EFCC warns Politicians intimidating it 'into timid mode' to back off

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raised alarm over planned campaigns of calumny by some politicians and groups having vested interests in suspects being investigated or facing prosecution by the commission.

Its Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

According to Oyewale, motley crowd of paid jobbers have been recruited by some disgruntled elements to orchestrate campaigns of calumny through sponsored media attacks.

“The attack is targeting the Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, and the institution with phantom allegations of political bias in the execution of the commission’s mandate.

“Their objective is to befuddle the works of the commission and, through scaremongering, intimidate the commission into a timid mode,” he said.

The EFCC spokesman said that the essence was to make the commission to be afraid of investigating opposition politicians for fear of being labelled as partisan.

He said that the campaign was likely to intensify as the political space becomes charged in the months leading to the 2027 general election.

“The commission wishes to put those recruited into this ignoble enterprise on notice that their activities are under close watch.

“The EFCC will not tolerate any attempt to distract it from the patriotic task of improving public accountability in Nigeria. It reiterates its non-political stance in all its activities,” he said.

Oyewale said that any political actor belonging to the ruling party or opposition party, with corruption baggage, has no hiding place from the operational radar and dynamics of the commission.

“As a matter of fact, several strong members of the ruling and opposition parties are either facing trial before the courts or being investigated by the commission.

“Nigerians need to appreciate the fact that the commission is keeping faith with its Establishment Act in all its operations.

“Commentaries about presumption of innocence of a defendant in court are in line with the provisions of the Constitution and not intended as defence of any individual or group,” he said.

He said that the commission had no alliance or working relationship with any political party, noting that all these facts were unassailable.

He said that the EFCC would not be pressured or blackmailed into making public disclosures of politically exposed persons being investigated for alleged corruption cases.

”The EFCC reiterates its commitment to justice, without fear or favour,  in the fulfilment of its mandate.”

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How DisCos collected N570bn from Consumers in Q3 2025 – NERC

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission says electricity distribution companies collected N570.25bn in the third quarter of 2025, reflecting improved revenue performance across the power sector nationwide during the reporting period.

NERC said the amount was collected from N706.61bn billed to customers, indicating substantial recovery of revenues owed by electricity consumers nationwide during the quarter under existing tariff and billing frameworks.

The commission disclosed this in its third quarter report released in Abuja, providing official data on revenue collection, billing efficiency, and performance trends among electricity distribution companies nationwide during period.

According to the report, the 80.70 per cent collection efficiency recorded in quarter three represents an improvement over quarter two 2025, when DisCos achieved lower revenue recovery levels across the electricity market.

NERC said DisCos collected N564.71 billion in quarter two from N742.34 billion billed, translating to 76.07 per cent efficiency and a 4.63 percentage point increase by quarter three across the reporting cycle.

Ikeja DisCo recorded the highest collection efficiency at 100 per cent, while Eko, Benin and Abuja DisCos exceeded 80 per cent, with Kaduna DisCo recording the lowest at 45.67 per cent nationwide according report.

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Different Health Groups trigger Doctors Strikes, says FG

The Federal Government says the ongoing industrial action by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) is rooted in structural and policy issues within the health sector, rather than neglect by the administration.

Iziaq Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, stated this in a statement by Alaba Balogun, the Director of Information and Public Relations of the Ministry.

Salako said the government has demonstrated commitment to improving the welfare of health workers through recent reforms, including an upward review of professional allowances worth about ₦90 billion annually.

The minister said the revised allowances, approved in November 2025, cover call duty, shift duty, non-clinical duty and rural posting allowances, and were negotiated jointly with all health professional groups.

“Past negotiations were often fragmented, with different health professional groups engaging government separately, leading to conflicting agreements on pay parity and relativity and triggering repeated industrial actions,” he said.

He said the current administration has adopted a collective bargaining approach to ensure inclusiveness and reduce conflict.

The minister explained that while the government remains committed to improving healthcare workers’ remuneration, such reviews must be balanced against competing national priorities including education, security and infrastructure.

On NARD’s current demands, he said the association’s request list has reduced from 19 to nine items, which he described as progress in ongoing engagements.

He, however, noted that some demands are limited by existing public service rules and approved schemes of service.

On the demand for specialist allowance for resident doctors, he said residents remain specialists-in-training and that the allowance is currently reserved for consultants in line with regulations.

He added that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission had warned that extending the allowance could trigger similar claims from other categories of workers undergoing specialist training.

On reported delays in certification, he said the National Postgraduate Medical College does not issue certificates after Part I examinations and that the Ministry cannot override the institution’s policy.

Commenting on the disengagement of five resident doctors in Lokoja, Salako said the action resulted from civil service disciplinary processes.

He said that a ministerial review has recommended reinstatement for two doctors, reprimand for two others, and a fresh hearing for one.

Salako assured Nigerians that the Ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and other stakeholders, remains committed to sustained dialogue to stabilise the health sector and prevent disruptions to service delivery.

NARD represents medical doctors undergoing postgraduate training across teaching hospitals in the country.

Members of the association often engage in industrial action to press for improved working conditions, timely payment of allowances, and parity in remuneration with other health professionals.

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