Category: Daily Trust

The current National Policy on Education in Nigeria adopts the 9-3-4 (6-3-3-4) system of education, comprising nine years of basic education, three years of senior secondary education, and four years of tertiary education. Proponents of this structure argue that the transition between junior and senior secondary education creates opportunities for learners to make informed educational and career choices. At the completion of the nine-year basic education programme, students who may not wish to pursue the conventional senior secondary pathway are provided with opportunities to enrol in technical colleges, vocational and entrepreneurial institutions or other specialised training programmes. This flexibility is intended to promote human capital development by aligning learners’ interests, abilities, and labour market demands while reducing excessive pressure on university education.

Another argument advanced by supporters of the 9-3-4(6-3-3-4) system is that the transition point enables learners from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to reassess their educational aspirations in line with available financial resources. Families unable to bear the cost of prolonged academic education may encourage their children to acquire vocational or technical skills that provide immediate employment opportunities and financial independence. Consequently, the policy is viewed as a mechanism for reducing poverty by equipping young people with employable skills while allowing them to pursue higher education later through alternative educational pathways. This approach reflects the principle of lifelong learning and recognises that tertiary education is not the only route to personal and national development.

Furthermore, advocates maintain that the policy contributes significantly to economic development by promoting skill acquisition and entrepreneurship. The separation between junior and senior secondary education creates room for students to develop competencies in agriculture, information technology, construction, manufacturing, creative industries, and other vocational trades that are essential for national productivity. As more young people acquire practical and entrepreneurial skills, the economy benefits from increased self-employment, reduced youth unemployment, enhanced industrial productivity, and a broader skilled workforce capable of driving sustainable national development.

Despite these perceived benefits, several scholars argue that the transition between junior and senior secondary education inadvertently encourages school dropout. They contend that every additional transition point in the educational system presents another opportunity for learners to discontinue schooling, particularly among children from low-income households. Empirical evidence suggests that many students who successfully complete junior secondary school do not proceed to senior secondary school because of financial hardship, early marriage, child labour, insecurity, and inadequate access to schools. According to the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report (2022), educational transitions remain critical stages at which dropout rates increase substantially in many developing countries, including Nigeria.

Similarly, evidence from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF, 2023) indicates that Nigeria continues to record one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children globally, with transition from basic education to senior secondary education remaining a significant challenge. Many adolescents leave school after completing junior secondary education because households cannot afford the direct and indirect costs of continuing education. Studies have also shown that learners in rural communities are particularly vulnerable due to the limited availability of senior secondary schools and longer travelling distances, thereby increasing the likelihood of permanent withdrawal from school.

Research conducted within Nigeria further supports this position. For example, Aja-Okorie and Adali (2020) found that financial constraints, inadequate educational facilities, and weak transition support mechanisms contribute significantly to dropout after junior secondary education. Likewise, Okeke and colleagues (2021) observed that although the Universal Basic Education programme has improved access to basic education, progression to senior secondary education remains relatively low in many states because numerous learners disengage from schooling immediately after completing the compulsory basic education cycle.

Nevertheless, attributing school dropout solely to the structural transition embedded in the 9-3-4(6-3-3-4) system would be an oversimplification. Numerous studies have demonstrated that poverty remains the strongest predictor of school dropout in Nigeria. Children from poor households are more likely to withdraw from school to engage in income-generating activities or domestic responsibilities irrespective of the educational structure. Household income, parental educational attainment, unemployment, and family size have consistently been identified as significant determinants of educational participation and completion.

In addition, insecurity and socio-cultural factors continue to influence school retention across different parts of Nigeria. Armed conflict, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes, early marriage, teenage pregnancy, and cultural beliefs limiting girls’ education have forced many learners to abandon schooling. These factors operate independently of the educational structure and would continue to affect enrolment, retention, and completion even under alternative educational systems. Consequently, school dropout should be understood as a multidimensional problem requiring coordinated social, economic, and educational interventions rather than merely a consequence of the transition between junior and senior secondary education.

