President Bola Tinubu has approved the indefinite suspension of the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr AbdulRasheed Bawa, to allow for proper investigation into his conduct while in office.

A statement signed by the Director of Information in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Willie Bassey, said Bawa’s indefinite suspension followed weighty allegations of abuse of office levelled against him.

Bassey stated that Bawa has been directed to immediately handover the affairs of his office to the Director, Operations, in the commission, who will oversee the affairs of the office of the chairman of the commission, pending the conclusion of the investigation.

The statement reads, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,GCFR, has approved the indefinite suspension from office of Mr. AbdulRasheed Bawa, CON, as the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to allow for proper investigation into his conduct while in office.

“This follows weighty allegations of abuse of office levelled against him.

“Mr Bawa has been directed to immediately handover the affairs of his office to the Director, Operations in the Commission, who will oversee the affairs of the Office of the Chairman of the Commission pending the conclusion of the investigation.”

Born in April 30, 1980, Bawa, a native of Jega in Kebbi State, was nominated as substantive Chairman of EFCC on February 16, 2021, and confirmed by the National Assembly on February 24, 2023, as the youngest Executive Chairman of the commission, officially taking over from Mr. Ibrahim Magu, the former acting chairman of the commission.

Until his appointment, he was the Deputy Chief Superintendent of the anti-graft agency.

Frontline Anti-corruption Civil Society Organisations, numbering over 130, recently staged a protest in Lagos, calling for the sack of Bawa, over alleged politicisation of the commission, disobedience of court orders and infringement on human rights of Nigerians, among others.

The activists, who were joined by over 20 Constitutional lawyers, led by Mogbojuri Kayode of the Citizens Rights Advocacy Group, noted that the desperation of Bawa to save his face, after dishonourable acts in office, had taken a laughable turn, insisting that no amount of ‘purchased CSOs’ vote of confidence’ would cover the truth about the abnormalities being condoned in EFCC under its current leadership.

According to them, the EFCC has become so desperate to launder what they called a rapidly diminishing image of Bawa, to the extent that the commission’s spokesman laughably signed a Press Release, recently, informing Nigerians that a Civil Society Organisation had passed a ‘vote of confidence’ in its chairman.

The leaders of the struggle said it was a thing of honour that, despite the immense pressure mounted on leaders of the “Bawa Must Go” protests to abandon their objective cause, over 120 of the main actors had remained resolute while more had joined in the interest of the rule of law.

In September 2020, Peoples Gazette in an exclusive report detailed how Bawa stole and sold dozens of petrol-bearing trucks confiscated from suspected looters, auctioning them off to his proxies at ridiculous prices while he was in charge of the Port Harcourt office of the Commission. The report stated that Bawa was arrested and detained for several days by Magu.

Bawa was subsequently relieved of his position in Port Harcourt and transferred to the agency’s training school in Abuja. When he was nominated for the position of the Chairman of EFCC after the removal of Magu, civil society organisations condemned the nomination, calling on the Senate to reject his nomination. At the Senate confirmation screening, Bawa denied the allegation of selling seized properties in Port Harcourt.

On February 17, 2021, the EFCC issued a statement denying reports that, Bawa, was arrested and detained by the agency under Magu , over illegal sale of 244 forfeited trucks to proxies in Port Harcourt. The Commission further stated that Bawa was never at any time neither arrested nor detained by Magu.

The EFCC maintained that it was illogical for him to have been indicted over an auction that was not superintended by him.

On November 8, 2022, a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered him to be remanded for contempt for the EFCC’s noncompliance with a court order issued on November 21, 2018.

Although the matter leading to his contempt conviction was filed before his tenure as EFCC chairman, Bawa’s failure to submit himself for arrest vexed many including lawyers and civil society organizations who called for his removal from office by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) on Wednesday in Abuja admitted in evidence three sets of reports prepared by a group of statisticians on the electoral forms used during the last presidential election.

The reports were brought before the court by a renowned statistician, Samuel Oduntan in aid of the petition by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar challenging Bola Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential poll.

In spite of objections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), the presiding justice of the court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani admitted the three reports as exhibits.

At Wednesday’s proceedings, former NBA president, Abubakar Mahmud, Wole Olanipekun and Lateef Fagbemi conducted the case of INEC, Tinubu and APC respectfully.

Besides opposing the admission of the documents, the three counsels also kicked against the bid to have the reports read in open court.

