News
Abuse of office: Group faults NAHCON’s director of admin over reappointment of Mr. Kumo after resignation
…demand thorough probe disciplinary measures
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Civil Integrity Initiative and Transparency, Accountability and Democracy value in Nigeria has petitioned the Director of administration, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Mr. Babagana Bukar for gross misconduct and abuse of office regarding the return and posting of Mr. Usman Kumo to the federal civil service and NAHCON after resignation from office.
Spokesperson of the group Comrade Musa J. Kumo in a recent press release expressed with dismay the reinstatement of Kumo who had resigned from the civil service on two separate occasions to pursue political ambitions to be brought back by Mr. Babagana Bukar.
Kumo described the act as not mere procedural oversights but total gross misconduct, blatant violations of the Public Service Rules (PSR), and a direct betrayal of the trust Nigerians place in the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
His words: “Mr.Kumo resigned from the Federal Civil Service to engage in partisan politics, first under the All-Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in 2019 and later under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023.These campaigns stand in clear violation of Public Service Rules 030402 (g) and 030423, which categorically prohibit serving civil servants from active political engagement.
“The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) formally posted Mr. Kumo to the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) around 2022. Following his resignation, the NEDC confirmed in writing to the BPP -via a letter dated April 18, 2022 ,with reference number NEDC/SS/PER/025/1/33-that Mr.Kumo was no longer in service. Notwithstanding this unambiguous communication, Mr.Bukar,who was then Director of Administration at the BPP, ignored or otherwise concealed this information, effectively paving the way fo Mr. Kumo’s eventual (and improper) return to the civil service. In other words, Mr.Bukar was fully aware of Mr.Kumo’s resignation and subsequent ineligibility for public service yet deliberately took no action to finalize his separation.
“Despite incontrovertible evidence of Mr. Kumo’s resignation and political engagements, Mr. Bukar- now serving as Director of Administration at NAHCON- arranged for Mr. Kumo to be posted to NAHCON from the BPP on November 22, 2023. This contravenes not only standard civil service protocols but also basic ethical standards.
“Furthermore, Mr. Kumo’s CV lists Mr. Bukar as a referee, indicating a personal connection that calls into question Mr. Bukar’s impartiality.* By any measure, this scenario raises serious concerns about whether official channels were sidestepped to benefit Mr. Kumo.
“It has also come to our attention that since Mr.Kumo’s posting in September 2023, he has effectively been absent from duty without leave, discipline, or any form of censure. Rather than address this glaring non-compliance,Mr.Bukar has turned a blind eye-an omission suggesting complicity and underscoring a disturbing lack of accountability within NAHCON. As it stands, Mr.Kumois”working in absentia,” yet appears to remain on NAHCON’s rolls. By failing to address or report this infraction, Mr.Bukar has effectively granted Mr.Kumo a free pass to shirk his responsibilities, further undermining public trust in the Commission.”he added.
They however demanded a comprehensive investigation into Mr. Kumo’s return, disciplinary measures against Mr.Bukar, and immediate review of Mr.Kumo’s employment status with blatant actions if demands are not met within 7 days.
“We respectfully request that you address these issues and commence the stipulated investigations within seven (7) days of receiving this petition, and make the outcomes public.
“Failure to do so will leave us no alternative but to pursue all available legal remedies.We stand prepared to initiate litigation to hold each complicit party accountable, protect the public interest, and ensure that no one in NAHCON or any federal agency can arbitrarily circumvent established guidelines for personal or political gain.
“Your prompt response or lack thereof will send an unmistakable message about whether NAHCON upholds-or undermines-the transparency, integrity, and accountability that form the bedrock of our nation’s civil service.”. they added.
Nigeria’s headline inflation rate rose to 24.23% in March 2025, according to the official government data source, the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The rise in the country’s inflation rate, from 23.18% back in February 2025 to 24.23% in March 2025, reflected a major increase in the rising commodity and energy costs in the last few weeks.
According to the March 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) Report which measures the inflation rate released by the government agency on Tuesday, the country’s food inflation rate was 21.79% year-on-year in March 2025.
The food inflation rate, however, showed a decrease compared to the food inflation rate of 23.51% recorded in February 2025.
Economists had predicted that the country’s inflation rate which decreased minimally in February would rise when the Dangote Refinery and the state-run NNPCL got entangled in a petrol price war that culminated in the temporary termination of a naira-for crude agreement between the two oil companies and the subsequent increase in the pump price of petrol.
Some observers had also said the minimal reduction in the prices of food commodities experienced earlier in February was not sustainable, attributing the temporary decline in the prices of food to the importation intervention of the Federal Government.
Food and commodity inflation have skyrocketed as Nigerians battle what can pass for the worst cost of living crisis since the country’s independence over six decades ago, a development that economic wizards have attributed to President Bola Tinubu’s twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and unification of the forex rates.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has apologised to the people of Bassa Local Government Area (LGA) for the failure of government and security agencies to protect lives and properties.
Fifty-one persons were gunned down early Monday in the Zikke community of the LGA, with houses razed and many displaced about two weeks after a similar attack led to the killing of scores of persons in Bokkos Local Government Area.
Less than two days after the most recent assault, Governor Mutfwang apologised for the government’s inability to protect the people.
Fifty-one persons were gunned down early Monday in the Zikke community of the LGA, with houses razed and many displaced about two weeks after a similar attack led to the killing of scores of persons in Bokkos Local Government Area.
Less than two days after the most recent assault, Governor Mutfwang apologised for the government’s inability to protect the people.
The governor said this on Tuesday at the palace of the Paramount Ruler in Miango.
“I will tell you the truth: I have been crying since yesterday because I had trusted God that all the arrangements were put in place, that this will not happen again. We have made investments in security,” he said.
But like all human arrangements, sometimes they fail. I want to admit that on Sunday night into Monday morning, we failed you. Please, forgive me.”
He urged the people not to relent in their efforts to secure their communities and ensure that they complement security agencies’ efforts by providing vital information for intelligence gathering and expose the antics of the criminals.
Governor Mutfwang, in the company of security chiefs and members of the state executive council, was in Zikke community to commiserate with the people on the death of over fifty persons killed in Monday’s attacks.
The Paramount Ruler of Irigwe land, Ronku Aka, who is the Brangwe of Irigwe, urged the government to come to the aid of the communities with the provision of social amenities in the area.
The governor and the entourage also went to see some of the families who lost their loved ones in the attack. The victims have been buried just as members of the community demanded action to stem the rising wave of insecurity in the state.
Plateau State has been a hotbed of attacks, but the renewed spate of attacks adds a fresh layer of twist to the decades-long crisis rocking the North-Central state.
After the most recent assaults, President Bola Tinubu ordered security agencies to fish out the masterminds, describing the attacks as condemnable.
While experts have linked the lingering Plateau crisis to farmers-herders tussle for resources, Governor Muftwang said it was sponsored and genocidal.
According to him, over 64 communities in the state have been taken over by gunmen.
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