Overall, while the transition between junior and senior secondary education may create an additional point at which some learners discontinue schooling, available evidence suggests that dropout is influenced by a complex interaction of economic, institutional, and socio-cultural factors. The 9-3-4 (6-3-3-4) system remains highly preferred because it broadens educational opportunities, promotes technical and vocational education, supports entrepreneurship, and provides flexible pathways for learners with diverse abilities and aspirations. Rather than abandoning the policy, greater attention should be devoted to strengthening transition support, expanding financial assistance, improving the security in the country, imposing severe sanctions on child trafficking offenders and improving access to senior secondary education. The services of professional counsellors will be of great value in enlightening the society on the importance of education. With all these, all things being equal, the objectives of the National Policy on Education can be realised.

Chairman of the Governing Board of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Emmanuel Deeyah, has called for urgent action to end the recent wave of killings and insecurity in Ogoni, Rivers State.

Deeyah made the call during a visit to the Chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Dr Thomas Bariere, following the killing of a former Chief Security Officer of the council, Letam Kiine, who was reportedly shot dead by gunmen near Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic.

He commiserated with the council and residents over the incident and expressed confidence in the council chairman’s ability to restore peace.

Deeyah commended Bariere for previous efforts to improve security, noting that communities once inaccessible due to violence had become safer.

He urged security agencies to identify and prosecute those behind the attacks.

‘Those causing insecurity are only distracting the community. We will support every effort to drive them out because peace must return to Khana,’ he said.

Responding, Bariere thanked Deeyah for the visit and described it as a show of solidarity.

He vowed to intensify efforts to tackle insecurity, alleging that some individuals seeking positions in the local security structure were linked to the violence.

‘The killings are too many. We will deploy every available resource to identify those responsible and ensure they face justice,’ he said.

He assured residents that security agencies had intensified operations and that those behind the attacks would soon be arrested and prosecuted.

Participants at the Second International Conference to Combat Discrimination Against Islam and Muslims have called for stronger regional and international cooperation to tackle the growing threat of Islamophobia and translate recommendations into practical programmes that promote dialogue, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

The two-day conference, held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, was organised by the Arab League and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO).

It brought together government officials, international organisations, religious leaders, civil society groups and youth representatives under the theme, ‘Muslim Communities in the West and Their Role in Confronting Islamophobia.’

Arab League Assistant Secretary-General for Oversight Affairs, Ambassador Hussein Hindawi, described freedom of religion and belief as a fundamental right protected by international conventions.

He warned that Islamophobia had evolved from isolated incidents into a wider social and political challenge.

Citing data from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Hindawi said 47 per cent of Muslims in 13 EU member states reported racial discrimination in 2024, up from 39 per cent in 2016.

He said 39 per cent experienced discrimination while seeking employment, 27 per cent faced racist harassment and four per cent suffered physical attacks, while only six per cent reported such incidents to authorities.

He blamed stereotypes linking Muslims with terrorism, crime and irregular migration for fuelling hostility and urged governments, religious institutions, educational bodies, the media and civil society to work together against hate speech.

The conference also launched the Permanent Multilateral Institutional Platform to Combat Discrimination Against Islam and Muslims to strengthen international coordination and turn previous recommendations into concrete action.

Participants also discussed the role of education, religious institutions, civil society and youth in promoting tolerance and mutual respect. (The Arab Weekly)

The Police Service Commission (PSC) on Thursday handed over 50,000 newly recruited police constables to the Nigeria Police Force for training.

In a statement, the commission’s spokesperson, Torty Kalu, said the handover was presided over by Commissioner I, retired Justice Paul Galumje, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive and relevant statutory provisions.

Galumje thanked the President for supporting the recruitment exercise and formally presented the successful candidates to the police for training at designated police colleges and other approved institutions.

He also handed over the list of successful candidates to the police authorities in a flash drive.

Receiving the recruits on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, DIG Isyaku Mohammed, who heads the Force Training and Development Department, commended the PSC for conducting what he described as a transparent recruitment process.

He assured that training would begin simultaneously across the country once funds for the exercise were released.

