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EFCC acting chairman promoted to Level 14 ahead of Senate screening

Published

4 years ago

February 20, 2021

…Lawyer sues Senate, asks court to stop Bawa’s confirmation

The new acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, has been promoted to the rank of Chief Detective Superintendent ahead of his Senate screening.

The move comes amid a lawsuit challenging Bawa’s qualification for the job.

Section 2 of the EFCC Act states that a person who will be appointed as chairman of the commission must have at least 15 years experience and must be the rank of an Assistant Commissioner of Police or its equivalent.

Bawa, who was appointed by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on February 16, 2021, was on Grade Level 13 and a Deputy Chief Detective Superintendent.

A lawyer, Osuagwu Ugochukwu, subsequently filed a suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to stop the Senate confirmation of Bawa.

However, it was learnt that on Friday, Bawa and his course mates were given letters of promotion with immediate effect.

A top source in the EFCC told The PUNCH that with the new promotion, Bawa is now qualified to take on the new job

The source, who wished to remain anonymous, said Bawa and his mates who are part of the pioneer Course 1 of the EFCC Cadet Officers were supposed to have been promoted over a year ago but their promotions were being delayed by the police-led leadership of the commission.

He said, “Bawa and his course mates have been promoted to Level 14. Hopefully, this will put to rest the controversy surrounding his eligibility for the role of EFCC chairman. I agree that the promotion should have been effected before his appointment was announced as this would have prevented unnecessary controversies.

“The truth is that he has been overdue for promotion.”

Meanwhile, it was learnt on Saturday that the Presidency was seeking to appoint a new secretary of the commission to replace Mr Ola Olukoyede who is still on suspension.

Our correspondent was informed that a member of the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel was one of the persons being considered for the appointment of secretary of the commission which is a key appointment.

Among other powers, the EFCC secretary is in charge of the administration of the commission. He is also in charge of auctioning recovered assets.

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2027 Election: Group Moves To recover 10m Lost Votes In Northern States, Says Muhammad Gamawa

Published

7 hours ago

July 10, 2025

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A non-governmental organisation, Advocacy for Integrity and Rule of Law (Airlin) in Nigeria, has kicked off a grassroots campaign across the 19 northern states to promote civic awareness, respect for the rule of law, and voter participation ahead of the next general elections.

Speaking during the inauguration of the Yobe State chapter of the organisation on Sunday, the National Chairman, Muhammad Ibrahim Gamawa, said the initiative was designed to “re-Nigerianise Nigerians” by instilling a deep respect for national values, laws, and democratic responsibilities.

Gamawa noted that the campaign specifically targets Nigerians who refused to vote during the last election, which recorded barely 40 per cent voter turnout.

He said his team is engaging directly with this silent majority in their homes to encourage them to reclaim their civic duty.

“We are going to those who didn’t vote not just to ask them to vote, but to educate them on their rights, how to make informed decisions, and to choose leaders based on ideology, not money,” Gamawa said.

He added that Airlin has appointed state and local government coordinators in all the LGAs of Yobe State as part of its broader plan to mobilise at least 10 million voters from its membership base in the coming election.

Airlin already has functional offices in 16 northern states, strengthening its capacity to reach the grassroots and drive consistent civic engagement.

According to him, “If you refuse to vote, you’re giving the bad eggs a chance to emerge. We’re telling people: don’t stay back. Come out and close the gap left during the last elections.”

He stressed that one of the key tasks for the newly inaugurated officials is to discourage vote-buying and reject financial inducement from politicians.

“Anyone who collected N1,000 or even N1 million two years ago already knows the money is gone. What is left is the broken promise and bad leadership. We must now live by political ideology. Don’t give your vote for money give it for policy, for vision, for something that aligns with your future,” he warned.

Gamawa said Airlin doesn’t engage in partisan campaigns or political endorsements, but instead evaluates political manifestos and meets with candidates to ask direct questions about their plans for the first term.

He added, “Our duty is to look beyond the noise and see who has a workable plan. We sit with these leaders and assess what they can deliver in the first 100 days. That is how we guide our members to vote consciously.”

The group’s core message revolves around respect for the rule of law, civic responsibility, and citizen-led accountability, with Gamawa stressing that the time had come for Nigerians to stop waiting for government agencies to enforce good governance.

“Let the rule of law live in our minds, in our bodies. It’s our job as citizens to keep Nigeria together not just the job of the government,” he said.

Gamawa concluded with a strong warning against vote trading, describing it as an act of betrayal to the nation, “Collecting money from politicians for votes is the worst thing citizens can do to their country.”

