The Federal Government will on Friday stop the salaries of any public officer whose records cannot be verified on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System.

This was made known in a statement signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, and made available to journalists by her Director of Communications, Mohammed Ahmed, on Wednesday.

The PUNCH had exclusively reported that an extension was given to workers to verify their details after which their October 2023 salaries would be seized.

According to the statement, a two-week verification, which would end on Friday, was put in place as an act of magnanimity for officers who did not participate in the earlier verifications.

The statement said, “Adequate arrangements were put in place for a smooth exercise in designated areas of the FCT, however, the officers’ impatience and lack of orderliness in the first two days made the exercise rowdy. This has been duly addressed and the two-week exercise, scheduled to end on Friday, October 27, 2023, is progressing very well.

“The verification of records of all civil servants will be finalised at the end of the ongoing exercise and any officer whose record could not be verified will be delisted from the payroll of government.”

It recalled that in 2013, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, being the repository of official records and information on all public servants, was saddled with the responsibility of cleansing the record on the payroll.

Leveraging technology, the statement added that the office opened a verification portal in April 2017 and directed all public servants to carry out online updates of their records.

The office, it added, carried out aggressive sensitisation and publicity via official, conventional, and social media.

According to the statement, an initial period of three months was given for compliance, which was extended to one year, May 2018, to enable all officers to update their records.

The statement added, “Sequel to another wide publicity accompanied by numerous pre-verification sensitisation visits by IPPIS staff to ministries, extra-ministerial Departments, and Agencies nationwide, the second phase of the exercise, the physical verification, commenced in 2018.

“In this regard, 500 staff from the OHCSF were trained and deployed, in well-communicated and coordinated phases, to the 36 states of the federation and the FCT between 2018 and 2019 to enable officers to carry out the physical verification in their states and save them to from travelling to Abuja.”

The statement maintained that some erring officers’ pleas to be given the last opportunity to comply were granted, adding that the portal was, therefore, reopened from October 3 to13, 2023, for them to update their records, and now till Friday, October 27, 2023, before action would be taken on defaulters.

Rise in government workers

The PUNCH observed that the number of workers on the Federal Government’s payroll rose from 1.14 million in June 2020 to 1.5 million in August, showing an increase of 360,000 workers in about three years.

Data obtained from the website of the IPPIS website showed that there were 696 MDAs and 1.14 million workers in 2020.

The website page read, “There are 696 MDAS on IPPIS Platform as at June, 2020. The department is responsible for processing and payment of salary to over one million (1,139,633) Federal Government employees across the 696 MDAs.

“IPPIS’ aim is to enrol into the platform, all Federal Government MDAs that draw personnel cost fund from the Consolidated Revenue Fund. Since inception of the IPPIS project in April 2007, the department have saved the Federal Government of Nigeria billions of naira by eliminating thousands of ghost workers.”

In August 2023, the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze, revealed that the Federal Government’s personnel cost was over N5tn, with 1.5 million workers on its payroll.

This increase occurred despite the identification of about 70,000 ghost workers in June 2022.

The Federal Government-backed Integration Personnel and Payroll Information System exposed and eliminated about 70,000 ghost workers in the civil service system, the Director-General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dr. Dasuki Arabi, said.

He said the government had saved at least N220bn via IPPIS.

The DG also said IPPIS had led to the reduction of the Federal Civil Service personnel to 720,000.

Arabi said, “With the introduction of IPPIS, about 70,000 ghost workers have been eliminated from the payroll. We have a one-shot opportunity to look at IPPIS and say, as of today, we have 720,000 public servants working for Nigeria.

“We’ve been able to reduce more than N220bn wastage through wrong management of IPPIS on payroll by ministries, departments and agencies of government. We have reduced the budget deficits and changed the budget composition.”

The PUNCH also learnt that in July 2021, the Federal Government suspended the salaries of 300 workers across various MDAs in the federal civil service over their failure to update their records on the IPPIS.

By July 2022, it was reported that 61,446 civil servants from various MDAs had been verified on the IPPIS, while 3,657 civil servants were reported to the Independent and Corrupt Practices and Related Offenses Commission for prosecution over failure to get verified on the platform.

