Opinion
Jalal Arabi, NAHCON, and the Loss of Internal Discipline
By Nurudeen Abdullahi
The investigation by the EFCC into the alleged mismanagement of a ninety billion Naira Hajj grant is being blown out of proportion.
It casts the entire Tinubu administration as incapacitated, incompetent, and lacking in integrity. Typically, this issue could have been handled internally by either the Minister of Foreign Affairs or the Secretary to the Government of the Federation through the institution of a panel of inquiry.
However, due to a waste of resources, conflicting interests, and a loss of control over top administrative matters by constitutionally empowered government channels, the two anti-graft agencies have chosen to flex their muscles by investigating a single issue.
The NAHCON Chairman, Jalal Arabi, a former State House Counsel, Permanent Secretary, and lawyer, was secretly invited by the EFCC on Wednesday, unaware that he would be detained.
The controversy surrounding financial matters in NAHCON is not new. During the Buhari administration, a civil society activist, IG Wala, raised the alarm about the financial dealings of the then-NAHCON Chairman, also a lawyer. The chairman took the matter to court, resulting in IG Wala’s detention due to a lack of evidence.
The current Niger State Governor, Ahmadu Bago, was the first to accuse the incumbent NAHCON Chairman of poor handling of the 2024 Hajj operations, citing financial misappropriation and other deficiencies. This accusation led to the EFCC’s investigation.
In a press release by one of the major national dailies, the EFCC alleged that the NAHCON Chairman, Secretary, and some officials were overpaid their Hajj allowances. But the question remains: is this enough reason to detain both the Chairman and the Secretary?
There are rumors circulating that some highly connected Nigerians are eyeing the lucrative NAHCON Chairmanship, hence the manipulations.
One undeniable fact is that, despite all odds, the ninety billion Naira federal government grant, which arrived late, was distributed and disbursed appropriately by the NAHCON Chairman.
The office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is responsible for overseeing certain parastatals and is also empowered to sanction their excesses. Was the SGF’s office allowed to perform this duty before both the EFCC and ICPC rushed into their investigations?
What happened to the oversight functions of the National Assembly’s standing committees? A public hearing by both the Senate and House of Representatives committees was expected, but instead, the anti-graft agencies, in their desperate bid to grandstand, launched a highly publicized investigation. For whose benefit?
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, who is responsible for supervising the two anti-graft agencies, must ensure that these agencies act within their constitutional responsibilities, guiding them on what is right, when, and how to proceed.
As for the President and Commander-in-Chief, it is high time he put his house in order. Beta Edu, the recently sacked Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, opened the door to corruption suspicions within the administration simply because proper administrative channels were not functioning.
Take the example of the suspended Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs, who was accused of sexual assault. Rather than handing him over to the police, the Head of Service suspended him and set up an investigative panel to uncover the truth. The same approach should have been taken with the allegations against the NAHCON Chairman. Whatever the case, the Senate and House committees must intervene to uncover the facts.
There is also credible intelligence suggesting that a top EFCC official, who once vied for the EFCC chairmanship, is fueling the investigation, while the number two man, whose preferred candidate lost the opportunity to secure the NAHCON chairmanship, is also alleged to be behind the EFCC’s probe into Jalal Arabi.
President Ahmed Bola Tinubu must get to the root of this matter by taking control of his administration for the sake of efficiency.
Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum resources, says the federal government plans to commence implementing the drill-or-drop provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Section 94 of the PIA gives operators a period of three years to begin oil production or relinquish the assets to the federal government.
Speaking during the Cross Industry Group (CIG) meeting held on Tuesday in Florence, Italy, Lokpobiri said it is in the best interest of the country that all inactive wells go to work.
He said the federal government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, has provided every necessary incentive to ensure international oil companies (IOCs) in Nigeria run smoothly and profitably.
“Now, it is imperative for these industry players to match the government’s efforts with increased investment by announcing final investment decisions (FIDs),” he said.
Furthermore, Lokpobiri discussed “the challenges, expectations, and measures to enhance the sector’s contributions towards domestic energy needs and regional expansion across Sub-Saharan Africa”.
He emphasised that while IOCs have highlighted engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors as a challenge, “EPCs will not come unless they see strong commitments from industry players”.
