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Jalal Arabi: An Administrator Per Excellence
BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF.
The appointment of Jalal Ahmed Arabi who combined technocrat and bureaucrat ideas to navigate the public service as Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria NAHCON was not only timely , but a right step in the right direction, and to also right the wrongs bedeviling the religious agency.
Soon after his appointment was the preparation of 2024 Hajj operations and the granting of 80B subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to mitigate the performance of this years pilgrimage by Nigeria contingents.
Coming from a well groomed public service laced with asymmetrical experience, Jalal jettisoned the business as usual prevalent at the commission to carry out a thorough assignment of repositioning the agency.
Also not in tandem with the business as usual, but the welfare of the pilgrims, he asserted his position and carried out a lot of administrative decisions that will not only promote the welfare of pilgrims, but detonate the singular impression that NAHCON was a conduit pipe to siphoning public funds.
He embarked on prudent management of resources and welfare of pilgrims while at the holy land and resisted sharp practices on the part of staffers who always take advantage of pilgrimage to amass needless wealth.
With a grounded experience, he read a riot act to staff on the provision of public service rules, and the desire not to be in contradiction with the privilege available to all and sundry.
He restated his commitment to reposition the agency having had enormous experiences and sane expectations from the public service by applying transparency, accountability, diligence and hard work on the part of staff of the commission.
Matching words with action , he asserted that it is not going to be business as usual, particularly in the area of remuneration, but reward system will be sustained for hard work and dedication to duty.
He was blunt on the issue of payment of emolument, entitlements and allowances while on the assignment, stating the obvious that government was constrained by continuing to pay by reducing the allowances and the need to imbibe prudence in the management of public resources.
In the history of Nigeria, Arabi announced the cutting down of cost on public funds and cancellation of some allowances in line with the operation of public funds, and did not mince his words through his actions and announcement to the general public.
While carrying out his reforms and executing the laudable programs in NAHCON, he provided options for workers of all categories engaged in the 2024 pilgrims operations to carry out their activities according to official schedules and timing provided by the commission by spending both the maximum day or the minimum period expected of staff at the holy land.
The announcement and decisions even though does not go down well with the staff, was part of his decision to reform and introduce a new code of conduct , away from the impression of coming to feast on the subsidy provided for pilgrims at the holy land by the government.
Even though, with some teething problems with the 2024 operations, the activities of fifth columnist, the new wave of administration applied by the new commission under Jalal Ahmed Arabi had paid off through timely operations of lifting the pilgrims to and fro the holy land.
The hue and cry of some stakeholders was not intended to distract the new agency , but a plot to raise needless alarm away for the illegal status quo put in place by the previous managers.
The success story of the 2024 Hajj operations under the leadership of Jalal Ahmed Arabi who assumed duty few months to the year’s operations was a testament of his versed knowledge, exposure, and grounded experience in public service , away from other instigations and public distractions , as he ensured the welfare of both contingents and staff of the commission were protected and avoided sharp practices.
For Jalal Ahmed Arabi, the 2042 Hajj operations will be a template needed subsequently to reduce to the barest minimum the incidence of avoidable administrative lapses, that was prevalent in its operations in the previous years.
This is in line with the code of conduct, prudent management of government resources and delivering on the mandate of the commission.
ABUBAKAR YUSUF Writes on yus.abubakar@gmail.com.
Police authorities have called on the organisers of a nationwide protest billed for April 7, 2025, to shelve the plan.
The Take-It-Back (TIB) movement had scheduled a nationwide protest for Monday, April 7, 2025, citing several national issues.
However, in a statement on Sunday, the spokesman of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Muyiwa Adejobi, described the protest as ill-timed, especially as it coincided with the National Police Day celebration.
“In line with best global practices adopted by nations in celebrating the achievements of its Police institution, the Nigerian Government has taken the bull by the horn by declaring every April 7 as National Police Day,” the police statement read.
“The rationale behind staging a nationwide protest on the same day is however questionable and perceived to be a deliberate attempt and unpatriotic act that is capable of rubbishing and maligning the image of the Nigeria Police and the nation as a whole. The Nigeria Police Force hereby advises the organizers to shelve this planned protest as it is ill-timed and mischievous.”
According to the Nigeria Police Force, the organisers should instead give room for dialogue with the government.
“The Nigeria Police Force under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, while reaffirming the commitment of the NPF to adequately carrying out its mandate in accordance with the Law and respect for rights of citizens hereby urges all the organizers of the planned protest as well as individuals who intend to join the protest to pursue dialogue by engaging the proper institution of government to press home their demands,” the police said.
A longlist of notable politicians including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi are in talks to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
This is according to the SDP presidential candidate in the 2023 election Adewole Adebayo.
Adebayo said Atiku and Obi’s men are in talks for their principals to team up with the SDP, which recently welcomed a former Kaduna State governor and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (SDP) into its fold.
“People are joining my party, and we are welcoming them. You can see how active I am in welcoming them. The only little issue we have with some of them is to change the culture where if you have not been in an environment where rules are taken seriously,” the SDP chieftain said on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
“Some of them are doing some Boy Scouts, black market operations, we are dealing with that. But we welcome them into the party. All these people you have mentioned, El-Rufai, Atiku Abubakar, even former Governor Peter Obi are coming. A lot of people are coming, and we will welcome them.”
When he was asked to clarify if Obi, a former Anambra State governor, is joining the SDP, Adebayo said, “Supposedly, until somebody joins, we don’t know. But people have told me, and the Financial Secretary (SDP) has also informed me, that they are talking. So we will welcome everybody.
“Surely, when we come in, and we don’t become a tower of Babel; if we come in, follow the rules and allow one person to emerge transparently, clearly, without cheating, without criminality the way we did our convention in 2022, people applauded us transparently, no court case, no crisis, no allegations.
“If they can stick to our culture and follow the way we do in the SDP and produce a good alternative to Nigerians, we are going to manifestly defeat the APC and retire President Tinubu to Lagos or wherever he chooses in Nigeria.”
Obi, who enjoys the backing of millions of Nigerian youths, came third in the last presidential election after polling about six million votes.
Atiku was second in the poll won by the APC’s Bola Tinubu.
Despite suggestions to the contrary, Obi has repeatedly said he remains in LP, the party that powered his 2023 presidential ambition.
The National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu has expressed the Federal Government’s determination in finding a lasting solution to the incessant attacks and killings in Plateau State.
Speaking at Operation Safe Haven headquarters in Jos during an operational visit in the aftermath of attacks in some communities of the Bokkos Local Government Area LGA) of the state, Ribadu promised to end the killings.
Over fifty persons were killed within a week in attacks over five communities that left over three hundred houses burnt by suspected herdsmen.
The Plateau State Government, through the Secretary to the Government Samuel Jatau, also visited some of the affected communities to ascertain the extent of damages and also donate relief materials to affected victims.
Adu expressed the Federal Government’s determination in finding solutions to the incessant attacks and killings.
Also, speaking about the killings, the District Head of Manguna wants the government to provide more security personnel in the affected communities to curb rural-urban migration.