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…direct ministry to submit relevant documents by  August 18

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives Committee on Polytechnic and Higher Technical Education has given the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, a final opportunity to personally appear before lawmakers on September 17, 2026, warning that further legislative action could follow if he fails to honour the invitation.

The committee also directed the Federal Ministry of Education to submit all documents relating to the implementation of the Federal Government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme on or before August 18, 2026.

The resolutions were reached during an investigative hearing at the National Assembly on Thursday after lawmakers expressed frustration over the minister’s repeated absence despite several official invitations.

Committee Chairman, Rep. Fuad Kayode Laguda, said members were disappointed that neither the minister nor any representative of the ministry attended the hearing, describing the situation as unacceptable.

He disclosed that the committee had been seeking information on the implementation of the TVET programme for more than a year.

Laguda said: “We have written several correspondences starting from January 30, 2025, seeking information on the activities of Technical Vocational Education Training being implemented by the government. The last invitation was on July 30, but the minister is not here and no representative was sent to the committee”.

He noted that the committee had always maintained a cordial working relationship with the ministry, adding that the latest development came as a surprise.

Laguda reminded the ministry that Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) empower the National Assembly to investigate the activities of ministries, departments and agencies as part of its oversight responsibilities.

The minister’s absence drew sharp criticism from members of the committee, with some describing it as a slight on the authority of Parliament.

Rep. Rabiu Yusuf accused the minister of showing what he described as “a high level of disrespect” to the legislature and moved a motion for a vote of no confidence against him.

“This communication was neither acknowledged nor responded to. Information requested by the committee was not provided. We can rightly assume that there is a high level of disrespect to the institution of the legislative body by the executive, particularly the Minister of Education. I think it is high time for us to pass a vote of no confidence on the minister,” Yusuf said.

Also speaking, Rep. Bayo Adepoju described the minister’s conduct as unacceptable.

“This is rude, unacceptable, and something that should not happen in a democracy. We are constitutionally empowered to conduct oversight on ministries, departments, and agencies. Nobody is above Parliament. After six letters to the ministry, the minister has still failed to appear. Nigerians deserve to know how this programme is being implemented,” he said.

However, some lawmakers urged restraint.

Rep. Paul Kalejaiye appealed to his colleagues to give the minister one final opportunity before taking disciplinary action.

“This is the first time we are making a public pronouncement on him. We should give the honourable minister another chance by issuing him an ultimatum and fixing a date to appear before this committee before we pass a vote of no confidence,” Kalejaiye said.

Adepoju also backed the proposal for a final opportunity, maintaining that although the minister’s absence was unacceptable, the committee should allow the ministry one last chance to comply.

Supporting the position, Laguda said he had previously enjoyed a productive working relationship with the minister and was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“I’ve had engagements with the minister in the past. I don’t see him as someone who would deliberately do this. Maybe there are reasons for it, but whatever is responsible, this definitely should not happen again,” he said.

The committee subsequently directed the Federal Ministry of Education to submit all requested documents relating to the TVET programme to its secretariat no later than August 18, 2026.

It also adjourned the investigative hearing to September 17, 2026, directing the minister to appear in person and provide a comprehensive account of the programme’s implementation from inception to date.

Announcing the committee’s decision, Laguda said: “We are using this platform to request from the ministry to supply the committee with the necessary information that has been requested from inception to date. The submission of this information should be made available to the secretariat by the 18th of August.

“We are adjourning this meeting with the Minister and the Ministry of Education to the 17th of September, and we hope that the minister will be present on the new date given.”

The committee said the documents are essential to enable lawmakers scrutinise the implementation of the TVET initiative and ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public resources allocated to technical and vocational education across the country.

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After a poor start to their campaign at the 2026 Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON), Nigeria have qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition. The reward for that is a face-off with rivals Cameroon.

The Super Falcons defeated Egypt 6-2 in their last Group C game on Wednesday to finish second behind Malawi after a frenetic ending to matches in the group. Half of the six Nigerian goals came from penalties, converted by record six-time Women’s African Footballer of the Year Asisat Oshoala, Christy Ucheibe and Rasheedat Ajibade.

Gift Monday, Uchenna Kanu and Joy Omewa also scored for the Super Falcons, who led 2-1 at half-time. Nadin Ghazy bagged a brace for Egypt, one from a penalty. The Cleopatras of Egypt ended the group stage having no points from three matches.