Also speaking, Director of the Police Service Department at the Ministry of Police Affairs, Ibrahim A. Muhammad, described the recruitment exercise as credible and transparent.

PSC Secretary, Onyemuche Nnamani, attributed the successful completion of the exercise to the collaboration of all stakeholders, saying it reflected effective teamwork.

President Tinubu had, on November 26, 2025, declared a national security emergency and approved the recruitment of 50,000 police officers to strengthen internal security.

The recruitment portal opened on December 15, 2025, and closed on February 8, 2026, after a two-week extension. The exercise was concluded about seven months later.

Security operatives in Sokoto State have foiled two separate bandit attacks in Shagari and Rabah local government areas, forcing the attackers to abandon a total of 452 rustled domestic animals after gun battles with a joint security team.

The attacks, which occurred on Tuesday evening, targeted Horo Birni and Marake villages in Shagari LGA as well as Maikujera village, a remote settlement in Rabah LGA.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday.

According to him, at about 7:20 pm on Tuesday, armed bandits in large numbers attacked Horo Birni and Marake villages in Shagari LGA, firing sporadically before rustling an unspecified number of domestic animals.

He said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Shagari mobilised all tactical teams, including operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, the Village Community Response Unit (VCRU) and personnel of the Military Forward Operating Base (FOB), who engaged the attackers in a gun battle.

‘The hoodlums were overpowered and escaped through a nearby forest, abandoning all the rustled animals,’ the statement said.

Police said security operatives recovered 195 cows, 84 sheep and two camels during the operation.

The command added that two villagers sustained gunshot wounds during the attack and were rushed to hospital for treatment.

Rufa’i said that in a similar incident at about 8:10 pm on Tuesday, armed bandits attacked Maikujera village, a remote hamlet in Rabah LGA, shooting sporadically before rustling 171 domestic animals, including camels, cows, sheep and goats.

He said the DPO, who was already on alert, immediately mobilised all tactical teams, including the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and the VCRU, blocked the exit routes from the village and engaged the bandits in another gun battle.

According to the statement, the bandits were overpowered and fled through a nearby forest, abandoning all 171 rustled animals, which were subsequently recovered.

The Commissioner of Police, Sokoto State Command, Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, commended the DPOs, tactical teams, VCRU operatives and the military for their swift response and professionalism, saying their actions foiled the attacks and ensured the recovery of all the rustled animals without any loss of life among security personnel or villagers.

The President of the Kaiama Development Association (KDA), Yakubu Salihu, has disclosed that only 163 of the 176 people earlier confirmed abducted by terrorists from communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have regained their freedom.

Salihu, who spoke in an interview with Daily Trust on Thursday, said the association was yet to ascertain whether the missing 13 victims died in captivity or were not among those released.

He urged security agencies to establish their whereabouts.

His disclosure comes after the Federal Government secured the release of 308 captives from terrorist camps in the Kainji forest axis spanning parts of Kwara, Niger and Kebbi states.

According to him, the freed victims have been moved to the military cantonment in Wawa for preliminary screening and are expected to be transferred to Ilorin for comprehensive medical evaluation before reuniting with their families.

‘We hope that between tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday, they will be reunited with their families,’ Salihu said.

Speaking on the controversy surrounding the number of abductees, the KDA president maintained that both the terrorists and the victims had confirmed that 176 people were taken away during the attacks.

‘What they told us, and what the abductees themselves confirmed at the time they were kidnapped, was that they abducted 176 people. But when they were returned yesterday, only 163 were confirmed.

‘So, we have a shortfall of 13 people. We are still at a loss as to whether those people died in captivity or whether the original figure was incorrect. We want the security agencies to help us determine exactly what happened to the 13.’

Salihu stressed that the association’s position had never been about disputing statistics but ensuring that everyone held by the terrorists was rescued.

The KDA president said preliminary information from those who had visited the victims indicated that many of them were in poor physical and emotional condition after months in captivity.

‘They are not in the best of health because of the trauma they went through. One of the women gave birth while in captivity, while some others are maybe still pregnant.

