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THE SUN SHINES SUNNIER FOR SONNY ECHONO
By Tunde Olusunle
We had cultivated new relationships during our one-year service to fatherland as participants in the National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC). Beyond encountering fellow alumni of our alma mater, we had made new friends from other institutions across the country, from other ethnicities in our multicultural fatherland. One year, 365 days which we considered eternity when we were inaugurated into the NYSC in August 1985, had suddenly, maybe magically rolled over. It was now time for goodbyes, for extended handshakes, for knuckle bumps and for long huggings. It was time for us to board public commuter automobiles ferrying us to our respective primary addresses as we were poised to face life’s unfathomable and intertwined prospects as young adults.
Undergoing the NYSC in Owerri, Imo State helped me to make new friends. Tony Olofu, (who recently retired as an Assistant Inspector General, (AIG) of Police and Armstrong Idachaba, (who retired as acting Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, (NBC), were in this bracket. Since we all are resident in Abuja the nation’s capital, we find to meet, have a drink, reminisce on God’s grace and enjoy laughter. There was Dennis Eboreime who ascended to commanding heights in the banking sector and Dede Mabiaku, protege of Nigeria’s *Afrobeat* purveyor, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. We may not have been that close those days, but there were a few “youth corpers” as we are known in local parlance, but Owerri was a denominator. We would meet in life latterly, recall each other’s face, exclaim and our hands will be locked in almost inseparable handshakes.
Sonny Sylva Togo Echono more officially known as *S T Echono* is one of such people. Oby Ezekwesili is another. We all were assembled for drills on the improvised parade ground at the *Alvan Ikoku College of Education,* (AICE), Owerri on August 27, 1985, when Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, Chief of Army Staff, (COAS) at the time, upstaged Muhammadu Buhari, the military Head of State. Days before the Babangida palace shove-aside, Andrew Uwe, the formidable and popular central defender had led Nigeria’s Under-21 men’s soccer team to the Soviet Union for the FIFA World Youth Championship, which began on August 24, 1985. Allison Madueke, then a Navy Captain was military Governor of Imo State at the time. AICE, Owerri was the makeshift camp of the NYSC. Nigeria won the bronze medal at the FIFA competition.
Echono has been the Executive Secretary, (ES) of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, (TETFUND) for over two years now. He had barely caught his breath upon logging a fulfilling 35 years in the Nigerian public service, when former President Buhari assigned him to TETFUND. On Saturday May 25, 2024, Echono was in Lagos, decorated by *Champion Newspapers* as the *Outstanding Public Servant of the Year.* The investiture was held at the high profile *Eko Hotels and Suites* on Victoria Island, Lagos. The correspondence which conveyed the information of Echono’s nomination for the prized award, TETFUND under his watch is reputed have dexterously pursued the vision of making the organisation an “outstanding public service institution.”
The communication salutes Echono for “focusing on upgrading the status of Nigerian universities and for restoring hope and vibrancy” in our tertiary colleges. Under Echono, according to the document, Nigeria’s universities are today “better empowered to respond to the strategic challenges of university education in Nigeria.” According to *Champion Newspapers,* Echono has shown “strong and effective products character in the leadership of TETFUND in a way that has impacted tremendously on the overall wellbeing of Nigeria’s universities today.” *Champion Newspapers* salutes Echono’s broad and extensive experiences and exposures grossed over time. It recalls his sojourn in the Nigerian public service where he rose to the professional pinnacle of his career, as Permanent Secretary.
S T Echono trained as an architect at the Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU), Zaria, obtaining a bachelors degree in 1983 and a masters in 1985. His generation of architects who studied at ABU, the foremost university in Nigeria’s north include Nigeria’s former water resources Minister, Suleiman Adamu; former deputy governor of Kogi State, Yomi Awoniyi and the Principal Partner of Cosmo Base Consortium Ltd, Benson Ezem. Echono’s class of students in his university, surely sounds like a blessed one against the backdrop of the successes recorded by members of that coterie, in later life. He began his career in the civil service as an architect with Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in 1987. Like professionals who logged more years training in university, notably medics, attorneys, and engineers than most others, Echono got off to a privileged takeoff. He was placed a few grade levels ahead of his peers. As with the culture in the civil service to ensure its employees savour multisectoral experience, Echono was shuffled around a bit. He was for example, in the Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit, (BMPIU), a creation of the Olusegun Obasanjo presidency.
