National News
FG vows to delist 1,500 workers with fake employment letters

FG vows to delist 1,500 workers with fake employment letters
The Federal Government says it has uncovered 1,500 workers who joined the Federal Civil Service with fake appointment letters.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, who said this in Abuja on Tuesday, vowed to delist them from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
Yemi-Esan was speaking at the ‘National Policy Dialogue on Entrenching Transparency in Public Office Recruitment in Nigeria.
The event was organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), a research and training arm of the
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
She added that over 1, 000 persons were said to have been discovered in one ministry while 500 others were found in other ministries, departments and agencies during a service-wide verification exercise.
The head of the service said the Federal Government would spare no effort to remove their names from the IPPIS to serve as a deterrent to others.
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Yemi-Esan stated that with the institutionalisation of the IPPIS the Federal Government had been able to track fake employment.
She said this has reduced the risk of employing less efficient, unqualified and undependable personnel to handle the affairs of government.
“For instance, in the past year, in one ministry alone, over 1,000 individuals bearing fake letters of appointment were detected.
“It is disheartening to point out that the office recently received a report from the Federal Civil Service Commission forwarding the names of over 500 persons in various MDAs in possession of fake letters of appointment.
“Similarly, following the outcome of the Service-Wide Verification Exercise for officers recruited from 2013 – 2020, the Federal Civil Service Commission has also requested the suspension of the salaries of over 3,000 officers across the MDAs.
“These officers failed to appear for the exercise pending further clearance, ” she said.
According to her, the government’s effort to stop financial leakages in the civil service has created a gap leading to a series of implementation issues.
She added that as of March, over 380,000 officers had been captured on the IPPIS payroll comprising 66,000 and 320,000 for core and non-core MDAs, respectively.
“A report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime averred that 32 per cent of Nigerians gave bribes to enable them to secure employment in the public service in 2019.
“What is also important to note from the report, which perhaps is fundamental to understanding how corruption thrives in recruitment processes is that an increasing number of the job seekers were in contact with public officials or possibly other entities.
“Hence, the trend underscores the importance of putting in place systems to reduce, to the possible minimum, any form of human contact, ” she said.
She, however, explained that the Federal Government through various means would continue to explore possible ways to bridge the unemployment gap in the country
She said this would be done through: “a multipronged and crosscutting approach, especially through the various social safety net programmes.
“The programmes will drive the government’s ambition to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to lift more than 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.”
Speaking on global best practices in terms of recruitment, she noted that the Indian public service has one of the best compared to the Nigerian system.
“I visited India recently and had an interaction with the Chairman, United Public Service Commission of the country.
“The discussions were centred on the system put in place for the recruitment of officers into the civil service which is one of the best in the world and involves a decentralised examination aimed at selecting the best candidates.
“I was further informed that the process is void of any form of external interference.
“In addition, India conducts its recruitment once a year through a well-recognised merit-based system, ” she added.
National News
Four Soldiers Injured in Vehicle Accident on Mambilla Plateau

Four Soldiers Injured in Vehicle Accident on Mambilla Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
Four Nigerian soldiers have sustained injuries in a vehicle accident on the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba State.
The accident occurred on Thursday while the troops were moving across the mountainous terrain of the area, Zagazola reports.
The Emir of Mambilla, Dr. Shehu Audu Baju, was said to have personally joined in the rescue operation to ensure that the soldiers received prompt assistance.

Following the rescue, the injured personnel were evacuated to the 20 Battalion Barracks in Serti for urgent medical care.
Community members and traditional leaders in the area have expressed sympathy and prayed for the speedy recovery of the soldiers, while also calling for the safety of other security operatives on duty.
Four Soldiers Injured in Vehicle Accident on Mambilla Plateau
National News
UKNIAF, NGF Advance Electricity Reform with Nationwide Workshop Series

UKNIAF, NGF Advance Electricity Reform with Nationwide Workshop Series
By: Michael Mike
The United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), in partnership with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) have wrapped up a major national initiative to support State-led electricity market reforms.
The State Learning Workshop Series focused on Electricity Market Development, Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) and energy modelling software.
Workshops in Lagos, Calabar, Kano and Jos have been successfully completed, drawing participants from all the 36 States and the FCT and setting a strong precedent for what lies ahead.

These sessions equipped policymakers, regulators and stakeholders with the tools to design robust, sustainable and investor-ready electricity markets at the State level, in line with the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023.
Reflecting on the significance of this initiative, the Director-Legal/Head Power Desk at the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Mr. Chijioke Chuku,, stated that: “Nigeria’s electricity future depends on the capacity of our States to lead with vision, clarity, and technical precision. Through the workshop series, we are equipping States not just with knowledge, but with the confidence to take charge of their electricity markets. The NGF is proud to partner with UKNIAF in ensuring that the promise of the Electricity Act 2023 becomes a lived reality across the country.”
The sessions in the State Learning Workshops covered: The legal and regulatory pathways for setting up State Electricity Markets; Commercial models for private sector investment; Integration of State plans into Nigeria’s National IRP;
Practical training on the software platform for energy modelling.
The initiative drew from lessons learned in the course of UKNIAF’s work supporting the Akwa Ibom, Enugu, and Oyo State Governments—early movers in electricity market development—in setting up their markets.
It also drew from experience gained in the course of UKNIAF providing technical support to the Federal Ministry of Power in drafting both the National Integrated Electricity Policy and Nigeria’s first National Integrated Resource Plan, both of which were approved very recently.
With States now empowered by the Electricity Act 2023, this series is a timely and strategic effort to ensure capacity, coordination, and sustainability in Nigeria’s decentralised energy landscape.
UKNIAF, NGF Advance Electricity Reform with Nationwide Workshop Series
National News
Three killed, others injured in bandits’ attack on Zamfara community

Three killed, others injured in bandits’ attack on Zamfara community
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits have killed three persons and injured three others in an attack on Galadi town, Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara.
Sources confirmed the incident saying the attack occurred at about 10:50 p.m. on Aug. 27.
The sources said the bandits stormed the town, shooting sporadically, which resulted in the deaths and injuries.
Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA were mobilised to the scene. The corpses and injured victims were evacuated to Galadi Primary Health Care Centre for autopsy and treatment.
Meanwhile, a manhunt for the fleeing culprits has been intensified, as the bandits escaped before the arrival of the joint forces,” the sources said.
Three killed, others injured in bandits’ attack on Zamfara community
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