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In a further affront to public service rules governing paramilitary services, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently approved an 18-month tenure extension each for Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, Controller-General (CG) of the Nigerian Correctional Service, and Kemi Nanna Nandap, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service. In practical terms, Nwakuche’s tenure will now end on May 26, 2028, while Nandap’s will end on June 30, 2028.

According to the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the extensions followed a recommendation by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. Onanuga said the extensions were intended to address succession gaps in both services and give their respective boards sufficient time to appoint successors.

While President Tinubu nominated Nwakuche in December 2024 and the Senate confirmed his appointment in March 2025, Nandap was nominated as Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on February 21, 2024, and confirmed by the Senate on March 1, 2024. Nandap was reportedly due to retire on October 9, 2024, after completing 35 years in service. In March 2025, President Tinubu extended her tenure by 16 months, from August 31, 2025, to December 31, 2026. The latest approval is, therefore, the second extension granted to her.

The latest extensions are not the first of their kind involving heads of paramilitary services and other security agencies in the country. Former President Muhammadu Buhari extended the tenures of two inspectors-general of police (IGPs), Mohammed Adamu and Usman Baba, beyond their expected retirement dates. Similarly, in July 2024, President Tinubu sent an executive bill to the National Assembly seeking an amendment to the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, in accordance with Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. The bill sought to amend Section 18 of the Act to allow an IGP to remain in office until the end of the term specified in the appointment letter.

The bill was speedily passed by the Senate on July 23, 2024, allowing the then-serving IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, to remain in office until October 31, 2027. The amendment was intended to enable him to complete his four-year term, although he was due to retire upon attaining the age of 60 on September 4, 2024. This arrangement departed from the general public service rule requiring retirement after 35 years of service or upon attaining the age of 60. Egbetokun, however, resigned as IGP on February 24, 2026, after 36 years of service in the Nigeria Police Force.

The Presidency’s argument that the latest extensions would address succession gaps and give the boards sufficient time to appoint successors is unconvincing. An 18-month extension is excessive and lacks adequate justification, particularly when filling these positions should not require an inordinately long process. Unlike appointments that may involve extensive public advertisements, security checks, shortlisting and interviews, the succession process for these offices should be planned and managed well ahead of the incumbent officers’ retirement dates.

There is much to fault in the gratuitous extension of the tenures of public officers approaching retirement. Experience has shown that such extensions rarely produce meaningful improvements in the institutions concerned. It is morally indefensible to retain officers beyond their prescribed service periods when there is no compelling institutional reason to do so. Keeping them in office for personal rather than national interest denies serving officers with fresh ideas and dynamic approaches the opportunity to lead and improve their institutions. It also encourages lobbying and sycophancy among heads of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), who may prioritise pleasing appointing authorities over fulfilling their institutional mandates.

Tenure extensions not only weaken the morale of aspiring service chiefs, comptrollers-general and IGPs; they can also breed resentment, discontent and indiscipline within the ranks, with direct consequences for service delivery. They stall the career progression of subordinate officers, potentially wasting their productive years and forcing them into retirement without the opportunity to reach the peak of their careers or assume leadership positions. Moreover, when agency heads expect to secure extensions, they may become complacent and less inclined to pursue innovative strategies, focusing instead on remaining in office until their extended retirement dates.

Given the way it has been exploited, tenure extension amounts to undue favouritism and should be discontinued. If allowed to become an established practice, it risks undermining government institutions by elevating personal discretion above established rules and institutional needs.

Daily Trust calls on the government to build and strengthen institutions, not individuals. Rather than selectively bending the rules to accommodate favoured officeholders, the government should enforce consistent retirement policies. If there is a compelling case for longer service in paramilitary agencies, it should consider a transparent, general review of the applicable retirement age, as has been done for certain categories of public servants, including judges, professors and teachers. Institutional reform must not become an excuse for arbitrary extensions that undermine established rules, weaken morale and compromise the public interest.

The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Dr Mainasara Umar Kogo, has expressed concern that many Nigerians occupying positions of authority appear unaware of their constitutional responsibilities, warning that the pursuit of personal interests continues to undermine national development.

Kogo made the remarks while discussing corruption, leadership and the challenges facing Nigeria’s public institutions.

He called for stronger institutional mechanisms, improved legal frameworks and a renewed commitment to patriotism, discipline and responsible public service.

According to him, public office should be regarded as a responsibility to serve citizens rather than an opportunity for personal enrichment.

He maintained that no public official was inherently more important than an ordinary Nigerian and stressed that public resources belonged to the people.

Kogo said that diverting even a single naira from public funds constituted a serious moral offence, emphasising the need for integrity among individuals entrusted with public responsibilities.

The CCT chairman expressed optimism that corruption could be addressed in Nigeria but argued that existing institutional structures and legal frameworks needed to be strengthened.

He also stressed the importance of ensuring that those responsible for adjudication and public administration demonstrated patriotism and discipline.

On the tribunal’s ability to prosecute politically exposed persons, Kogo explained that its current powers were limited by the existing legal framework.

He said the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) was responsible for investigating and prosecuting cases brought before the tribunal, while the Attorney-General also possessed constitutional prosecutorial powers.

He noted that the tribunal could not independently determine who should be prosecuted, as it was restricted to handling cases presented through established legal procedures.

Kogo disclosed that a proposed legislative reform was intended to address these limitations by allowing anti-corruption agencies to bring relevant cases before the tribunal, regardless of the status of the individuals involved.

He also proposed transforming the Code of Conduct Tribunal into a National Anti-Corruption Court with a broader mandate to handle corruption-related cases. Under the proposal, anti-graft agencies and civil society organisations would be able to prosecute relevant cases before the proposed court.