Personnel costs were expected to gulp about N14.87tn in three years, according to data obtained from the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper 2024-2026.

The amount budgeted for personnel costs also increased from N4.34tn spent in 2022 to N5.51tn in the proposed 2024 budget.

This showed an increase of N1.17tn or 26.96 per cent in three years, signalling a slight rise in the cost of paying salaries.

Experts and organisations have warned that the Federal Government’s personnel cost was rising at a fast pace.

According to them, this was disturbing, as the country still wallowed in increasing debts and lagged behind in the area of infrastructure.

In May 2021, the Federal Government, through the former Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, had said that it was working to reduce the high cost of governance by doing away with unnecessary expenditures, which may include salary cuts for workers.

The PUNCH earlier reported that the Federal Government planned to spend 61.63 per cent of its planned 2024 expenses on personnel and debt service costs.

The personnel and pension costs of N7.78tn (as earlier claimed by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, but not in line with what was contained in the MTEF/FSP 2024-2026) and the debt service cost of N8.25tn made up N16.03tn out of the N26.01tn 2024 budget.

The PUNCH also observed that the government would spend more on debt servicing than it would spend on paying the salaries and pensions of its workers.

In the MTEF/FSP 2024-2026, the Federal Government blamed its projected N9.05tn budget deficit on the proposed salary review of federal employees and increased pension obligations, among others.

The document read, “The budget deficit is projected to be N9.05tn in 2024, down from N11.60tn budgeted in 2023. This represents about 53 per cent of total FGN revenues and 3.83 per cent of the estimated GDP.

“The high projected level of fiscal deficit in 2024 is partly attributable to the proposed salary review of Federal workers across board, increased pension obligations resulting from payments into the redemption fund, pension protection fund, an increase in pensions in line with the new minimum wage, and higher debt service cost.”

Nigeria has emerged first among a list of top twenty-nine countries with the most daily time spent on social media across the world.

Brazil and South Africa came second and third, respectively, behind Nigeria while Japan was ranked at the bottom in the ranking conducted by the World of Statistics.

The ranking platform showed that Nigeria has an average of 4 hours, and 20 minutes of time spent on social media per day. Brazil and South Africa, on the other hand, were ranked with an average of 3 hours, 44 minutes, and 3 hours, 44 minutes, respectively.

Japan which came last on the list was ranked with just an average of 49 minutes on social media daily.

Below is the full list of the ranking released on Wednesday by the World of Statistics through its official X handle.

?? Nigeria – 04:20
?? Brazil – 03:44
?? South Africa – 03:44
?? Philippines – 03:42
?? Colombia – 03:35
?? Ghana – 03:23
?? Kenya – 03:22
?? Argentina – 03:18
?? Mexico – 03:17
?? Indonesia – 03:07
?? UAE – 02:50
?? Turkey – 02:47
?? India – 02:44
?? Portugal – 02:22
?? Russia – 02:17
?? USA – 02:11
?? Sweden – 02:08
?? Ireland – 02:02
?? China – 02:01
?? Australia – 02:00
?? Canada – 01:59
?? Spain – 01:56
?? Denmark – 01:52
?? UK – 01:52
?? Germany – 01:41
Netherlands – 01:35
?? Austria – 01:30
?? South Korea – 01:11
?? Japan – 00:49

[NaijaNews]

The House of Representatives has said the Federal Government is not buoyant enough to afford free WAEC, NECO and JAMB for the 2023/2024 secondary academic session.

The House rejected the motion that sought to compel the federal government to make the 2023/2024 secondary school examination free for Nigerian students.

The lawmakers kicked against the motion by Anamero Dekeri, who called on the federal government to make WAEC, NECO and JAMB free for this academic session.

Naija News reports that this development is coming at a time when lawmakers are being criticised for a planned purchase of exotic cars worth billions of naira as official vehicles.

In the motion, Dekeri suggested that the monies the federal government saved from the removal of petroleum subsidy should be used to help families that are struggling.

The lawmaker said the Ministry of Education should make the examinations free.