He notably served in the federal ministries of: Defence; Water Resources; Environment; Agriculture and Power among others, logging loads of vistas on his career trail. Echono can very rightly be described as one of Nigeria’s most seasoned and experienced “technocrat-bureacrats.” Because he was one of the pioneer civil servants who were trained in “public procurement,” he functioned serially and consistently on this schedule across ministries before his appointment as Permanent Secretary in 2014. This was after his 27th year in the employ of the federal government. Echono had stops in Agriculture and Communications between 2014 and 2017. He was thereafter transferred to the Federal Ministry of Education in 2017 which was his duty post for the five concluding years of his 35-year sojourn in the nation’s bureaucracy.
Early March 2022, Echono was appointed the chief executive officer of TETFUND by Buhari to replace Suleiman Elias Bogoro. For a public officer who spent the concluding five years of his career superintending over the education sector as Permanent Secretary, being called up for his present assignment couldn’t have been more appropriate, more fitting. He stated in an interview he granted last April, that “cartels” were in-charge of TETFUND projects in the past. This gave the establishment a bad name as it was conceived by the public as the habitat of graft and sleaze. Echono moved quickly to introduce reforms to enable the organisation focus on its core objectives and to regain credibility. Under his superintendence, TETFUND has entered into strategic partnerships for the training of Nigerian professionals in vocations critical to the nation’s needs at this point in time. TETFUND has transnational cooperations with Brazil, Britain, the African Union, (AU) and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, (NESG), in the growth and development of tertiary education and agriculture.
Sonny Sylva Togo Echono was born December 16, 1962 in Otukpo, the sociocultural headquarters of the Idoma nationality of Benue State. He attended St. Mary’s Primary School, Otukpo, before proceeding to St. Theresa and St. Mulumba College in Jos for his high school education. He sat for the advanced levels at the erstwhile Murtala College of Arts, Science and Technology, now Benue State Polytechnic. He proceeded thereafter to ABU, Zaria. Public service has opened him up to further education and training in other institutions including the University of Calabar and the University of Turin, Italy. He was installed as the 28th President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, (NIA) in 2019, a position he held until 2021.
Back home in the Idoma country, Echono is highly regarded because of his unobtrusive commitment to community development. He is credited for instance with facilitating the domiciliation of a Federal College of Education, (FCE) in Odugbo, in Apa local government area. The institution matriculated its pioneer set of students, 500 in all, in May last year. Echono is reported to have pleaded with his kinsmen to make deliberate sacrifices to ensure the hitch-free operationalisation of the new college. In concert with well-meaning leaders from his part of Benue State, Echono has stridently called for the establishment of at least a unit of well-honed federal government-owned security outfit in his beleaguered constituency. This follows recurring incidents of terrorism by bandits and herdsmen. Specifically, no less than 50 innocents have been felled by blood-thirsty hounds in Apa, Agatu and Otukpo local government areas since the beginning of this year. Homes and farmlands have been mindlessly destroyed in the predominantly agrarian sub-zone, landowners displaced in many instances. For Echono’s conscientious, unblemished service to nation, he has been deservedly garlanded with the national honour of *Officer of the Order of the Niger, (OON),* among other recognitions.
*Tunde Olusunle, PhD, is a Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (FANA)*
By Gloria Ikibah
The Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, has called on the National Assembly to emphasise on funding for the effective take-off of already established institutions rather than creating new ones.
Dr. Alausa stated this at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, while presenting a memorandum on Thursday in Abuja.