The proposal also includes establishing about seven judicial divisions and recruiting 37 additional judges to expedite the handling of corruption cases. Kogo said he had appealed to the Attorney-General of the Federation and the President to consider adopting the bill as an executive bill to facilitate its passage by the National Assembly.

He further identified issues such as certificate forgery, falsification of records, academic plagiarism, dual citizenship and foreign bank accounts as matters that could require legal scrutiny beyond asset declaration, subject to the applicable legal framework.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s governance challenges, Kogo expressed concern about the declining purchasing power of citizens and the difficulties many households face in meeting their basic needs. He said the country’s economic circumstances had weakened the ability of many Nigerians to afford essential goods and services.

He also lamented what he described as an erosion of nationalism, national cohesion and patriotism, arguing that individual interests were increasingly taking precedence over the collective welfare of the country.

According to him, Nigeria needs more statesmen who prioritise national development and the welfare of future generations rather than focusing primarily on acquiring political power and wealth.

Kogo called on the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to strengthen its role in promoting national unity, patriotism, responsible citizenship and public service.

He also discussed the challenges he encountered upon returning to the tribunal as chairman, describing an institution that had deteriorated considerably. He said the building lacked reliable electricity and water supplies, its lifts were not functioning, security was inadequate, and essential working materials were unavailable.

Kogo said he had taken steps to restore electricity, provide water through boreholes, improve security and commence renovations. He also highlighted staff development initiatives, the resolution of outstanding promotions and efforts to pay retirement entitlements to former employees.

According to him, approximately 70 to 80 per cent of affected retirees had received their entitlements, with some having waited as long as two decades for payment.

He added that new allowances and welfare measures had been introduced for staff, alongside a 13th-month salary bonus intended to boost morale and improve productivity.

However, Kogo said inadequate funding continued to constrain the tribunal’s operations. He disclosed that the institution received an average of between ?26 million and ?28 million in overhead funding, with releases sometimes delayed by two or three months. He also said he had not received any capital allocation since assuming office.

To address some of the resource challenges, he said he had approached international donor agencies and other institutions, which provided computers, laptops, printers, photocopiers and other equipment.

Kogo also disclosed efforts to recover properties allegedly disposed of by previous tribunal leaderships. He said a property in Wuse II, Abuja, had been recovered following the intervention of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, while another property in Bauchi, which had allegedly been converted into a commercial plaza, had also been recovered.

He said the tribunal was seeking funds to renovate the properties and restore them to official use.

Kogo maintained that his priority was to establish a functional institution capable of operating effectively beyond his tenure, adding that public officials should focus on fulfilling their responsibilities rather than pursuing personal recognition.

Former Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Professor Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan, says President Bola Tinubu deserves a second term because of projects executed by his administration and what he described as improvement in security.

Pakistan made the remarks in a recent interview with DCL Hausa, claiming that the Federal Government had executed projects worth more than ?9 trillion in Kano State.

He made claim to the provision of solar power systems to Northwest University, Kano, which he said cost ?6 billion, and another solar power system for Radio Kano, which he claimed cost ?2 billion.

He also said that the federal government provided the solar power systems despite Northwest University being owned by the Kano State Government.

He said he would continue to support Tinubu’s administration because he believed the president had demonstrated the capacity to govern and deserved another term to complete projects initiated by his government.

Pakistan also cited the Kaduna-Abuja highway, saying travellers had faced serious security challenges along the route in the past but that the situation had improved under Tinubu.

However, a review by Daily Trust Check of publicly available information, including the GovSpend platform, found no evidence to substantiate the claim that the Tinubu administration had executed projects worth ?9 trillion in Kano State.

The review also found no publicly available reports confirming the commissioning or inauguration of the specific solar power projects Pakistan cited at the stated costs.

What we found

The Federal Government, through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), earmarked ?70 billion for a mini-grid solar power project in selected tertiary institutions across the country.

President Tinubu approved the project under TETFund’s 2025 intervention cycle.

Speaking at TETFund’s first town hall meeting, the Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Aminu Bello Masari, said the initiative would provide renewable and sustainable energy to 12 selected institutions.

The institutions include Northwest University, Kano; Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno State; Ambrose Alli University, Edo State; Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Owerri, Imo State; and Lagos State University.

Masari said the project was part of the president’s efforts to address persistent electricity supply challenges affecting teaching, research and innovation in tertiary institutions.

He said: ‘Mr. President is committed to solving the problem of erratic power supply, which remains one of the most critical constraints to teaching, research, and innovation. Therefore, the President approved the implementation of the Mini-Grid Solar Power Project under the 2025 Intervention Cycle, with an allocation of ?70 billion.’

Although the TETFund initiative confirms plans for a solar power project at Northwest University, Kano, the information reviewed does not establish that the institution received a solar power system costing ?6 billion, as claimed by Pakistan.

Similarly, the review found no evidence to confirm his claim that the Federal Government provided a solar power system for Radio Kano at a cost of ?2 billion.

The ?70 billion allocation covers a solar power initiative involving 12 institutions nationwide. It does not, by itself, substantiate the specific costs Pakistan attributed to the projects in Kano.

The review also found no evidence establishing that the Federal Government had executed projects worth more than ?9 trillion in the state.

The absence of publicly available records does not conclusively prove that no such projects exist. However, the claim remains unsupported by the evidence reviewed.

Verdict: Unverified.

Daily Trust Check found no verifiable evidence to substantiate the claim that President Tinubu’s administration had executed projects worth ?9 trillion in Kano State. While a Federal Government-backed solar power initiative involving Northwest University, Kano, has been announced, the available information does not confirm the specific project costs cited by Pakistan or establish the broader ?9 trillion claim.