Education ministry denies delaying NELFUND recruitment, says agency ‘already overstaffed’
The federal ministry of education has denied reports alleging that Tunji Alausa, minister of education, directed the suspension of newly recruited staff at the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
The denial follows a newspaper report claiming that the minister was responsible for delaying the resumption of newly employed personnel.
A senior ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to comment publicly, said there was no approval for any ongoing recruitment exercise at NELFUND.
According to the source, the agency is already overstaffed, with some employees reportedly lacking office space and clearly defined responsibilities.
“We can authoritatively state that there is no approval for any recruitment exercise in the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), as the agency is overstaffed, with many personnel without office space or defined schedules of duty,” the source said.
The official described reports linking the minister to the alleged delay as “false and misleading”.
According to the source, the issue predates the minister’s involvement and was first raised during a meeting between NELFUND’s executive management and Jim Ovia, chairman of the agency’s board, in Lagos.
The source alleged that Ovia halted the recruitment process after it emerged that the exercise had not received board approval or been formally considered by the agency’s management.
The official further claimed that three executive directors requested evidence of authorisation for the recruitment from the managing director but did not receive a response.
The source also alleged that despite objections from senior officials, the managing director proceeded with the recruitment exercise and documentation outside established administrative procedures.
According to the ministry official, the board chairman directed that individuals recruited through the disputed process should not be placed on the agency’s payroll pending further review.
The source added that Ovia also ordered a comprehensive review of staff grades and ranks to ensure compliance with internal procedures.
The ministry official further alleged that after management met with the minister, the managing director held a private meeting with close aides and indicated an intention to continue with the recruitment exercise.
The source advised that the agency’s board secretary and executive director of operations could verify the directives reportedly issued during the Lagos meeting.
The official also claimed that about 80 percent of NELFUND’s workforce is currently redundant, adding that the issue was acknowledged by the agency’s leadership during a recent management meeting.
According to the source, the minister’s intervention helped prevent what was described as an organisational crisis.
NELFUND had not publicly responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
