FCT Civil Service Commission Boss, Emeka, Apologizes To Workers For Withholding Their Salaries

May 8, 2025

The Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory Civil Service Commission, Emeka Ezeh, has formally apologized to the civil servants in the services of the FCT Administration for withholding their April salaries. About 230 civil servants, including those in senior and managerial cadres were affected and tagged: ABSCONDMENT.
According to Ezeh, the salaries were withheld due to a human error encountered during an effort to sanitise the payroll system.
Ezeh spoke to the workers who staged a peaceful protest at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. The protest was done by members of the FCTA Joint Union Action Committee, led by its president, Rifkatu Lortyer.
The chairman said that the measures were part of efforts to identify and eliminate ghost workers, but inadvertently led to the exclusion of legitimate personnel.
“We were trying to clean up the payroll and in the process, some genuine staff were mistakenly affected. I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience. The affected salaries will be released between now and Friday.”
On the delayed promotions, the chairman assured staff that the commission is in the final stages of concluding the process and that the deserving promotions would soon be implemented.
The protesters had earlier demanded immediate explanations and resolution of the crisis caused by the sudden stoppage of their salaries. Brandishing placards, they said: “we are not ghosts. We work every day. Why should our salaries be stopped without warning?”
They demanded the release of overdue promotions, saying that staff had been denied advancement for over two years despite meeting eligibility requirements.

69 Year Old Cardinal Robert Prevost Emerges New Pope

Greenbarge Reporters

May 8, 2025

The new pope has been revealed as Robert Prevost of the US, the first American pontiff in history. He will be known as Pope Leo XIV.
This comes after white smoke billowed above the Sistine Chapel, the signal that cardinals had selected a new pontiff on the second day of the conclave.
The new pope, 69, from Chicago, Illinois, is a leader with global experience. He spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and served as bishop in Peru. He most recently led a powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments.
He will soon step onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as the new leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
There were 133 voting cardinals, who had all been sequestered inside the Vatican during the conclave. Any one of them needed two-thirds of the vote to become the next pope. Take a look at how the voting process works.

Senate Committee Allegedly Pads 2025 Hajj Commission’s Budget With N5 Billion

Greenbarge Reporters

May 8, 2025

Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs has been found to have allegedly inserted the sun of N5 billion into the 2025 budget of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
Official records revealed that the amount was inserted into the commission’s 2025 budget under a vague budget line titled: “Hajj Support.”
NAHCON’s total approved budget for 2025 is believed to be N7.63 billion, and it is made up of N2.23 billion in recurrent expenditure and N5.4 billion for capital projects. It was learnt that the alleged N5 billion padding did not fall under any specific category.
It was learnt that the N5 billion was not earmarked for any identifiable project and was included under a broad and questionable heading, suggesting that it was designed to be diverted.
Similar patterns were said to have been discovered in the 2025 budget of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, where an identical N5 billion was inserted under the “Pilgrims Support” line.
Some internal communications between the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and NAHCON has been discovered and showed how the money would be shared between NAHCON officials and Senate committee members.
A letter dated April 24, 2025, with reference number NASS/SCFA/33/30’/03/95.03, titled: “National Assembly’s Insertion in the 2025 Appropriation Act”, and signed by Usman G. Gubio, director/clerk of the committee, explicitly states that N2 billion of the N5 billion was allocated to the committee while the balance of N3 billion would go to NAHCON.
Senator Abubakar Musa Bello, a two-term former governor of Niger State, chairs the committee.
The letter reads in part: “You are to note that the Senate Committee’s component for this project is N2,000,000,000 (Two Billion Naira), and you will be notified accordingly in due course of activities for its implementation.”
It was learnt that this is not the first time NAHCON has been implicated in budget padding, but this is the first time the alleged fraudulent insertion is in the billions. Past cases involved hundreds of millions, dating back to 2020, under the leadership of Barrister Zikirullah Kunle Hassan.
In the 2022 budget, for instance, N382 million was inserted for questionable projects, including N255 million for “Hajj Operational Support” and N127.5 million for the purchase of “constituency vehicles” for two House of Representatives members—an action that violates the commission’s financial regulations.
Records show that one vehicle, a 2022 model Toyota Hilux, was purchased for N42.5 million for the Awe/Doma/Keana Federal Constituency in Nasarawa State. Additionally, N42.5 million each was allocated for “Training and Enlightenment of Pilgrims” in Nasarawa and Ifako/Ijaiye Federal Constituency, Lagos State—projects far outside NAHCON’s statutory responsibilities.
Sources within NAHCON claim these projects were never implemented, and that the funds were allegedly handed over in cash to the lawmakers. A senior officer said: “This fraud is only possible when corrupt lawmakers find a willing NAHCON chief executive. It takes two to tango.”
A staff member said: “This commission once ran offshore operations without government funding during President Buhari’s administration. “Now, it’s not just relying on federal allocations again—it’s allegedly colluding with lawmakers to loot billions.”
Meanwhile, a prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Isma’eel Muhammad Bello has condemned the alleged padding scandal.
“It is disheartening that an Islamic scholar like Professor Saleh would stoop so low. This fraud is an assault on Islam and the Nigerian Muslim community.”
Hajj stakeholders and civil society organisations are now calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to launch full-scale investigations into the N5 billion scandal and prior questionable insertions in NAHCON’s budgets.
This is even as the EFCC confirmed that a travel agency allegedly linked to the fraud has been invited for questioning.
Efforts to reach Usman G. Gubio, the director/clerk of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for a reaction were unsuccessful. He did not respond to calls.
When approached for clarification, Hajiya Fatima Sanda Usara, assistant director of information and public relations at NAHCON, said that she was not in Abuja and could not confirm the existence of such a letter from the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to the commission about the alleged insertion of N5 billion in the NAHCON’s 2025 budget.
Source: Leadership newspaper.

