Nineteen Directors have failed the Permanent Secretary written examinations conducted in Abuja on Monday.

They were among the 38 eligible candidates who sat for the three-stage selection process to fill the vacancies for the retiring permanent secretaries from Abia, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Rivers States.

The Head of Information and Public Relations, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Eno Olotu, said in a statement on Tuesday that the 19 candidates still in the race will on Wednesday proceed to the second stage of the exercise, which will test their competence in the use of “Information Communication and Technology (ICT)” in conducting government business.

The Office of the Head of Service of the Federation usually follows an established tradition of carrying out a rigorous three-stage exercise that ensures that only the very best among the directors on Grade Level 17 are appointed permanent secretaries and equipped with appropriate and relevant skills to improve and sustain effective delivery of services.

The statement further noted that the successful candidates would then proceed to the final stage, where they would be grilled by a carefully constituted panel of top bureaucrats and representatives of the organised private sector, on Friday, November 15.

Olotu extended the goodwill of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Esther Didi Walson-Jack, to all the 38 candidates and appreciated the continued support of the Nigerian public in entrenching “meritocracy” in career progression in the Civil Service.

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, on Tuesday, attributed the country’s epileptic power supply to corruption within the power sector.

He stated that the commission had initiated a probe into the sector, adding that what it uncovered during its investigations would make Nigerians shed tears.

Speaking during the visit of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Olukoyede lamented that contractors awarded projects to supply electrical equipment often opted for substandard materials.

He explained that this practice was a major cause of frequent equipment failures, outages, and grid collapses.

Olukoyede said, “As I am talking to you now, we are grappling with electricity. If you see some of the investigations we are carrying out within the power sector, you will shed tears.

“People who were awarded contracts to supply electricity equipment, instead of using what they call ‘9.0 gauge,’ they will buy ‘5.0.’

“So, every time you see the thing tripping off, gets burnt, and all of that, it’s part of our problems.”

He also stated that during its investigations, the commission discovered that in the last 20 years, capital project implementation and execution in the country were not up to 20 percent.

He said the country could not achieve infrastructural or other forms of growth under such conditions.

“We discovered that in the last 15 to 20 years, we have not done up to 20 percent of our capital project implementation and execution.

“And if we don’t do that, how do you want to have infrastructural development? How do you want to grow as a nation?

“So our mandate this year is to work with that directorate and with the National Assembly to see if we can meet up to 50 percent of execution of our capital project for the year.

“If we do 50 percent, we will be fine as a nation. The lack of implementation of this capital project, capital budget, is one of our major problems in Nigeria.

“If we can tackle that effectively, we will make progress as a nation. So we are doing everything to see how we can achieve that with your support.”

The anti-graft boss said the commission received over 17,000 petitions, adding that over 20,000 cases were currently under investigation.

He said, “We have several cases filed in court, apart from the conviction, running to thousands.

“In the last year, we have received over 17,000 petitions in EFCC. And right now, as I’m talking to you, we are investigating over 20,000 cases.

“Between last October and now, we have opened over 4,800 new cases. And what is our staff spread? We are less than 5,000 and now, with the additional responsibility of over 700 MDAs, 36 states, 774 local governments, and all of that.”

The Chairman of the committee, Obinna Onwusibe, called on the EFCC to collaborate with the judiciary to expedite the trials of suspects and reduce the number of inmates awaiting trial.

He said, “At this point, let me add that recently, on oversight visits to the maximum and minimum correctional centres in Kirikiri, Lagos State, numerous suspects have been awaiting trial for over one year, and yet we are all acquainted with the saying that ‘justice delayed is justice denied.’

“It is on this note that we call on the EFCC, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the judiciary to improve and ensure that the administration of criminal justice works in collaboration for an effective and efficient system that will bring about justice delivery to victims and society.”

He also urged the EFCC to ensure transparency and accountability in its operation.

“The negative maxim being peddled in certain quarters is that the agency is often being used to settle political scores, and this must be corrected by the EFCC,” he said.

• Owanari Duke Retires from Group Board

Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has announced the appointment of Henrietta Ugboh as an Independent Non-Executive Director.

The appointment has been approved by the relevant regulatory bodies, including the Central Bank of Nigeria.

UBA’s Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, CFR commenting on the appointment, said, “Henrietta Ugboh brings a track record of professional success, integrity and leadership, which will further strengthen the UBA Group Board, underlining once again the Group’s commitment to robust corporate governance.”

Ugboh holds a degree in Economics and Statistics from the University of Benin, an MBA from ESUT Business School, and is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School’s Executive Management Program. She has over 30 years experience in banking with Citibank and is an Honorary Senior Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and a Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration (FICA).

Elumelu added that with her considerable experience and expertise, which includes commercial banking, credit, and risk management, the UBA Board is delighted to welcome Mrs Ugboh to the Group Board, “We look forward to her invaluable contribution to the Group, as we continue to execute our unique growth strategy across Africa and globally.”

The Board also announced the retirement of Mrs. Owanari Duke, an Independent Non-Executive Director, who joined the UBA Group Board in October 2012.

During her tenure, Mrs. Duke provided distinguished leadership, serving on Committees of the Bank including the Board Governance Committee, Board Audit, Governance, Nomination & Remuneration Committee, Board Credit Committee, Finance & General Purpose Committee and Statutory Audit Committee.

On behalf of the board, Mr. Elumelu expressed UBA’s deep appreciation to Mrs. Duke for her dedication and significant contributions to the Group, wishing her the best in her future endeavour.

United Bank for Africa Plc is a leading Pan-African financial institution, offering banking services to more than forty-five million customers, across 1,000 business offices and customer touch points in 20 African countries. With presence in New York, London, Paris and Dubai, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail, commercial and corporate banking, innovative cross-border payments and remittances, trade finance and related banking services.