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Breaking : US cuts Nigerian non-immigrant visas to three months, single entry, With immediate effect

Published

2 days ago

July 8, 2025

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The United States Department of State has announced an update to its non-immigrant visa policy for Nigerians.

According to a press release issued by the US Embassy in Abuja on Tuesday, “most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens of Nigeria will be single-entry visas with a three-month validity period.”

The new visa restrictions take immediate effect.

However, the embassy clarified that, “those US non-immigrant visas issued before July 8, 2025, will retain their status and validity.”

The statement emphasised that this move is part of the Department’s global visa reciprocity process, which the embassy described as “a continuous process and is subject to review and change at any time, such as increasing or decreasing permitted entries and duration of validity.”

The US explained the rationale behind the policy update, noting that “US visa criteria and standards are designed to protect the integrity of US immigration systems.”

The embassy added that “these standards are based on global technical and security benchmarks.”

According to the embassy, the US Mission is working with Nigerian authorities to meet these benchmarks.

“The US Mission is working with the Government of Nigeria to ensure that Nigeria can meet the criteria,” the statement said.

Examples of these standard criteria include “Secure Travel Documents: Ensuring countries issue secure travel documents with verified traveler identities.

“Visa Overstay Management: Implementing measures to limit overstays by travelers on US visas, and Information Sharing: Sharing relevant security and/or criminal record information to protect public safety.”

Despite the new restrictions, the embassy reaffirmed its diplomatic relationship with Nigeria.

“The United States values its longstanding relationship with Nigeria and remains committed to expanding our partnership based on mutual respect, shared security priorities, and economic opportunity, keeping both our countries safer and stronger,” the statement read.

The embassy also expressed support for ongoing Nigerian reforms, stating, “We commend the ongoing efforts by the Government of Nigeria’s immigration and security agencies to meet standards of international best practices.”

Nigerian travelers were advised to comply with visa regulations.

“Nigerian travelers are encouraged to respect and adhere to the terms of their visas, and ensure travel documents are authentic, accurate, and up to date,” it added.

The embassy concluded with a reaffirmation of its engagement with the Nigerian people and government.

“The United States remains a committed partner in deepening people-to-people ties with Nigeria via business, educational, and cultural exchanges.

“We look forward to continued cooperation at all levels with the Nigerian public and government officials to ensure safe and lawful travel between the United States and all countries,” it said

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JUST IN: Abuja Primary School teachers suspend strike after Wike’s N16bn intervention

Published

2 days ago

July 8, 2025

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The decision follows the intervention of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who convened a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday, July 3rd, to address the lingering impasse.

This was contained in a communique dated July 4th, 2025, made available to our correspondent on Tuesday.

Recall that Primary school teachers in the FCT had embarked on industrial action on March 24, 2025, over the non-payment of arrears and failure to implement the new national minimum wage.

The Minister had, however, last Thursday, resolved to use 10 per cent of internally generated revenue for the Area Councils to offset the salaries of the primary school teachers. https://punchng.com/fct-councils-forfeit-six-month-igr-to-end-teachers-strike/

According to the Communique signed by the NUT Chairman, Abdullahi Shafas, State Secretary, Margaret Jethro, and Publicity Secretary, Ibukun Adekeye, the Union said the latest offer from the FCT Minister provided a workable pathway to temporarily halt the action.

The SWEC, after reviewing the Minister’s offer, noted the “positive disposition of the Honourable Minister for taking over the payment of the Primary School Teachers emoluments by the FCTA”, and resolved to suspend the strike upon the release and disbursement of the N16 billion.

“Consequent upon the implementation of the New Minimum Wage and payment of five months Arrears into the Teachers accounts today, 8th July 2025; the SWEC, hereby suspends the ongoing Strike action and
appeals to all Primary School Teachers in FCT to, with effect from Wednesday, 9th July 2025 return to the classrooms and continue with the Union intensifies more efforts to
their legitimate duties while ensure the settlement of the remaining entitlements.,”the communique read.

The union also extended its appreciation to stakeholders and supporters who stood by them during the industrial action.

“The SWEC – In Session wishes to use this medium to appreciate all members especially the Primary School Teachers for their unwavering support, solidarity, cooperation and prayers while the strike lasted.

“Our special thanks go to the FCT Royal fathers, Civil Society Organizations, and other well-meaning individuals who, in one way or the other intervened and stood by us during the strike.

“We equally wish to thank the National Head Office of our Union-NUT, the National and the FCT Council of the NLC for the support and guidance,” the communique added

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