FCT Civil Service Commission Rescinds Sacking Of Over 200 Civil Servants

Greenbarge Reporters

May 8, 2025

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Civil Service Commission has backed down on the sacking of 230 civil servants which it carried out last week Friday.
Information reaching us at Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper said that the April salaries of the affected civil servants have been paid except a few of them that are yet to be paid as at this morning, May 8.
It was learnt that the leadership of the
National Association of Nursing and Midwives of Nigeria (NANMN), the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) and others rose to resist the sack on Monday.
The resident doctors and other medical workers began a three-day warning strike, just when the Civil Service Commission invited their leaders to a series of meetings.
It was learnt that the Commission instantly reversed the sack and began to effect payment of the April salaries to many of the affected civil servants, which it withheld after paying workers last week.
Greenbarge had reported on Monday that 230 civil servants in the services of the FCT, most of who are senior and managerial staff, woke up on Monday to find their names on a long list of those posted on WhatsApp platforms, and were referred to as “ABSCONDMENT” without any explanation. There was no letter of disengagement from service sent to any of the affected civil servants.
Meanwhile, the resident doctors have ended their strike and returned to work today, May 8, even as efforts are said to be making to effect the payment of the salaries of the remaining servants that were not captured in the first batch.

Interfaith Media Practitioners Celebrate Late Pope Francis For Promoting Safe, Peaceful World

Greenbarge Reporters

May 6, 2025

The Guild of Interfaith Media Practitioners (GIMP) in Nigeria has celebrated late Pope Francis for being a lover and promoter of interfaith tolerance and global peace.
The Secretary of Trustees/Governing Board of the Guild, Mr. Samuel Egburonu, in a statement described late Pope Francis as an acknowledged promoter of religious harmony and love among diverse people of the world.
“Pope Francis’s messages on interfaith tolerance were anchored on his firm belief in ‘Fratelli Tutti’ (Fraternity and Social Friendship).
“His passionate initiatives aimed at promoting interfaith coexistence and tolerance will for long remain credible compass to navigate the route of true global peace.
“For our world to live together in peace and harmony, Pope Francis recommended dialogue and collaboration amongst leaders and adherents of various religion and faith.
“He was one global religious leader of our time, who openly preached that true religion should unite instead of divide.
“As the world bids Pope Francis goodbye, we at Guild of Interfaith Media Practitioners (Nigeria) recall with pride, that glorious day in 2019 when he left his Papal office in Rome to visit Abu Dhabi, where he met and dialogued with Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. It was that historic visit that led to the signing of the ‘Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together’.
“We recall with nostalgia that he did more. He also signed the Joint Declaration of Istiqlal, bold steps that show where he stood.”
The statement said that Pope Francis had done his part and had left the scene, adding: “for a safe, peaceful world, the Guild of Interfaith Media Practitioners (Nigeria) call on our leaders, including religious ones and others to embrace the message of tolerance, dialogue and peace anchored on mutual respect.”

