ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday assured protesting teachers and civil society organisations in Abuja that security agencies are intensifying efforts to secure the release of abducted teachers and students, while cautioning against the politicisation of security challenges.

Addressing demonstrators who staged a protest in front at the Federal Capital Territory Adminstration (FCTA) Secretariat demanding the immediate rescue of victims of recent school kidnappings, Wike said the Federal Government remained committed to ensuring the safe return of those in captivity.

According to him, security agencies are actively working to rescue the victims and restore confidence in the country’s security architecture.

“We are all concerned about this security situation. The government is on its toes to ensure that those who are kidnapped are rescued,” he said.

The minister expressed confidence in the capacity of the nation’s security institutions to secure the release of the abducted teachers and students, stressing the need for prompt action.

“I have that confidence that the security system will do all they can to make sure the teachers and the students that are being kidnapped are rescued, and let it be prompt,” he added.

Wike, however, warned against turning security concerns into political issues, arguing that insecurity affects all parts of the country and should be approached as a collective national challenge.

He noted that incidents of teacher abductions had occurred in other states without attracting similar protests in the nation’s capital, urging citizens to adopt a more unified response to security threats.

“We are all concerned, but let us not politicise issues. That is what I will not support. We are all concerned about the security situation and how the teachers and students should be released,” he said.

The minister further disclosed that security agencies were operating within established protocols and had made significant progress in efforts to secure the victims’ freedom.

According to him, no responsible government would deliberately allow its citizens to remain vulnerable to criminal elements, adding that authorities were working under challenging circumstances to protect lives and property.

“There is no government that will deliberately say let citizens be kidnapped, but we know where we found ourselves and we know that everything possible is being done,” he stated.

Calling for national solidarity, Wike said insecurity should not be viewed through regional or political lenses, stressing that an attack on one community ultimately affects the entire country.

“What concerns you concerns everybody, and what concerns Abuja also concerns everybody. We are all looking at how people should rise up with the same dedication,” he said.

The protest followed growing public concern over recent school abductions in parts of the country, with teachers’ groups and civil society organisations calling on authorities to strengthen security around schools and ensure the safe return of victims.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives Committee on Housing and Habitat has granted the management of the MOFI Real Estate Investment Fund (MREIF) a one-week extension to appear before lawmakers as part of an ongoing investigation into the fund’s operations, performance and administration.

The committee had initially summoned MREIF Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Armstrong Ume Takang, alongside members of the fund’s management team, to appear on Tuesday, 2 June 2026, for a comprehensive review of the initiative and several petitions submitted against it.

The Committee Chairman, Rep. Abdulmumin Jibrin, said the investigation was aimed at ensuring the fund was operating in line with the objectives set by President Bola Tinubu and delivering on its mandate.

According to him, the exercise seeks to determine whether the administration and performance of MREIF are meeting public expectations while also addressing concerns raised in petitions before the committee.

However, in a letter addressed to lawmakers, Dr Takang acknowledged receipt of the summons and expressed the fund’s willingness to cooperate fully with the National Assembly’s oversight responsibilities.

He explained that he was outside Abuja on an official engagement that had been scheduled before the committee’s invitation was received and requested a new date for the hearing.

The MREIF chief also assured lawmakers of the organisation’s readiness to engage constructively with the committee.

Responding to the request, Jibrin said the committee had agreed to postpone the hearing by one week in the interest of fairness and cooperation.

He stated that the session had now been rescheduled for Tuesday, 9 June 2026, stressing that the extension was granted specifically to allow the managing director to appear in person.

The committee maintained that Dr Takang’s personal appearance was crucial to its inquiry and could not be delegated.

Jibrin reiterated the committee’s determination to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the management of the fund, which was established to expand access to affordable home ownership for Nigerians.

He said the committee remained committed to addressing all issues raised in the petitions before it while ensuring transparency, accountability and effective implementation of the housing initiative in line with the vision of the Tinubu administration.

The lawmaker further stated that the committee expects Dr Takang and the entire MREIF management team to appear before it on the new date without fail.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The Federal Government abolished the three-month preretirement leave for civil servants.

This was contained in a circular titled “Correct Interpretation of Public Service Rule 120243 on Pre-Retirement Activities,” issued by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, and addressed to top government officials, including ministers, permanent secretaries, service chiefs, heads of agencies, and other senior public sector administrators.

According to the circular, FG directed Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to immediately discontinue the practice of placing civil servants on what is commonly referred to as a mandatory three-month preretirement leave.

Walson-Jack argued that such a provision does not exist in the Public Service Rules, adding that several MDAs had wrongly interpreted the retirement notice period as an automatic leave period, leading to the premature withdrawal of officers from active service.

The Public Service Rule, according to her, only requires officers due for retirement to give three months’ notice before their exit date, attend a one-month pre-retirement workshop or seminar, and use the remaining period to regularise service records and pension documentation.

Nigeria’s federal civil service retirement framework is governed by the Public Service Rules and the Pension Reform Act.

Under the rules, civil servants retire upon attaining 60 years of age or after 35 years in service, whichever comes first.

The Head of Service’s directive seeks to standardise the implementation of the Public Service Rules across government institutions and to prevent manpower losses resulting from the early disengagement of experienced officers

“The so-called ‘mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave’ has no basis in the Public Service Rules,” Walson-Jack stated.
She explained that Rule 120243 establishes three distinct requirements: a notice obligation, attendance at a pre-retirement seminar during the first month, and completion of retirement-related documentation during the remaining two months.
“A retiring officer must give three months’ notice before their effective date of retirement. This is a notice requirement, not a leave entitlement,” the circular stated.

Civil Service Commission

She stressed that retiring officers remain public servants throughout the notice period and are expected to continue performing their official duties unless they are attending approved retirement workshops or have been granted leave under existing regulations.

“PSR 120243 does not exempt retiring officers from official duties during the notice period, except where they are attending an approved pre-retirement workshop or seminar, or are otherwise authorised to be absent under extant leave rules,” the circular added.

In view of the above, all MDAs have been directed to stop compelling retiring officers to vacate their posts before their official retirement dates.

Under the new directive, ministries and agencies must ensure that retiring officers continue to discharge their responsibilities, participate in approved pre-retirement programmes, and complete all pension and service record reconciliations before leaving service.
The latest circular seeks to end that ambiguity by affirming that the three-month period is primarily a notice and administrative preparation window, rather than an automatic absence from duty.
The circular further instructed permanent secretaries, directors-general, executive secretaries, chairpersons of statutory agencies, and chief executives of government organisations to bring the directive to the attention of all staff and ensure strict compliance.

The government said it believes the measure could improve service delivery by ensuring that retiring officers continue contributing their expertise until their official exit dates while simultaneously completing documentation required for pension processing.