Meanwhile, Justice Tsammani has fixed June 15 for further hearing of the petition especially the cross-examination of the witness.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said the Student Loan Bill, which President Bola Tinubu signed into law is capable of sending many students out of school.

On Monday, the president signed the bill saying it is a fulfillment of one of his campaign promises.

Many, including critics of his government, had hailed him for matching his words with action.

But in a chat with Daily Trust, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU President, said the law might have an adverse effect on millions of prospective students who rely on tuition-free higher institutions of learning to acquire knowledge.

He said: “A country where more than 133 million are living below the poverty line and you want to introduce tuition fees? It will be counterproductive.

“Every Nigerian should know what is going to happen next and there may likely be another bill waiting for signature that will introduce tuition fees. If the bill indicated that the loan is to pay tuition fees and there are no tuition fees in Nigerian universities, then what is your next approach?”

Osodeke said the bill is not new, revealing how the union rejected it when former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration brought it up.

He, however, noted that the union is yet to have access to the accurate copy of the law signed by Tinubu, adding that there was need to get and study it.

“We have said long ago, in 2017, to President Buhari when they came up with the issue of tuition fees, that every student will pay N1 million and we said you cannot put that in our agreement and you cannot use that to negotiate with us and with the nature of the country we have today, there is no way that will work.”

“What will happen is that the majority of students whose parents cannot afford it will pull out of school in anger and you know what that means, they will fight the society back. But let us get the correct information first before knowing the next steps,” he added.

A professor at the University of Abuja, Ben Ugwoke, said going by the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, no public institution pays tuition fees. That is, all public institutions in Nigeria are tuition-free.

“However, due to underfunding, the governing councils or boards of these public institutions are permitted by the laws establishing the institutions to determine appropriate charges and levies that students should pay to cover specific costs.

“The bill signed into law does not abrogate the various acts of the National Assembly establishing the public institutions which enable them to levy students appropriately. The new students’ loan act did not in any way abolish the current or future regime of charges students of public institutions in Nigeria currently pay.

“Let me hazard a guess that the new act has laid a formal basis for the various governing organs of the public institutions in Nigeria to levy higher charges on students,” he said.

According to him, “To the naive, it means relief but to my mind, I think it means higher charges are on the horizon for students.”

For Professor Nasiru Medugu Idris of Nasarawa State University Keffi, “Tuition fees will remain the same or even higher. This is because the students’ loan will strictly be for the purpose of tuition fees. So no abolition of tuition fees in Nigerian universities.”

He said parents might think that it is a kind of relief for them but actually this is not because students’ living expenses per semester are very huge.

“School’s tuition fee maybe 10 to 20 per cent of students’ expenditure per semester. Therefore parents and students should not celebrate the signing of the act for now until they have accessed the loan first,” he said.

Meanwhile, when Daily Trust contacted the Federal Ministry of Education to clarify clause 3 of the act, via a text message to the Permanent Secretary, David Adejo, through the Director of Press, Bem Ben Goong, the director said the ministry will address a press conference on Wednesday to clarify all issues and as such had no comment.

A friendly football match in Madalla town Niger State, turned into mourning following the sudden death of a referee who was reportedly hit by a thunder strike.

The deceased simply known as Mustafa Coach 02 among football fans and said to be a member of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFA), met his tragic death Tuesday evening during the match played in the community’s primary and secondary schools’ field.

An eyewitness, Muhammed Musa, said the match in which Suleja and Madalla youths participated, was on half time break around 5:20 pm when the incident happened.

“It was raining and all the footballers along with their fans were taken refuge inside the school’s classrooms. The referee along with his assistant (line man) rushed back to the field, demanding the players to join them.

“They were only at the centre of the pitch when the thunder struck. Two of them were rushed to a hospital, where Sulaiman was confirmed dead on arrival while his assistant was revived.”

A family member of the deceased, who simply gave his name as Ibrahim, said Ibrahim was buried Wednesday morning in Suleja town where he lived.

Following the resignation of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, his seat has been declared vacant by the incumbent Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep Tajudeen Abbas.

The declaration followed Gbajabiamila’s letter of resignation in Abuja on Wednesday at the plenary under personal explanation.

Abbas, after receiving the letter and read to members said, “We have today declared the seat of Surulere Lagos Constituency vacant following the resignation of Gbajabiamila. “

Gbajabiamila said in his letter of resignation addressed to the Speaker that he would be taking up a new role as the Chief of Staff (CoS) to President Bola Tinubu.