Abuja Doctors On Strike Over Sack Of Members By Civil Service Commission

Editorial staff

May 6, 2025

Members of the Association of Resident Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, have embarked on a three-day warning strike, beginning today, May 6 across the capital city.
The strike was declared during an emergency congress meeting yesterday over the sudden sack and stoppage of the salaries of its members by the FCT civil service commission for no reason.
About 230 civil servants in various departments woke up yesterday to find a list making the rounds in Whatsapp platform, containing their names. They were tagged “Abscondment” on the list even as their April salaries were withheld.
The President of the FCT Abuja Resident Doctors, Dr. George Ebong, said that the strike had become necessary as 127 health workers were affected by action of the FCT Civil Service Commission.
He described the sacking and stoppage of salaries as inhumane and unlawful, demanding their immediate reinstatement alongside the prompt payment of their April salaries.
He called for the immediate resignation of the chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Mr Emeka Ezeh.
Dr. Ebong, speaking on behalf of the doctors, warned that if their demands were not met by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the FCT Administration before Friday, May 9, they would embark on an indefinite strike and shut down hospitals across the nation’s capital.
“We are embarking on a three-day warning strike because most of the members were disengaged from service on Friday without due diligence. They were labelled as ghost workers, ex-employees, and absconders when, in fact, these colleagues of ours are still in the system working even until now. We are livid that the FCTA service commission will carry out such an inhuman decision without talking to the health management board, permanent secretary of health, association of resident doctors, or Medical and Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria, MDCAN. It is not just doctors that are affected—nurses, pharmacists, and lab scientists, including non- clinical workers are affected too.
“The Medical Directors of these hospitals are not aware. In fact, three MDs are affected; 127 health workers are affected. If these numbers are ghost workers, so how do these hospitals operate? The hospitals would have collapsed. What is the staff strength of FCT hospitals?
“The affected health workers’ salaries were stopped without any prior notice. The salaries for last month. This is a clear act of insensitivity and injustice to health workers.
“We demand immediate salary payment for all the affected health workers; apologies letter to the affected health workers; and the immediate resignation of the chairman of the service commission, Mr. Emeka Ezeh.
“It is a three-day warning starting from tomorrow, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at 8 am, and if within the space of three days (which is Friday, May 9, 2025), our demands are not met, we will go on an indefinite strike after an appraisal.”
The emergency congress meeting was attended by over 120 doctors, both physically and virtually.

Take Heart, Ex President Buhari Comforts Boss Mustapha Over Sister’s Death

Greenbarge Reporters

May 5, 2025

Former Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the death of Charity Mustapha, sister to his Secretary to the Government (SGF) while in office.
The former president, who spoke on phone to Boss Mustapha from the United Kingdom, where he is on vacation, said that he received the news of the passing of Charity after a prolonged illness with great sadness.
He praised her strength and resilience in the period of her sickness, saying: “such a loss leaves a void that can never be filled.”
Buhari said that the warmth and kindness for which she was known and with which she treated everyone would always remain in the hearts of her family and all those who encountered her in one way or the other.
“She would forever be remembered with respect and affection by all who knew her.
“May you and your family find the strength and fortitude to endure this grievous loss.”