The public hearing featured deliberations on three bills:
“A Bill for an Act to Establish the Federal College of Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition, Hawul Local Government Area, Borno State (HB.1797) – to provide full-time courses and training in technology, applied sciences, arts, social sciences, humanities, and management.
“A Bill to Amend Section 3(2)(b), the Second Schedule, and Section 31 of the Federal Polytechnics Act, Cap F17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (HB.1413).
“A Bill to Amend the Federal Polytechnics Act, Cap F17, to review the functions of polytechnics (HB.2114)”.
The Minister speaking against the “Bill for an Act to Establish the Federal College of Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition, Hawul”, emphasised that the Federal Government maintains a policy of equitable distribution of federal institutions across states.
According to Alausa, no state should host more than one federal polytechnic, while every state must have at least one. Currently, all states except Sokoto and the Federal Capital Territory are covered under this arrangement.
He asserted that with limited resources, government efforts should be directed at strengthening existing institutions to deliver quality education rather than spreading resources thin by establishing new ones.
Alausa stated, “the Federal Ministry of Education has expanded avenues for establishing private tertiary institutions. States and individuals are encouraged to utilise these channels to support national educational development”.
In view of prevailing funding constraints, he recommended that deliberations on the proposed Federal College of Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition in Hawul, Borno State, be suspended.
He also urged the House to ensure that resources are dedicated to improving the quality of education for Nigerian students by consolidating support for already existing institutions.
With regards to the proposed amendments to the Federal Polytechnics Act, the minister raised no objections except for the provision seeking to include representatives of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) on the Governing Council of Polytechnics.
“While both organisations play significant roles, their core functions do not directly align with the responsibilities of a polytechnic’s governing council. NBTE serves as a regulatory body, while MAN advocates for the interests of manufacturers”, he stated.
Earlier, the sponsor of the bill, Rep. Usman Balami (PDP–Borno), defended the proposal, citing insecurity and rising unemployment in Borno as pressing reasons for establishing the institution.
He described the proposed college as a strategic response to the growing number of unemployed youth and a means to equip them with skills necessary for self-reliance and economic empowerment.
“This institution will provide diverse training programmes tailored for today’s dynamic job market. It will bridge the gap between theory and practice, producing graduates ready to meet workforce demands”, Balami said.
According to the Borno lawmaker, the college will foster innovation, encourage entrepreneurship, and stimulate economic growth in the region by nurturing local talent and promoting a culture of self-employment.
Earlier in his remarks, the Committee Chairman, Rep. Fuad Laguda (APC–Lagos), noted a general consensus on the importance of skills acquisition in tackling unemployment.
He encouraged stakeholders to make robust contributions, assuring that the committee would carefully consider all submissions in its report.
“With the passage of these bills, Nigerians will have greater access to knowledge and skills in the arts, sciences, technology, humanities, and vocational and technical education,” Laguda said.
He also commended the leadership of the House for their support and the trust reposed in the committee to drive meaningful legislative outcomes.
By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives has resolved to probe the technical fault that resulted in the widespread failure recorded in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
This resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance by Rep. Adewale Adebayo, from Osun state on Thursday at plenary.
Naijablitznews.com recalled that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had released the results of the 2025 UTME on May 9, with a significant number of candidates posting poor scores.
Reports further revealed that over 78 percent of candidates scored below 200 marks out of the total 400 obtainable.
Following a prompt internal review, JAMB identified a major technical fault behind the results.
The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, at a press conference held on Wednesday in Abuja, stated that 379,997 candidates were affected due to discrepancies linked to server issues.
According to Prof. Oloyede, these was due to faulty software updates by one of the technical service providers handling JAMB’s operations in the Lagos and South-East zones.
He explained that the glitch, which occurred during the first three days of the examination, prevented the proper uploading of candidates’ answers and the error remained undetected before the results were made public.
He announced that the affected candidates will be allowed to retake the examination between May 16 and May 19, 2025.
Presenting the motion on the floor of the House, Rep. Adebayo lamented the hardships faced by many Nigerians, including long travels to exam centres, only to be met with such setbacks.