The immediate past Speaker further said he would cease to be a member of the 10th House of Reps.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gbajabiamila had earlier been appointed by the President to serve as his Chief of Staff.

Gbajabiamila commended the House and people of his federal constituency following his appointment by the President, adding that serving the House and the people of his constituency has been a great honour.

NAN reports that the former Speaker before leaving the chamber had moved a motion of urgent public importance ” Need for the Federal and State Governments to take action to mitigate the effect flood devastation.”

After submitting his letter, Gbajabiamila took a bow and left the chamber with cheers and accolades from members.

The federal government is set to introduce tuition fees in federal universities, polytechnics and other tertiary institutions following the signing of the Student Loan Bill by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Daily Trust reports.

The bill, which is now an act of parliament was signed on Monday, a development widely celebrated in many quarters without understanding the implication of the new law for the millions of prospective students who rely on tuition-free higher institutions of learning to acquire knowledge.

Educationists and other stakeholders said this would have wider implications.

In Nigeria, tuition, which runs into hundreds of thousands of naira or even millions of naira in private universities, is free in government schools at both national and state levels.

The situation has been the same since independence, even though some charges for other issues such as accommodation, departmental, and course registration, among others vary from one institution to another.

The waiver of tuition has given millions of students the opportunity to go to school, but observers say the introduction of a student loan scheme by the federal government means an end to tuition-free education.

There was no immediate response from the Federal Ministry of Education

What the law says

Clause 3 of the Students Loan Act says: “The loans referred to in this Act shall be granted to students only for the payment of tuition fees.”

This clause contravenes the existing provision that says tuition is free in public institutions.

Meanwhile, the question of tuition in Nigerian institutions is a constitutional matter vide Chapter 2 of the amended 1999 Constitution. By the provisions of that chapter, no publicly owned institution is permitted and it is illegal for any one of them to charge tuition fees on any citizen of the country.

According to the Act establishing the law, the Student Loan Bill would provide easy access to higher education for indigent Nigerians through interest-free loans from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

As enacted by the National, the Act shall apply to all matters pertaining to the application and grant of loans to Nigerians seeking higher education into institutions of higher learning in Nigeria through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

“All students seeking higher education in any public institution of higher learning in Nigeria shall have equal right to access the loans under this Act without any discrimination arising from gender, religion, tribe, position or disability of any kind,” the act reads.

It, however, noted that the grant of the loan to any student under the Act shall be subject to the applicant satisfying the requirements and conditions set out under this Act.

The Federal High Court in Kano has been asked to restrain the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from probing the immediate past governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, over video clips allegedly showing him receiving dollars from a contractor as kickbacks.

In court documents sighted by Daily Trust on Wednesday, the former Attorney General of Kano State in the originating summons filed against the EFCC as the sole defendant asked the court to declare that based on the supremacy of the Constitution, the anti-corruption agency does not have the right to investigate a case already pending before the state House of Assembly.

Daily Trust observed that the suit was filed before the court on March 23, few days after the gubernatorial elections in which the opposition party came out on top.

It was further observed that the court papers was only delivered to the EFCC on June 5.

Members of the legal team that filed the suit on behalf of the Attorney General confirmed to Daily Trust that the suit was pending before the court but promised to cross check and revert on the next hearing date.

In the court documents, the then attorney general asked the court to also make a mandatory injunction “directing the Defendant to withdraw all Invitations issued to the Executive Chairman and Director Finance, SUBEB as well as the Accountant General of Kano State in connection with the video clips of bribery allegation against Abdullabi Umar Ganduje, and await the conclusion of the Case No: CV/1598/2021, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje v. Jaafar Jafaar & Anor. before High Court fothe Federal Capital Territory, Abuja”.

The court was also asked to make an order of perpetual injunction “restraining the Defendant, either by themselves, officers, operatives, servants, agents, privies, cronies and or representatives by whatsoever name known or called from further inviting, investigating, interrogating or taking any action whatsoever and howsoever in connection with the video clips of bribery allegation” against Ganduje until after the conclusion of the civil case.

Recall that the video clips published in 2018 by Daily Nigerian, an online newspaper, allegedly revealed the former governor stuffing wands of US dollars in the pockets of his flowing dress.