‘We are hopeful that when they arrive in Ilorin, the state government will ensure they receive proper medical attention and that all their health needs are taken care of,’ he noted.

Salihu also dismissed reports that ransom was paid by the community to secure the captives’ freedom.

According to him, although residents made efforts to raise funds, the amount realised was insignificant and was never handed over to anyone.

He described the release as a huge relief to the affected communities after months of anguish.

While commending the Federal Government and security agencies for securing the release, Salihu warned that the success would be short-lived unless the root causes of insecurity in the area were addressed.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has called for a stakeholders’ consultation on the proposed Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Prevention of Anti-Competitive Practices and Behaviour Regulations.

In a public notice posted on its official X handle yesterday, the Authority invited licensees, permit holders and other stakeholders to submit comments on the proposed regulations within 21 days, in compliance with Section 216(1) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, which requires stakeholder consultation before regulations are finalised.

The notice, signed by the Authority’s Chief Executive, Rabiu A. Umar, stated that stakeholders could review the draft regulations on the Authority’s website and submit observations before the consultation period closes.

It added that a stakeholders’ consultation forum on the proposed regulations would be held on September 22, 2026, at the Authority’s headquarters in Abuja.

The notice read in part, ‘In compliance with Section 216(1) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 requiring consultation with stakeholders before the finalisation of Regulations, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority hereby invites licensees, permit holders and other stakeholders to make submissions within twenty-one (21) days from the date of this publication in respect of the proposed Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Prevention of Anti-Competitive Practices and Behaviour Regulations.’

It added, ‘Stakeholders are enjoined to visit the Authority’s website to review the proposed Regulations. All submissions are to be made using the format accessible on the Authority’s website and must be received not later than 21 days from the date of this notice.’

The proposed Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Prevention of Anti-Competitive Practices and Behaviour Regulations, 2026, seek to dismantle anti-competitive conduct ranging from pump price coordination and artificial scarcity to bid rigging, customer allocation, exclusive supply arrangements and the exchange of commercially sensitive information among competitors.

The move comes amid renewed concerns over pricing practices in the downstream petroleum sector following allegations by independent marketers in July that some major fuel importers were selling imported Premium Motor Spirit at coordinated prices significantly above those of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

A review of the draft regulations showed that the Authority intends to outlaw virtually every form of coordinated conduct capable of weakening competition in the petroleum market.

Under Part IV, titled Collusive Agreements and Anti-Competitive Coordination, the draft regulations prohibit petroleum companies from entering into formal or informal agreements designed to influence prices, allocate markets or manipulate commercial outcomes.

The draft states, ‘No licensee, market participant, or group of undertakings in the midstream or downstream petroleum sector shall enter into any agreement, arrangement, understanding, or concerted practice, whether formal or informal, written or oral, explicit or tacit, that has the object or effect of preventing, restricting, or distorting competition.’

The regulations specifically identify price-fixing or coordinated pricing behaviour as prohibited conduct.

A petrol-laden tanker exploded on Thursday night while discharging its contents at the AYM Shafa filling station in Garki Area III, Abuja, triggering a major fire that spread to nearby buildings.

Eyewitnesses said the explosion occurred at the point where the tanker was dispensing petrol into the station’s storage tanks, engulfing the filling station in flames and causing panic among residents and motorists in the area.

The fire reportedly affected one of the buildings belonging to the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS), located close to the filling station.

‘The tanker exploded while discharging petrol into the filling station. The fire spread very fast and has affected nearby buildings,’ a witness said.

Confirming the incident to Daily Trust last night, the Chief Superintendent of Fire with the FCT Fire Service, Ibrahim Muhammad Tauhid, said firefighters had been deployed to the scene to bring the situation under control.

‘Our men are on the ground fighting the fire. It is a serious incident, and some of the surrounding buildings have been affected,’ he said.

Tauhid also disclosed that a number of people were affected by the incident but said it was too early to confirm the number of casualties or the extent of injuries.

As of the time of filing this report, emergency responders were still battling to extinguish the fire.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has cleared the Presidency of any involvement in the appointment of the purported Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi and creation of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).