Contributing to the debate, Rep. Sada Soli from Katsina praised the JAMB Registrar for owning up to the error and offering an apology to the public, and described Oloyede as a man of integrity who has also improved the board’s finances since assuming office.
However, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas stated that whether the registrar deserves commendation is a matter for the investigative committee to determine.
The House also urged the federal government to establish Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in all local government areas across the country.
Lawmakers also urged JAMB to release the results of candidates who are below the age of 16.
The House unanimously adopted the motion through a voice vote.
. Conviction will send strong warning to int’l drug cartel, local collaborators, says Marwa, commends NDLEA officers for diligent investigation and prosecution
After over three years of diligent prosecution by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), a Federal High Court in Lagos presided over by Justice Daniel Osiagor has convicted 10 Thai sailors and their vessel named MV Chayanee Naree for trafficking 32.9 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil into Nigeria through the Apapa seaport, Lagos.
The convicted sailors who are all nationals of Thailand include: Krilerk Tanakhan; Boonlert Hansoongnern; Jakkarin Booncharoen; Thammarong Put-tlek; Worrapat Paopinta; Marut Kantaprom; Werapat Somboonying; Urkit Amsri; Panudet Jaisuk and Amrat Thawom.
They were first arraigned before the court along with nine Nigerian suspects by NDLEA in February 2022 on offences bordering on conspiracy and unlawful transportation of the illicit drug consignment from Brazil to Nigeria. The vessel, the convicted sailors and the nine Nigerians were arrested on 13th October 2021, at the Apapa port in Lagos. The Nigerian suspects are: Samuel Messiah; Ishaya Maisamari; Ilesanmi Ayo Abbey; Osabeye Stephen; Gbenga Ogunfadeke; Kayode Buletiri; Rilwan Omotosho Liasu; Saidi Sule Alani and Jamiu Adewale Yusuf.
They were all subsequently charged to court over the illegal acts which NDLEA prosecutors argued contravened sections 11(a), 11 (b), and 14 (b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and punishable under the same Act.
The convicted sailors had initially made a no-case submission which was dismissed following submissions by the prosecution that a prima facie case had been established against the vessel and its crew members. As a result, the trial judge ordered the convicted Thai sailors and others to open their defence on the charges against them.
Following the court ruling, the convicted sailors opted for a plea bargain agreement with the NDLEA and as a result, Justice Osiagor delivered his ruling at the resumed hearing of the matter on Thursday 15th May 2025.
Among other penalties, the judge convicted the Vessel MV Chayanee Naree for unlawful transportation of 32.9kg of cocaine into Nigeria and
ordered to pay a fine of $4 million or its Naira equivalent.
The 2nd – 11th defendants were convicted under section 25 of the NDLEA Act for permitting the use of the vessel for the unlawful transportation of 32.9kg of cocaine, while the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants were ordered to pay N100,000.00 each as punishment for the offence and in addition restitution in the sum of $50,000 USD each or its equivalent in Naira to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The 5th – 11th defendants are to pay N100,000.00 each and restitution in the sum of $30,000.00, bringing the total amount payable to Four Million Three Hundred and Sixty Thousand US Dollars ($4,360,000.00).
Justice Osiagor thereafter adjourned the trial of the nine Nigerian suspects to June 25.
While the prosecution was led by the Agency’s Director of Prosecution and Legal Services, DCGN Theresa Asuquo, supported by A. Adebayo and Paul Awogbuyi, the defence team was led by the trio of Messrs Babajide Koku, Femi Atoyebi and Tunde Adejuyigbe, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN).
In his reaction, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) said the court ruling was a strong message to the international drug cartel and their local collaborators that Nigeria will never be a safe hub for illicit drug trafficking. He commended the NDLEA prosecution team and officers of the Apapa Strategic Command involved in the arrest, seizure and investigation of the shipment for their diligence and resilience in following the case to a logical conclusion. He charged them not to relent in pursuing the other part of the case still pending.
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