Facts have emerged as to why President Muhammadu Buhari sacked the Director-General of the National Youths Service Corps, Brigadier-General Mohammed Fadah.
Although the NYSC has not made an official statement, the scheme’s spokesman, Eddy Megwa, is expected to issue a release on the development on Friday.
Fadah was reportedly sacked, according to sources in the Presidential Villa, on Thursday.
Fadah’s removal comes only six months after his appointment as NYSC boss in May, 2022.
His plans for the NYSC at the time of his appointment included “improvement of security and welfare of corps members; enhancement of staff welfare; and improving the gains of NYSC ventures”.
Other areas in his plans are “sustaining the digitisation of the operations of the scheme; and deepening NYSC’s impact on rural development through community development service”.
Fadah was asked to hand over to the most senior official in the NYSC.
The official who takes over from him will act as DG pending the announcement of a new appointment.
Fadah had been accused of being a stooge of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
Fadah, who is from Yobe State like Lawan, took over from Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim in May 2022 after his two-year tenure.
Sources had said he was nominated as Director General of the NYSC by Lawan ahead of his presidential ambition with plans to use the NYSC as a conduit pipe to fund his election.
Though Lawan was announced as the consensus candidate by the All Progressives Congress national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the Senate President lost the primary to former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu.
“Lawan handpicked Fadah, both from Yobe State, to secure himself access to NYSC’s funding for the purpose of bankrolling his presidential bid. The Senate President did not win the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary, to which he would have directed the NYSC funds.
“Remember youth corps members will also be involved in the election, they already thought he would be the APC candidate, so he was nominated so as to act their biddings,” a source had alleged.
Some workers in the NYSC who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being punished said that Brigadier Fadah “is indiscriminate in what subhead he moves money from as long as he is able to pull out cash.”
They had accused the DG of corruption, nepotism and marginalisation.