“The government has done its part to provide the requisite and investment-friendly fiscals, the ball is now in the court of the IOCs and other operators to make strategic investment decisions that will drive increased production and sustainability in the sector,” he said.
“We must also recognise that domestic crude supply is essential to national energy security. The best solution to this challenge lies in increasing production, which will ensure a balance between domestic supply obligations and external commitments.”
The minister further urged industry players to explore collaborative measures, such as shared resources for contiguous assets and the release of underutilised assets to operators ready to invest in production.
The Progressive Students Movement (PSM), a leading Pan-African student body, has commended the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in Ogun State under Commissioner of Police (CP) Lanre Ogunlowo, PhD, for its commitment to security and community engagement.
In a statement released on Thursday, the President of PSM Nigeria, Comrade Ambassador Okereafor Bestman, highlighted the CP’s efforts in strengthening collaboration between the police, stakeholders, and other security agencies to maintain peace and stability in the state.
“It is worthy of note that CP Lanre Ogunlowo, PhD, has further fostered a harmonious working synergy between the police, stakeholders, and other security agents aimed at ensuring peace and tranquility in Ogun State,” Okereafor said.
The student leader expressed confidence in CP Ogunlowo’s leadership, stating that Ogun State is on track to becoming one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria under his administration.
He also praised the professionalism and dedication of the Ogun State Police Command in tackling crime, regardless of its scale.
Additionally, PSM acknowledged the Ogun State government’s continued support for security agencies, particularly in providing mobility and logistics to enhance their operational efficiency.
The commendation comes at a time when security remains a top priority for residents and authorities in the state, with ongoing efforts to curb crime and ensure public safety.
BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF
On assumption of duty in January, 2025 , the new Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Boss and well grounded World Bank expert , Aisha Garba envisaged the need to reposition the Basic Education through interfacing with the critical stakeholders.
Amongst them is the office of the National Security Adviser , NSA, led by Malam Nuhu Ribadu whose achievements in the last few years in the area of security has become distinct and outstanding.
Therefore, seeking to cooperate and collaborate with the office became germane and needful particularly the protection of lives and properties of actors in the promotion of Basic Education ranging from the pupils , teachers , workers and facilitators to enable it drive the new wave to curb Out of School Children OOSC in the country.
Aside providing the basic security arrangements for schools , the need to engage the security apparatus at the level of National Security Adviser NSA became needful, so as to address the sophistry of security problems in the country, to nip in the bud any unforseen circumstances.
With the high rates of kidnappings, abduction , banditry, cattle rustling, ritual tendencies among many other vices, the idea of bringing on board , the security architecture of the country in all ramifications will assist the commission to consolidate the implementation of Basic Education policies and programs, also introduce new ones .
Since pupils at the Primary, Junior Secondary and Secondary Schools are prone to such ugly development and security issues , the need to be proactive on the part of the commission became timely and desiring.
This led to the success story of the bilateral interface between the management of the commission and NSA, to streamline, perfect and chart a new course on the issue of security of actors in the Basic Education.
The visit described as timely and long overdue, discussed fruitfully the way forward and the immediate and long term intervention of both agencies in the area of collaboration.
According to the Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission UBEC, Dr Aisha Garba she stated by discussing” strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing educational access and security in Nigeria. ”
She further said” the engagement focused on strategies to address challenges such as the safety of schools, particularly in vulnerable regions, and the promotion of equitable education for all children.”
“the meeting highlighted the critical intersection between education and national security and the need for collaboration between UBEC and Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), on improving access to basic education and safety of safety schools across the nation. ”
“This collaboration underscores the government’s commitment to fostering a secure and inclusive learning environment as part of its broader agenda to strengthen the nation’s educational framework,” it added.
“UBEC boss had pledged to engage critical stakeholders to break down barriers to education and create inclusive learning opportunities for children across the six geopolitical regions of the country.”
“She said: “My goal is to deliver on this mandate which includes strengthening collaboration, partnerships and institutional learning for effective service delivery. ”
“Together, we will work to increase access, improve quality, provide conducive and safe learning environments, supply adequate teaching and learning materials, and adopt the concept of ‘best fit’ in addressing specific basic education challenges, state by state and region by region”.
Highlights of the program which included the engagement of both bodies with a commitment to ensure the introduction of security architecture in schools in Nigeria is achievable.
Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.