The commission said the appointment letter presented by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew was forged and did not originate from the State House.

The chairman of the ICPC, Musa Adamu Aliyu, disclosed this yesterday after submitting the interim report of the commission’s investigation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said: ‘The ICPC discovered that Adeyemi also created two additional fictitious government agencies, apart from the one that is known in the public domain. Our investigation unraveled two other fake government agencies, namely FCT Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) and Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership (FIPA-PPP).’

Tinubu had, on July 7, directed the ICPC to investigate the activities of the council and submit its findings within 30 days.

Aliyu said investigations established that Adeyemi ‘was never appointed by the federal government or any authority of government,’ he said.

He added that the council ‘was never established by any law, executive order or other valid instrument of government.’

He said Adeyemi appropriated the identity of the defunct Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), illegally occupied its office and used forged government documents to carry out the activities of the fake agency.

He also said investigators discovered that the office used by the fake council was unlawfully accessed after its lock was broken.

It would be recalled that while appearing before the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee that investigated the PFIPC, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had acknowledged granting official administrative approvals to the ‘phantom’ council based on documents allegedly later found to be forged.

On July 29, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, told the committee that her office issued an ‘authorised establishment’ and a recruitment waiver after receiving what was purported to be the council’s establishment Act and the appointment letter of its Director-General.

The ICPC chairman said it was also established that no federal government funds were approved or disbursed to the agency.

‘Our investigation found that weaknesses in verification, inter-agency oversight and government processes were exploited by Adeyemi with some level of negligence,’ he said.

State House disowns agency

The State House on Thursday distanced itself from the PFIPC, telling the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the ‘phantom’ council that it neither created it nor initiated any correspondence relating to its budget.

Permanent Secretary, State House, represented by the Director of Administration, Abdulkadir Idris, said the Presidency had no knowledge of the council until reports about it surfaced in the media.

Appearing before the committee, Idris said: ‘We did not send any correspondence or any request to the Office of the Accountant-General in respect of this council. We didn’t even know anything about this council. We never heard about it until we started seeing it in the media.

‘It is not our statutory responsibility to seek approval or justification for the creation of the PFIPC.’

The committee had invited the Permanent Secretary over documents purportedly originating from the State House requesting the creation of a budget code for the council, which lawmakers suspected was instrumental to securing budgetary allocations for the organisation.

But Idris dismissed the documents as fake, insisting that neither the signatory nor the office indicated on the letters exists in the State House.

He specifically denied the existence of one Akande Adewale who allegedly signed the disputed correspondence as Director of Administration and Support Services.

‘I am the Director of Administration in the State House. When the letter was shown to us, I saw it was signed in November 2024. At that time, the Director of Administration was Mrs. Aderonke Jaiyesimi, who retired in January 2025.

‘I presented to the Nigeria Police the list of Directors of Administration in the State House from 2003 till date. There is no name resembling Akande Adewale in our records,’ Idris said.

He further told lawmakers that the State House had no department known as the Directorate of Administration and Support Services.

Idris said he and the Permanent Secretary were invited by the Nigeria Police National Cybercrime Centre after the controversy broke, where they presented official records to aid ongoing investigations.

During the hearing, the committee’s chairman, Yusuf Gagdi, confronted the witness with copies of letters allegedly written by the State House to the Accountant-General requesting a budget code for the PFIPC.

He said another letter from the Accountant-General’s Office appeared to acknowledge the request and bore a handwritten receipt stamp purportedly from the State House.

But Idris maintained that neither he nor the Permanent Secretary received such correspondence.

‘We are not in possession of any such documents. We did not write those letters, and we did not receive any response of that nature,’ he insisted.

He noted that appointments of directors-general of federal agencies are political appointments processed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), not the State House.

We approved 7 number plates to PFIPC – FRSC

The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Shehu Mohammed, on Thursday told the House’s ad-hoc committee that following the ongoing investigation, the FRSC had commenced the process of retrieving all the official number plates allocated to the PFIPC.

Mohammed said the FRSC issued seven official government number plates to the council after following what it believed were established verification procedures.