While the publisher of the video clips said the money were kickbacks from contractors the then governor had awarded contracts, he (Ganduje) denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

The state House of Assembly had then subsequently set up an investigation committee but until the end of the tenure of the assembly, the findings of the investigation were not made public.

While the new Kano state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, was yet to make any declaration as regards the video clips since assuming office, a civil society organization, War Against Injustice, has asked the EFCC to investigate and prosecute Ganduje since he no longer enjoys immunity.

Vice-Chancellors, Ex-NANS President laud Tinubu 

Just as President Ahmed Bola Tinubu signed into law, The Student Loan Bill on Monday, one of the critical conditions set for accessing the facility is that applicant income or family income must be less than N500,000 per annum.

This is even as the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Universities in Nigeria, has commended President Tinubu, saying Nigeria is now toeing the path of the developed nations with the introduction of the policy.

According to the new law, applicants must have secured admission into any of the Nigerian universities. polytechnics, colleges of education or any vocational school established by the Federal Government or the Government of any state of the federation to qualify for the loan.

The law also said any student who applied for the loan and has been proven to have defaulted in respect of any previous loan granted by any organisation would be disqualified in the same manner as those found guilty of examination malpractice by any school authority or has been convicted of a felony or any offence involving dishonesty or fraud.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the bill signed into law by the President has repealed “the Nigerian Education Bank Act Cap. N104, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and enact the Students Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2023 to provide easy access to higher education for indigent Nigerians through interest-free loans from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund established in this Act with a view to providing education for all Nigerians; and for related matters,”.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Universities in Nigeria, Professor Yakubu Ochefu, while reacting to the assent to the Student Loan Bill by the President, said Nigeria is toeing the path of the developed nations in the introduction of the policy.

He noted that assent to the bill means that the tuition-free regime that has been in place for over 40 years in Federal universities would be jettisoned.

According to him, the new law would provide a financial cushion for families that are unable to pay the fees.

“If it is signed to work as in other parts of the world, it is supposed to provide a funding window to parents and students who may not be able to afford tuition fees in Federal Universities.

“It may also mean that the tuition-free regime that has been in place for over 40 years will be jettisoned. If this were to happen the SLB will provide a financial cushion for families that are unable to pay the fees.“

Ochefu, also noted that the new law on student loans would provide autonomy for universities, stressing this means the deregulation of the fee regime.

The CVC Sec Gen added that University councils would now set appropriate fees for students at different levels and for different programmes.

“It certainly will. It means the deregulation of the fee regime. University councils will now set the appropriate fees for students at different levels and for different programmes. It will mean the cost-sharing variables will be interrogated and actual cost structures will determine the cost of university education.“

Ochefu added that the current cost-sharing regime is about 90 per cent borne by the government and if it is deregulated then the universities would set the appropriate cost as it applies to them.

“As you may be aware, the current cost-sharing regime is about 90% borne by the government. If this is deregulated, then the universities will set the appropriate cost as it applies to them.“

The Immediate past President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Sunday Asefon, said the Presidential assent to the Student Loan Bill was a real succour to the difficulties occasioned by inflated school fees and fuel subsidy removal.

“Indeed His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President Federal Republic of Nigeria is a man of his word and very conscious of his promises to the entire Nigerian populace as enshrined in his manifesto titled; Renewed Hope,” he said

Asefon, therefore, called on critical stakeholders in the education sector National Universities Commission (NUC), the Ministry of Education Science and Technology and others to as a matter of urgency sees to the review of standards for the qualification of beneficiaries in the utmost interest of downtrodden.

“This should be the first assignment of the designated Minister of Education upon assumption of duty.

“It is important we all put our differences aside in the interest of greater Nigeria, we need to give maximum support to the present government across all levels so as to ensure the delivery of dividends of democracy in a country where all and sundry blossom,” he added.

…. stop looking for who to blame, INEC fires back

Candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi, who alleged that the 2023 presidential election was rigged, on Wednesday, accused the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, of evading the service of a witness summon on him.

Ob had through his team of lawyers led by Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, obtained a subpoena to compel the INEC Chairman to appear before the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja.

He wants the INEC boss to not only testify before the court as a witness but to equally produce and tender in evidence, some sensitive materials that were used for the conduct of the presidential election.

At the resumed proceedings in the petition, he lodged to challenge the declaration of President Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as the winner of the presidential contest that held on February 25, Obi and his party, told the court that all efforts to serve a copy of the subpoena on the INEC Chairman, failed.