2025 UTME Exam: JAMB Announces Mass Failure

Greenbarge Reporters

May 5, 2025

Only 4,756 candidates who candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scored above 320 while over 1.5 million scored less than 200 in the exam.
According to the statistical analysis of the 2025 UTME result released by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) today, May 5, a total of 1,955,069 candidates sat for the exam, which ended today.
It said that 7,658 candidates scored between 300 and 319.
In a statement accompanying the data, JAMB said: “40,247 underage candidates were permitted to demonstrate their exceptional abilities.
“However, only 467 of these candidates (1.16%) achieved scores that meet the threshold for exceptional ability as defined for the UTME, with their performance in the subsequent three stages still pending.”
Details later.

FCT Civil Service Commission Sacks 230 Civil Servants For Alleged Abscondment

Greenbarge Reporters

May 5, 2025

Information reaching us at Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper has shown that the Federal Capital Territory Civil Service Commission has abruptly disengaged 230 civil servants in the service of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for alleged abscondment.
Sources said that over 85 percent of those that have been disengaged are senior medical personnel in the Health Management Board, serving in various hospitals and health facilities across the capital city.
It was learnt that the disengaged civil servants have not received letters showing their new status and that their April salaries were abruptly stopped even before they got the news of their disengagement, only from social media platforms, where their names were listed.
Some of those affected told our reporter that they could not believe that the civil service commission, with highly educated people would dabble into such a joke of the year.
They said that the issue of abscondment by 230 civil servants is a coinage that would not fly, adding that they have been regularly attending their duties at work and have never received even a single letter of query or verbal query from either their immediate bosses or the civil service commission itself.
“I don’t believe the civil service commission would play such a serious ignorant game against the known civil service rules in Nigeria,” one of them said.
“I still believe that this is one of the fake news items coming from some lazy young people who just woke up from sleep this morning,” another civil servant who was affected quipped.
Meanwhile, the leadership of some unions had asked their members who have been affected to remain calm.
One of them sent an urgent message to members with the following words: “Good morning my Dear comrades.
“It has come to our notice that the civil service commission just decided to disengage the following staff (list attached) from service without any reason.
“We call on all affected members to remain calm. We will follow up the matter and get back to you before the end of the day .Thank you.”

North East Governors Rise To Address Return Of Boko Haram Insurgency In Full Force

Greenbarge Reporters

May 1, 2025

Governors of Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Gombe and Bauchi States, under the auspices of North East Governors’ Forum (NEGF) have risen to find urgent solution to the return of Boko Haram Insurgency and other criminal activities to the region in full force.
At its 11th meeting today, May 1, in Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, the governors expressed concerns over renewed security challenges in the region.
Addressing the Forum, the host, Governor Mai Mala Buni stressed the need for enhanced collaboration among member states, the Federal Government and security agencies to address the resurgence of Boko Haram activities effectively.
“We must act swiftly to consolidate the gains we have achieved over the years.
“It is essential for us to share our resolutions with security chiefs and relevant federal agencies to deepen our synergy and ensure a timely response to emerging threats.”

Governor Mai Mala Buni expressed confidence in the Forum’s ability to review past resolutions, assess progress and devise workable alternatives to achieve set objectives.
The Governor acknowledged the bravery and sacrifice of security personnel and local vigilante groups.
The Governor stressed the importance of maintaining the progress achieved in peace, security, and socio-economic development across the region.
He emphasized the need for the states in the region to reduce dependence on federal allocations by unlocking the region’s economic potential.
“With our rich arable lands and vast population, we must prioritize agriculture to ensure food security and create employment opportunities for our youth. Making agriculture attractive and profitable through mechanization and adequate inputs is our moral obligation as leaders.”
Governor Mai Mala Buni commend President Bola Tinubu for his dedication and unwavering commitment to leading the nation through these difficult times.
“His policies and programs are crucial for building a strong, united, peaceful, and economically prosperous Nigeria.”
The chairman of the Forum and Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, assured that the Forum would continue to support security agencies in addressing the security threats.
He called on the citizens to embrace agriculture while adhering to NIMET’s warnings against flooding.
The Forum reiterated its commitment to fostering regional cooperation and finding sustainable solutions to the challenges facing the North East region.

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