichi operates within the bounds of the law and adheres to international best practices because he is an astute and versatile administrator, a resourceful, a highly detribalized Nigerian, an intelligence officer of immense repute and more importantly a transparent and prudent leader, who possesses a high level of experience and exposure that has no doubt repositioned and made the Service one that Nigerians and the personnel are proud of”.
Bichi whose sterling performance and dedication to duty stood him out as an officer served meritoriously in different capacities such as a State Director, Director in the National Headquarter Directorates of Security Enforcement, Operations, Intelligence, Inspectorate, Administration and Finance, National Assembly Liaison and the State Services Academy Lagos, one of the training institutions of the Service.
Mr. Bichi is no doubt an Intelligence Officer of great excellence. Known for his disposition to mentoring young and upcoming officers, the DG, DSS is astute, modest and has a mien that attracts. He is an urbane man and brings his wealth of experience to bear on his job. This constantly fuels his passion for creativity and innovation. Predictably, this has led to several reforms since his assumption of office as the DG,DSS.
I think by now the purveyors of the fake news and their paymasters would have known the fact that tarnishing Bichi’s image to score cheap popularity and political goal is dead on arrival, no one is saying Mallam Bichi is a saint but his records of achievements over the years attested to the fact that Bichi’s tenure is one of the best time in the DSS because of his leadership style and vision.
In reiterating his mission statement, he said, “my vision is to create a friendly working environment, enhance staff capacities through training and welfare, as well as ensure that the DSS remains a democratically-complaint intelligence agency in Nigeria”.
