Buhari sacks NABTEB governing board

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has sacked the Governing Board of National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), over conflict with the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Board Professor Ifeoma Abanihe.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Sonny Echono, conveyed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja, saying approved the dissolution of the Prof. Karshima Shilga led Board with immediate effect.

Buhari has also nullified the suspension of the Registrar and Chief Executive of NABTEB, Professor Ifeoma Abanihe and four other Directors of the Board by the Governing Council.

The President has also directed the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu to take immediate measures to reposition and refocus NABTEB for greater efficiency and to render its performance more responsive to the expectations of the present administration.

Echono said the purported suspension of the Registrar, Prof. Ifeoma Abanihe and four (4) other Directors of NABTEB was nullified since it did not conform with due process.

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He noted that the Board Chairman and his team went beyond their powers in contravention of the laws establishing the Board.

The terse statement reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the dissolution of the Governing Board of National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) with immediate effect.

“Mr. President has also directed the Honourable Minister of Education to take immediate measures to reposition and refocus NABTEB for greater efficiency and to render its performance more responsive to the expectations of the present administration.

“The purported suspension of the Registrar, Prof. Ifeoma Abanihe and four (4) other Directors of NABTEB has been nullified as it did not conform with due process especially in the case of the Registrar, because the Board went beyond its powers and in contravention of Section 5 and Section 6 of NABTEB Act,” it said.

The dissolution of the Board was not unconnected to the leadership crisis that enveloped NABTEB soon after its Governing Board alongside others was inaugurated by the Minister of Education few months ago.