News

Tinubu Sacks NAHCON Boss, Makes Replacement

Published

1 year ago

August 19, 2024

President Bola Tinubu on Monday wielded the big stick, sacking the embattled Executive Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Jalal Arabi and appointing Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman as his replacement.

A statement by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, announced the appointment shortly after Tinubu departed for France.

It noted that Professor Usman is a renowned scholar with qualifications from two Islamic centres of excellence—the University of Madinah and Peshawar University, Pakistan.

He is also well-grounded in Hajj operations, having served as the Chairman of the Kano State Pilgrims Board and successfully superintended the operations of the largest quota of state pilgrims in the country.

The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Ajuri said the President expects the new Chairman of NAHCON to discharge his duties with integrity, transparency, and utmost fidelity to the nation.

Recall that trouble started for Arabi when anti-graft agency, EFCC, invited him to answer petitions filed against him, which led to his detention.

The anti-corruption agency was alleged to have also received petitions from some concerned staff members of NAHCON.

The agency was reported to have uncovered a multi-million-dollar fraud allegedly perpetrated by top officials of NAHCON under Arabi.

The anti-graft agency’s discoveries came from an extensive investigation into the suspicious use of funds allocated to NAHCON for Hajj operations over the years.

It revealed that the EFCC investigation dates back to 2022 after an operative of the anti-graft agency, who served on the NAHCON Central Security Committee that year, hinted at several infractions in the use of the Hajj commission’s funds.

Some of the irregularities allegedly highlighted in an intelligence report submitted by the EFCC after the stint on the NAHCON security committee include the payment of estacodes to staff for a study tour that never took place and payment for a consultancy service that was not rendered, among others.

Subsequently, EFCC said it wrote to NAHCON, highlighting lapses in its administrative process and providing necessary advice while also investigating the lead its operatives provided.

The intelligence report alleged “a multimillion-dollar case of conspiracy, misappropriation and mismanagement of pilgrims funds paid for the 2022 Hajj operation” by top officials of NAHCON.

It was recently reported that Mr Arabi had been detained by the anti-graft agency in Abuja. This was after he was grilled and released on bail on July 29.

While undergoing grilling, some top officials of the commission were also arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, over alleged mismanagement or diversion of Hajj funds.

EFCC had reportedly uncovered that estacodes were paid to some NAHCON staff members for a study tour to Indonesia that never took place.

Although the agency made efforts to recover the funds, it kept mum on the actual amount involved.

News

FG Shuts 22 Illegal Tertiary Institutions

Published

3 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The National Commission for Colleges of Education has uncovered and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education.

The discovery was made during a crackdown on illegal colleges of education in the country.

The development was revealed in the commission’s achievements, seen by our correspondent.

“The NCCE identified and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country.

“The NCCE conducted personnel audit, financial monitoring in all the 21 federal colleges of education,” the commission said.

President Bola Tinubu had recently urged the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education to weed out illegal higher institutions of learning in the country.

Speaking at the 14th convocation of the National Open University of Nigeria in Abuja, the President ordered the NUC, the NBTE, and other agencies to take decisive action against what he described as “certificate millers” undermining the credibility of the education sector.

Tinubu, who was represented by the Director of University Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Rakiya Ilyasu, warned that the integrity of the academic system must not be compromised.

“At this juncture, it has become imperative to reiterate that this administration remains committed to strengthening the integration of all agencies involved in the administration of education to enhance efficiency and quality,” the President said.

He added, “The National Youth Service Corps, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education are working in alignment to improve the quality of education and ensure that cases of forgery and unrecognised institutions both within and outside the country have no place in our education ecosystem.”

News

EFCC Orders Arrest Of Dismissed Officer On Lege Miami’s Show

Published

5 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has condemned the actions of one of its former staff, Olakunle Alex Folarin, who was recently spotted participating in a matchmaking programme on social media platforms hosted by popular entertainer Lege Miami.

The agency has ordered his immediate arrest for retaining official EFCC property, including an identity card, following his dismissal for certificate forgery.

The anti-graft agency, in a statement on its official X handle on Monday, said Folarin served as a driver at the EFCC’s Ibadan Zonal Directorate.

He was, however, dismissed after investigations confirmed he had forged his academic credentials.

It said, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, condemned in the strongest terms, the involvement of one of its former staff, Olakunle Alex Folarin, in a matchmaking programme running on Lege Miami social media platforms.”

“Folarin was recently dismissed from the Commission for certificate forgery. He was a driver at the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.”

The statement said EFCC Executive Chairma,n Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered Folarin to be arrested and emphasised that Folarin’s actions should not be associated with the commission.

“The Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered his arrest for being in possession of some Commission’s properties, including an identity card, which he should have handed over upon being dismissed from the EFCC.

“The public is advised against associating Folarin’s post-dismissal conduct with the EFCC,” the statement concluded.

News

NERC Transfers Regulation Of Electricity Market To Bayelsa

Published

5 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has transferred regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State to the Bayelsa Electricity Regulatory Agency.

In a notice on its social media handles on Monday, the commission said this was in compliance with the amended 1999 Constitution and the Electricity Act 2023.

“In compliance with the amended Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electricity Act 2023 (Amended), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued an order to transfer regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State from the Commission to the Bayelsa State Electricity Regulatory Agency,” the commission said.

Recall that with the Electricity Act 2023, the commission retains the role as a central regulator with regulatory oversight on the interstate/international generation, transmission, supply, trading, and system operations.

The Act also mandates any state that intends to establish and regulate intrastate electricity markets to deliver a formal notification of its processes and requests NERC to transfer regulatory authority over electricity operations in the state to the state regulator.

The transfer order by NERC directed Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company Plc to incorporate a subsidiary distribution company to assume responsibilities for intrastate supply and distribution of electricity in Bayelsa State from PHED.

PHED was also directed to complete the incorporation of PHED SubCo within 60 days from August 21, 2025.

“The subcompany shall apply for and obtain a licence for the intrastate supply and distribution of electricity from BYERA, among other directives,” the commission said.

It concluded that all transfers envisaged by the order shall be completed by February 20, 2026.

With this order, Bayelsa has joined states like Lagos, Imo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Enugu, Niger, Edo, Oyo and Plateau, which have got the power to regulate electricity markets.

The state can now generate, transmit, and distribute electricity while issuing licences to investors within the value chain.