Dekeri stated, “Urge the Ministry of Education to declare 2023 and 2024 WAEC, NECO and JAMB examinations registration free, to enable the common man to have a direct benefit of fuel subsidy removal palliatives.”

However, the motion was kicked against by members of the House of Representatives.

The Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, moved an amendment that lawmakers should instead fund the free examination. But the amendment was countered by Ado Doguwa, who said members are already paying the fees.

After a long debate, Awaji Abiante moved a motion for the House to step it down, and it was adopted unanimously.

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, 60, is a medical doctor and retired army captain. But he has not had a job after retirement 37 years ago. His day job since has been bandits’ advocacy. He has become so used to getting away with saying what he likes when he likes and how he likes it, he hardly knows when he needs help to extract his foot from his mouth. 

He could use such help. Not only for his own good, but perhaps for the good of those taking him seriously as well.

In a rambling no-holds-barred sermon last week, Gumi lashed out at the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for planning to make Abuja “an extension of Tel Aviv,” where anyone with a long beard would be treated like Osama bin Laden and murdered. He criticised Muslims for supporting a Muslim-Muslim ticket in the last election, forgetting that others, including Christians, also voted for that ticket.

“Satan” at work

His most deadly venom, however, was not for Wike. It was for Tinubu, the enabler of the “Satan” called Wike, and the hundreds of smaller Southern devils of all faiths roaming the woods of the country in a murderous rampage since 1966 but who have resurged with Tinubu’s election, holding the trigger. Their poor, dispossessed Northern compatriots are left to occupy empty shells as offices. This translation is a mild version of what Gumi said.

He spoke for himself and not for millions of Muslims across the country who recognise that after an election whoever emerges president has an obligation not just to one religious group but to all citizens, whether they are believers or agnostics. 

He spoke for himself and not for exceptional clerics and Muslim leaders like the Sultan of Sokoto Sa’ad Abubakar who have spent their lives building bridges across faiths. Gumi spoke for himself, and certainly not for voters in Abuja who, for the first time ever, elected a non-indigenous woman, Ireti Kingibe, and member of the Labour Party, instead of traditional candidates of the two dominant parties, to represent them in the Senate. Gumi was speaking for himself.

Life in Abuja

Of course, he has a fanbase – a remnant of die-hards who follow him in the mistaken notion that he would not inherit some of the incendiary rhetoric of his father, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi. Perhaps there are also a few closet admirers among temporarily displaced politicians who are happy with his bitter words. But what is Gumi complaining about, really?

That Wike is suspectedly talking to the Israelis for Abuja’s security? It doesn’t matter to me. And Gumi may not understand why. Living in Abuja, as Chinua Achebe once said about Lagos, has become like living at the warfront. 

But Gumi will not understand since he goes about with police escorts, which is strange because you would expect that the exploits from his bandits’ advocacy should have set him free from all security concerns by now. 

Unfortunately, life in Abuja, especially in recent times, has been dangerous with frequent reports of deadly attacks on commuters by so-called “one-chance” drivers. If talking to Mossad or Hamas or Hezbollah will keep Abuja safe, it really doesn’t matter to me. And Gumi, a retired army captain, ought to know better.

Red herring

The US, “a country of infidels”, has some of the largest military bases in the world in Muslim countries in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia, where Gumi earned his PhD in Islamic jurisprudence, has five of such bases apart from a military defence pact with America. The UAE hosts 5,000 US military personnel at the Al Dhafra Air Base, just outside Abu Dhabi. President Donald Trump had planned to double it.

Wike talking with Mossad – which I suspect was just a Gumi red herring – does not make Abuja any more vulnerable than did military president General Ibrahim Babangida awarding Julius Berger, a German firm, the contract to build Aso Rock, where the Nigerian president resides.

But of course, that was not Gumi’s main grouse. He is offended by the “otherness” of Wike’s appointment. How can someone who is not like him, an intruder if you like, be appointed minister of the Federal Capital Territory? 

There are many things for which you can criticise Wike, not least of which is his politics, sometimes. His decisions to shuffle the FCT administration, demand overdue ground rent, and revoke hundreds of plots of undeveloped land that have in many cases become speculators’ lottery, have ruffled feathers. Yet, they can hardly be described as self-serving. 

