The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has denied reports alleging that the Minister of Education was responsible for delaying the resumption of newly recruited staff, insisting that no approval has been granted for fresh recruitment into the agency.
In a press statement issued by Femi Akinfala, the agency described the allegations as false and misleading, stating that NELFUND is currently overstaffed, with many employees lacking office space and clearly defined responsibilities.
According to the statement, the Chairman of NELFUND, Mr. Jim Ovia, had earlier directed a halt to all recruitment processes during a board meeting in Lagos because no formal approval had been granted for new appointments.
The statement further alleged that despite objections raised by three executive directors, the Managing Director proceeded with recruitment outside the board’s approval process.
It added that the Chairman instructed that individuals recruited without authorization should not be placed on the agency’s payroll and also ordered a comprehensive review of staff ranks.
Akinfala also claimed that about 80 percent of NELFUND’s current workforce is considered redundant, a situation he said management unanimously acknowledged requires urgent attention.
He noted that the Board Secretary and the Executive Director of Operations could verify the directives issued during the Lagos meeting regarding the recruitment freeze.
The statement concluded that the intervention of the Minister of Education had helped prevent what it described as a further breakdown in the agency’s organizational structure.