He explained that the application was accompanied by documents purportedly showing that the organisation had been legally established.

‘Our standard operating procedure requires every ministry, department or agency requesting official government number plates to submit a formal application, after which we verify the authenticity of the request before approval,’ he said.

He said the request was received in April 2025 from an office described as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and was supported with establishment documents and a list of chassis numbers for the vehicles.

‘As part of the verification process, our officials visited the office address presented to us and found it operational. Based on the documents and the verification carried out, we approved seven official government number plates,’ he said.

‘We have already begun administrative processes to retrieve all the official government vehicle number plates issued to the agency and have strengthened our internal verification mechanism to prevent a recurrence,’ he said.

The chairman of the committee, Gagdi, questioned the credibility of the documents relied upon by the FRSC, pointing out that the purported mandate of the council carried no official federal government insignia or security features.

Gagdi also noted that the document listed President Tinubu, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and several serving ministers as members of the council’s board, describing the composition as suspicious.

‘Does this look normal to you?’ the chairman asked.

Responding, the Corps Marshal, responded: ‘It does not’,admitting that the document should have raised concerns.

Mohammed also confirmed that the seven vehicles registered for the council were brand new vehicles that had not previously existed in the FRSC database.

He admitted that the PFIPC case had exposed weaknesses in the agency’s verification process, describing it as an isolated incident from which the commission had learnt valuable lessons.

‘This is the first time we have encountered a case like this. It is now an experience for us, and we are strengthening our intelligence and verification processes so that it will never happen again,’ he said.

C’ttee fixes joint hearing, silent on Adeyemi’s appearance

The committee yesterday adjourned its sitting to next Wednesday at 12 noon, when all the government agencies that have testified so far are expected to appear for a joint session.

Its chairman, Gagdi, said the next hearing would bring together representatives of the affected institutions to jointly reconcile discrepancies in the documentary evidence before the panel.

‘We want to interact with certain people together, not one-on-one. We want the Head of the Civil Service, the Accountant-General, the State House and all other relevant agencies to be here at the same time so that we can establish exactly where the alleged infractions started and identify the weaknesses in each institution,’ he said.

He also said that the joint session would allow the committee to trace the chain of official actions that allegedly enabled the council to obtain government recognition, office accommodation, budgetary allocation and other official privileges.

The adjournment, however, leaves unanswered one of the questions surrounding the investigation, which is when the purported Director-General of the PFIPC, Adeyemi Adeniyi, will finally appear before the panel.

The issue has remained a subject of public interest since the committee disclosed at an earlier sitting that it had established contact with Adeyemi at an undisclosed location and considered his testimony crucial to determining how the purported council allegedly secured official recognition, office accommodation and budgetary provisions despite government insistence that it was never lawfully established.

Last week, the committee had directed the Inspector-General of Police to produce Adeyemi before the lawmakers. But the police representatives told the panel that they could not comply because he was being held under a valid remand order of the Federal High Court. They explained that releasing him without the court’s authorisation would amount to a violation of the subsisting judicial order and requested the committee to obtain the necessary court warrant. The committee accepted the explanation and resolved to seek the court’s approval for his appearance.

CISLAC seeks sanctions for indicted officials

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has called for a broader probe into the operations of the PFIPC, saying accountability should not end with the prosecution of its purported Director-General.

Speaking to Daily Trust yesterday, CISLAC Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, commended the ICPC for concluding its investigation, but emphasised that all public officials whose actions or negligence enabled the operations of the fake agency should face appropriate sanctions.

He said those who facilitated the opening of the agency’s bank accounts, approved office accommodation, processed its budget and other official dealings should not escape scrutiny.

‘Beyond just the administrative action against all the people that are involved, none of them should be spared. None of them should be politically protected. They all have committed crimes and therefore there must not be punishment for only one person,’ Rafsanjani said.

He maintained that it would have been impossible for one individual to carry out the alleged fraud without the cooperation or negligence of public officials, adding that those found culpable should face severe consequences rather than ‘light administrative inquiry.’

Rafsanjani also called on the leadership of the National Assembly to apologise to Nigerians for approving budgetary allocations for the council despite its non-existent legal status.