To be fair, Gumi did not mention any of these complaints in his sermon. Even if he did, it would have been perfectly within his right to do so because public officers must be held to account. But that was not the point of his displeasure; it was not about requesting accountability, offering suggestions about a better way, if he thought there was one, or challenging the competence of the minister. 

Whose sacred ground?

His attack came from a much deeper place: resentment that Tinubu who emerged president by the grace of the North had the effrontery to bring an “intruder” into a “sacred ground,” without the approval of the Landlord. This brazen sense of entitlement dressed up as a “religious wrong,” offends decency. It’s unacceptable.

Abuja does not need to be saved from Wike. It is against people like Gumi that the capital and the country must now defend itself. The original builders of this place did not conceive of it as the Boys Quarters of one tribe, religion or ethnic group. It was precisely because of this sort of complication which Lagos presented, apart from it becoming a concrete jungle, that Abuja was conceived of as the new frontier of national unity. 

The original majority Gwari indigenes have complained, perhaps justifiably, of being marginalised; agitators from the creeks of the Niger Delta have complained, perhaps justifiably, that Abuja was built off the back of oil wealth from that polluted and forsaken region. 

What injury has Wike’s appointment caused Gumi? In Joseph Ona & another V. Diga Romani Atenda (2000), 5 NWLR (Pt. 656) 244, the Court of Appeal put to rest any special claim to Abuja by anyone or group. Abuja has no special status and therefore cannot be claimed as anyone’s special ground.

Changing demographics

If Gumi was looking, he would have seen, from the results of the last general elections that the city’s demographics, especially in the municipal areas, are changing. For the first time in its 47-year history as federal capital, neither the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of which he is an undisguised sympathiser; nor the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), had the majority. Appointments must reflect competence and the changing demographics. 

In spite of Gumi, it’s a small step forward for unity and diversity that an APC president appointed a PDP minister in a federal capital where a woman and a non-indigene, represents Abuja in the Senate.

Gumi was right about one thing, though. That he didn’t particularly see eye-to-eye with former President Muhammadu Buhari. But it’s surprising that for eight years he didn’t see anything wrong with Abuja under former FCT minister Mohammed Bello. 

A man full of religious fervour, Bello was well on his way to pre-eminence in mullah-hood when Buhari diverted him with a ministerial appointment, which became his undoing. He lost his way and his catastrophic tenure has been largely responsible for Abuja’s current mess. 

Bello’s failure had nothing to do with religion or the fact that all seven ministers of the city in the last 24 years have all been Muslims. After all, Nasir El-Rufai, one of the two exceptional ministers in nearly 50 years, is a Muslim. 

Gumi’s followers won’t hear him say that. But the next time they listen to his hate sermon, they should ask him what matters more to him: result or religion? His extremism shames decency. He should find a job.

The Department of State Service (DSS) Wednesday evening freed Abdulrasheed Bawa, the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“DSS confirms release of former EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, a few hours ago (today 25th October, 2023),” DSS said in a statement.

Bawa reunited with his family amid celebration shortly after his release from DSS custody after 134 days in detention.

The former EFCC chairman was arrested by the DSS in mid-June following his suspension by President Bola Tinubu.

Although DSS spokesman Peter Afunanya said Bawa arrived DSS office to honour an ‘invitation’, he was not allowed to leave until after four months.

Afunanya said the ‘invitation’ by the Nigerian secret police relates to some investigative activities concerning Bawa’s tenure as EFCC chairman.

The Presidency and the DSS did not disclose the outcome of its investigation on Bawa as of the time of filing this report.

Bawa’s removal from office follows a similar pattern that previous EFCC heads – Ibrahim Magu, Ibrahim Lamorde and Farida Waziri – have been removed.

President Tinubu, a week ago, appointed a new EFCC chairman Ola Olukoyede to replace Bawa.

The Nigerian Senate confirmed Olukayode as chairman and Muhammad Hammajoda as the Secretary of the anti-graft agency.