While lamenting the inability of his client to effect service of the summon of Prof. Yakubu, Obi’s lead counsel, Dr. Uzoukwu, SAN, said: “My lords, I thought that by now, we would have been through with the stage of tendering of documents.

“I have drawn the attention of the lead counsel to the INEC, Mr. Abubakar Mahmood, SAN, that the office of the Chairman of the Commission has consistently refused to accept subpoenas to produce certain documents, in spite of efforts of Bailiffs of this court.

“The counsel graciously asked me to give him a copy of the subpoena but I didn’t have an extra copy to give to him, so, he asked me to give it to any member of his team.

“My lords, because I still do not have an extra copy, I intend to get it and send to him once the proceeding of today is over.

“I am confident that he will do the needful for us to continue our case tomorrow,” he added.

However, irked by the allegation, the INEC, through its lawyer, Mr Kemi Pinhero, SAN, accused Obi of always looking for who to blame for his failure.

Pinheiro, SAN, while addressing the court, said he was not privy to any discussion that Obi’s lead counsel had with any member of the Commission’s legal team.

He said: “My lords should take note that it has become a habit for the Petitioners, that whenever they want to seek for an adjournment, they must look for someone to blame.

“I was not privy to any discussion they had with our team leader because all the discussions have been open to members of our group.

“However, it cannot be true that the Chairman of INEC refused to receive the subpoena. In PDP’s case, subpoenas were served, not only on the Chairman but also on some National Commissioners.

“My lords should equally note that all the avalanche of documents they have tendered so far, some of them were certified as far back as in March.

“Yet, every time, they keep complaining that INEC refused to release documents to them.

“The submission that INEC refused to give documents to them, with due respect to the learned counsel, is not true.

“If they want to ask for an adjournment, they should do so and not attempt to use the INEC as a weeping board.

“I want to say for the records that it is not correct that INEC Chairman refused to receive a subpoena.

“The Chairman of INEC has no interest whatsoever. This allegation against him is most uncharitable,” Pinhero, SAN, added.

Though counsel for the Petitioners, Uzoukwu, SAN, maintained his position and urged the court to verify from its Bailiffs, if the INEC Chairman did not refuse service of the subpoena, however, the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel, urged restraint from both parties.

“There is no need to quarrel over this issue. If a subpoena was refused, counsel knows what to do.

“We should remember that after this case, we will still see each other in court.

“So, let us not allow issues like this to destroy bonds of friendship,” the Chairman of the panel, Justice Tsammani cautioned the senior lawyers.

Following a no-objection stance by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, who appeared for President Tinubu, as well as by counsel for the APC, Mr Afolabi Fashanu, SAN, the court adjourned further hearing on the matter till Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Petitioners had earlier in the proceedings on Wednesday, tendered in evidence before the court, copies of printouts of the results of the presidential election from seven states of the federation, which they downloaded from INEC’s IReV portal.

The printouts, which the Petitioners said were duly certified by INEC, were from 21 LGAs in Benue state, 25 LGAs in Niger state, 17 LGAs in Edo state, 20 LGAs in Bauchi state, 8 LGAs in Bayelsa, 8 LGAs in Gombe state and 21 LGAs in Kaduna state.

The Petitioners equally tendered in evidence, bundles of printouts from unlinked or cancelled LGAs in the states.

Though all the Respondents in the matter, objected to the admissibility of the documents, the Justice Tsammani-led panel admitted them in evidence and marked them as Exhibits.

The court further admitted in evidence, a certificate of compliance for certified Exhibits from 28 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

It will be recalled that Obi, who came third in the presidential election, had indicated his intention to call 50 witnesses within the three weeks that was allocated to him by the court.

The Abia State Ministry of Information and Strategy on Wednesday commenced verification of workers to flush out ghost workers in the system.

The staff audit, which was earlier scheduled to hold from Monday to Tuesday, was shifted by the Ministry to Wednesday and Thursday.

A release signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Charles Ifenkwe advised the workers in the Ministry to come to the Administration Department of the Ministry for the verification with photocopies of their service documents.

Governor Alex Otti had during his inauguration speech reiterated his administration’s determination to flush out ghost workers from the State’s civil service.

Different sources from the state civil service revealed that workers with genuine employment records had no reason to panic because of the verification exercise.