On the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee’s decision to question the purported DG in private rather than during a public hearing, Rafsanjani said the move would further erode public confidence in the legislature.

‘The National Assembly is always diminishing public confidence and trust of Nigerians. Why do you want to do a secret hearing when other witnesses were invited publicly? We do not support this secret hearing or secret investigation. If they are not hiding anything, let them come and do everything openly,’ he said.

He urged the Presidency to ensure that the ICPC’s recommendations are implemented without favouritism, warning against selective justice in the handling of the case.

On its part, the Connected Development (CODE) said the findings of the ICPC underscored the need for stronger transparency, accountability and institutional reforms across government.

In an interview with the Communications Manager, Stephen Akinfala, the organisation said the ICPC’s investigation exposed weaknesses in verification processes, inter-agency coordination and oversight.

CODE noted that the findings reinforced its long-standing advocacy for improved public financial management, transparent budgeting, open government and citizen oversight through its Follow The Money initiative.

Family opposes Adeyemi’s closed-door interrogation

Adeyemi’s family was reported to have alleged that members of the committee attempted to question him in police custody without the presence of his lawyers.

Adeyemi’s brother, Peter Adeyemi, reportedly alleged yesterday that committee members visited the detention facility where the suspect was being held but that he declined to answer questions because his legal representatives were not present.

He was quoted as saying that Adeyemi was willing to defend himself but wanted to do so publicly, just as the allegations against him had been made in open hearings.

The development followed a statement issued on Wednesday by Adeyemi’s lawyer, Ademola Oyedokun, rejecting the committee’s reported plan to question his client at an undisclosed location while in police custody.

According to the statement, the defence team welcomed the House investigation into the alleged establishment and operations of the PFIPC but opposed any closed-door interrogation, arguing that their client should be given the opportunity to respond to the allegations in a public hearing where other witnesses had testified.

The committee has yet to publicly respond to the allegations by Adeyemi’s family or his legal team. While, the chairman of the committee, Rep. Yusuf Gagdi, was announcing that all agencies that have appeared before the panel would return for a joint session next Wednesday, he was silent on Adeyemi. He did not say if Adeyemi would be produced to testify before the lawmakers or not.

PrimeTech Design and Engineering Nigeria Ltd, the engineering design subsidiary of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, has achieved the internationally recognised ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System (QMS) certification, marking a major milestone in its drive for operational excellence and continuous improvement.

The certification confirms that the company’s quality management system complies with internationally accepted standards set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), demonstrating its ability to consistently deliver engineering and consultancy services that meet customer and regulatory requirements.

The achievement followed more than a decade of investment in quality management. PrimeTech began strengthening its quality systems through structured internal audits in 2015 while operating under the certification framework of its parent company, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.

As the company expanded its operations, workforce and client base, it pursued an independent certification reflecting its operational growth and maturity.

Presenting the certificate, Country Director of the German Society for the Certification of Quality Management Systems (DQS), Ogudu Lawrence, commended PrimeTech for its commitment to quality, customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.

He said the certification demonstrates that the company has established the systems, structures and processes required to consistently deliver services that meet international standards and client expectations.

Lawrence, however, noted that the certification is not a one-time achievement, explaining that DQS will conduct annual surveillance audits to ensure the company continues to meet and improve on the required standards.

‘Achieving the certificate is not the end. There will be annual surveillance audits to confirm that the systems remain effective and continue to improve. The certification can be withdrawn if the required standards are no longer maintained,’ he said.

Speaking on the achievement, PrimeTech General Manager, Christian Moesmer, described the certification as a defining moment in the company’s growth.

‘This certification independently validates that our quality management system meets international standards and reflects our commitment to delivering engineering and design services with professionalism and integrity. It assures our clients that quality is the foundation of everything we do,’ he said.

PrimeTech operates a comprehensive quality management system supported by a dedicated quality team and documented operational procedures. The company has also extended quality oversight beyond engineering activities to administrative operations, human resources and project support functions, promoting a company-wide culture of quality assurance.