The parents of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, on Wednesday, told the Coroner’s Inquest that is looking into the cause of death of their son that he stopped going to shows for six months because of fear of the constant beating, harassment and bullying he got from his former label owner, Azeez Fashola, also better known as Naira Marley and his ally, Sammy Larry.

They also claimed he told them that he was being attacked because he said he didn’t want Naira Marley’s brother, Tunde Fashola, to be his manager anymore.

The father of the late singer, Joseph Aloba, said, “Mohbad was scared of going out for six months. He said he did not know if the substance he drank at the NDLEA will appear at the airport.”

He said the day Mohbad was inflicted with injury, he saw Naira Marley and his boys and claimed that Mohbad said it was customary for them to attack him.

On her own part, the mother said, “My son told us that there was a show that Naira Marley forced him to attend which he declined because it was Sammy Larry that was the organiser of that show.

“Whenever Mohbad was with me, he was always full of fear; he said it was Naira Marley who collected all the money for the shows he performed because the three-year contract that he signed with him had not elapsed.

“He always mentioned Naira Marley and Sammy Larry, and he was always shaking. I begged him several times to allow me to speak with them, but he refused, saying he didn’t want them to kill me.

“The last time he travelled for a show, after he came back, he mentioned to me that Naira Marley came to attack him, he reported the case to the police but I don’t know if the police invited Naira Marley,” the mother said.

She said she didn’t know that her son was a musician until she and Mohbad reconnected in 2019 at Ayobo after she had left him with his father when he was three years old.

Abosede said Mohbad was her second child and that he had two other siblings but when she and his father separated, she was not allowed to take the children with her except the last one because he was very young. She claimed he didn’t even stay long with her before the father took him away from her.

Mohbad’s mother said it was her younger sister who brought Mohbad and his friends to visit her and then they exchanged numbers.

She said when he told her that he sang, I told him that wasn’t the prophecy I got when I was pregnant with him. “You were supposed to be a pastor, I told him but he played with me and then left,” he recalled.

“After he left that night, somebody came to me and showed me a video that was circulating online that they were beating him and he was crying and said that Naira Marley wanted to kill him.

‘The following day, I got a call again that the deceased had been hospitalised. By the time I got there, they said he had been discharged and he was ok healthwise.

“Mohbad told me on the third day that he was inside the studio when he got a call that something was happening at Azeez Fashola (Naira Marley) house that the NDLEA came to raid his house,” she said.

The witness also stated that it was the information that the deceased heard that made him rush down to Naira Marley’s house because Zinoleesky, the deceased’s younger brother, Adutra Aloba, and the deceased’s wife, Omowunmi Aloba, were staying at Naira Marley’s house.

She also explained that by the time the deceased got to Naira Marley’s house, the NDLEA had taken Zinolesky and others away.

“The deceased followed the NDLEA to their office and he asked why they took his friends away he became thirsty due to the argument between him and the NDLEA, then he was given water, he later discovered that he was not feeling ok again after drinking the water.

“I asked him why he was shouting on the Internet, he said Naira Marley wanted to kill him. I asked him why does Naira Marley want to kill you, he said I shouldn’t worry, that I cannot understand.

“I and one Iya Lode went to Naira Marley’s house and on seeing Naira Marley, he explained that the deceased spoiled his name. I and his father apologised to him, but he still wrote a statement that he (Naira Marley) wanted to kill him.

“I was at the deceased’s house on Saturday when the deceased told me that he had a show on Sunday, September 10, 2023, at Ikorodu but the following Tuesday I received a call that the deceased was dead,” she said.

At the conclusion of her testimony, she said that for all the things she told the court, her son had warned her not to say it because they would kill her.

Earlier, the father of the late singer, Joseph Aloba, told the coroner’s inquest at Ikorodu that the reason they buried Mohbad the next day was that the mortuary rejected him.

He said that he was the one who pointed out where Mohbad was buried.

Aloba said the place where Mohbad was buried was his (deceased) land.

He also told the coroner that on the day his son died, when he got to the house he went straight upstairs to his room where he saw blood-soaked clothes before he was told that the deceased was in the living room.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has released a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, Daily Trust can confirm.

Bawa has been in custody since June when President Bola Tinubu suspended him.