Nigeria, Zambia and Malawi ended on six points after three games. But CAF’s rules meant that goal difference across the whole group was not enough to separate the three nations.

That meant only the matches among the three teams were used under the head-to-head tiebreak. With that, Zambia dropped to third despite winning two games and having six points.

Leading 2026 WAFCON scorer Barbra Banda netted after just two minutes for Zambia, and Prisca Chilufya added a second goal before half-time. But the goal Tabitha Chawinga scored for Malawi in the 72nd minute proved crucial as it took the landlocked southern African nation to the top of the table despite trailing.

Cameroon have already booked their place in the knockouts as Group D leaders, having beaten Ghana and Mali, and will face Cabo Verde in their last game. Nigeria’s game against Cameroon will take place on Sunday. The game renews the rivalry between Nigeria and their neighbours, with the winner sealing an automatic ticket to the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Malawi, the lowest-ranked of the 16 qualifiers for the tournament, finished first and will face Ghana or Mali for a place in the semi-finals and a ticket to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

Hosts Morocco will play South Africa, and Cote d’Ivoire will take on Algeria on Saturday.

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The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has warned commercial transport operators operating from illegal parks and roadside locations across Abuja to move to the designated bus terminals or be shut down.

The Mandate Secretary, FCTA Transportation Secretariat, Mr Chinedum Elechi, gave the directive during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.

Elechi warned that all unauthorised loading points would be shut down and non-compliant vehicles impounded without further notice.

He recalled that the administration had earlier directed all transport operators to move to fully operationalise ultra-modern bus terminals, beginning with the facility in Mabushi.

He stressed that the drive to clear the streets of unauthorised motor parks stems from a direct mandate given by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to bring order, decency, and security to the nation’s capital.

“The Federal Capital City is the capital of Nigeria, just like London is to the UK or Paris to France.

“Our capital cannot be different. At the root of decency and a modern city is a functional public transportation system. The days of everybody doing what they like in the FCT are over,” he said.

The mandate secretary highlighted that the FCTA has invested billions of Naira to construct the ultra-modern terminals in Mabushi, Kugbo and the Central Business District (CBD).

This, he said, marks the first time in the FCT’s 50-year history that such state-of-the-art transit hubs have been developed.

Beyond enhancing the city’s aesthetic appeal and boosting tourism, Elechi emphasised that centralising transit operations within official terminals is vital to curbing criminality.

He said that the operation of the bus terminals would particularly address illegal transit operations locally known as “one chance” robberies, alongside drug and arms trafficking.

He revealed that recent trial enforcement operations vindicated the administration’s aggressive stance.

“About two weeks ago, we carried out a trial enforcement and impounded vehicles after issuing quit notices.

“Believe it or not, we discovered highly illegal products inside some of those ad-hoc seizures. What we saw was frightening.

“As such, proper profiling of operators at official terminals will dramatically reduce citywide insecurity,” he said.

To ensure efficient management of the bus terminals, the FCTA has partnered with private operators, including Planet Projects, under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework.

Elechi dispelled rumors that the government intends to deprive transporters of their livelihoods, clarifying that operators are merely being relocated from hazardous roadside setups into fully equipped, secure facilities.

“We are not taking food from anybody’s table. We are asking you to leave unsafe, unhealthy roadside locations for modern bus terminals built with government resources. Nobody is going to lose anything,” he said.

Expressing frustration over past non-compliance, the mandate secretary noted that despite previous impoundment of more than 100 vehicles—where defaulting drivers were released after signing undertakings—many operators routinely returned to illegal loading spots.

He warned that the secretariat is backed by Order 1 established under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration and the Transportation Regulations of 2023.

He added that with the regulations, the Transport Secretariat holds full legal authority to license operators, seal unauthorised private premises used as makeshift parks, and confiscate non-compliant vehicles.

“They sign an undertaking, and the next day they are back on the road. It is a cat-and-mouse game, and we are tired of it.

“If you rent private premises or take over any small space and turn it into an illegal motor park, we will seal off the premises, impound your vehicles, and enforce the law to the letter.

“With full backing from the FCT Minister and the Presidency, we will maintain a zero-tolerance policy against illegal transport operations to restore order and safety to Abuja,” he said.