Willie Bassey, Director of Information at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, had said Bawa was suspended as a result of weighty allegations of abuse of office levelled against him.

Former governor of Zamfara State and Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, had accused Bawa of demanding $2 million bribe from him, an allegation which he denied.

Bassey had said suspension was to allow for proper investigation into his conduct while in office.

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of nine (9) new Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The appointment is for a term of five (5) years each, which is also subject to the confirmation of the Nigerian Senate.

Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu’s media aide, noted that the appointment is justified based on powers vested in him by Section 154 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, Amended) and Section 6 of the Electoral Act (2022).

The new appointees include Mr. Isah Shaka Ehimeakne — Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Bamidele Agbede — Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Jani Adamu Bello — Gombe State Resident Electoral Commissioner and Dr. Taiye Ilayasu — Kwara State Resident Electoral Commissioner

Others are Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi — Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Yahaya Bello — Nasarawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Mohammed Yalwa — Niger State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha — Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner and Mr. Abubakar Fawa Dambo — Zamfara State Resident Electoral Commissioner

Ngelale said the President expects the new appointees to abide by the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct in the discharge of their duties, in accordance with his determination to facilitate the establishment of a new and sustainable standard of transparent, fair, and conflict-free electoral conduct in Nigeria

[DailyPost]

There is no three-month tenure extension for the ambassadors recently recalled by the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified yesterday. 

Also, the Federal Government has placed embargo on foreign missions’ accounts to check frivolous spending by envoys. 

The Ministry stated that the envoys’ October 31 exit date remained sacrosanct, adding that Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, who issued the notice, acted on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

It was learnt that non-career ambassadors had initiated moves to remain on their duty posts till December 31.

But the Presidency was not convinced on the excuse given to extend their stay, following alleged suspicious actions of some of the envoys to mop up funds.

The Federal Government has placed embargo on last minutes expenditure by the envoys.

As part of the recalibration of the nation’s Foreign Policy, President Tinubu had directed non-career envoys to return home.

Those affected have been lobbying traditional rulers, businessmen and influential politicians to remain in their host countries.

Tuggar, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, said there was no directive to extend the exit date of recalled ambassadors.

He said the report that recalled envoys have had their diplomatic duties extended by three months is unknown to the minister.

According to him: “Some of the envoys have either signaled their host governments of leaving or have left and returned to the country already. 

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recall still stands and all envoys are expected to be back in Nigeria by the 31st of October as earlier communicated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, acting on the directive of the President. 

“This is a routine matter to recalibrate Nigeria’s foreign policy and international relations in line with the 4Ds (Democracy, Development, Demography and Diaspora) foreign policy strategy under the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.”

On the embargo on expenditures by the outgoing ambassadors, a source said the Federal Government took the step to curtail alleged moves by some of them to mop up funds in their embassies.

The source added: “On the issue of the embargo on expenditures, it has been done. Some of the requests are not in line with routine expenditures. They are suspicious and look like last minute mop ups.

“Some of the envoys have continuously mounted tremendous pressures on the Heads of Chanceries and Accountants to pay them without recourse to due diligence. They have gone a step further to ask that personnel and capital budgets be turned into overhead budgets.”

According to the source,  payment of exit allowances to the recalled ambassadors has started.

He said: ”All payments have been completed. The payments, which started on the night of 24th October, 2023 were completed yesterday (25th of October, 2023).

“However, due to the difference in time zones and banking systems, it may not have reflected in some missions.”

A non-career ambassadors disclosed that the umbrella association of the group had written to the President to extend the deadline for their recall.

He said although the ambassadors also appreciated the President’s decision to recall them to “reengineer the foreign policy of his administration,” they asked for a three-month grace on their duty posts.

The envoy, who spoke in confidence, said: “We drew the attention of Mr. President to the fact that the deadline of October 31brings a major challenge to our children’s education.

“Most schools resumed some weeks ago, and our children are about half way into the school term. We don’t want any school calendar transition to cause setback for our children who will return to school in Nigeria.

“We have asked the President to extend the deadline for our return from October 31st to December 31st, 2023.”

[Nation]