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Tag: clerk

  • Clerk: Only Senate resolution or court order can end Natasha’s suspension

    Clerk: Only Senate resolution or court order can end Natasha’s suspension

    The Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA) has clarified that only a fresh resolution of the Senate or an express court order can determine whether Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan resumes her legislative duties after the expiration of her six-month suspension.

    In a statement signed by the Director of Information, Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, the CNA said threats of legal or disciplinary action against his office by Senator Natasha’s counsel were misplaced, as the office lacks the authority to alter Senate resolutions.

    The statement stressed that the CNA’s functions are limited to providing administrative guidance to lawmakers, guided by constitutionalism, institutional respect, and the rule of law. It added that the Clerk has no power to review, reverse, or interpret Senate decisions.

    The Senate had, on March 6, 2025, passed a resolution suspending Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months.

    “Though the matter was challenged in Court, the Federal High Court did not invalidate the Senate’s resolution, and no binding order has been issued to reverse or modify the suspension.

    “On 4 September 2025, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan communicated her intention to resume legislative functions to the office of the Clerk to the National Assembly, though she has the option of writing to the Senate President, which is in line with the established protocol.

    Read Also: Clerk proclaims Apapa -Iganmu legislators

    “In response, this office conveyed the same to the Senate leadership, who noted that the matter remains before the Court of Appeal (subjudice), and that any change in status must either come from a fresh Senate resolution or a definitive court order.

    “This communication was what the Clerk to the National Assembly conveyed in the letter, no more, no less. The Clerk is therefore not in a position to facilitate her resumption at this time.

    “To our dismay, the Office of the Clerk received a letter from Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal representatives (M. J. Numa & Partners, L.I.P.), accusing this office of overreach and threatening legal and disciplinary action.

    “While the office respects the right of all parties to seek legal redress, it must be stressed that the Clerk has at all times acted within lawful administrative limits, and in faithful observance of due process.

    “It must be emphasised that the determination of whether Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan can resume her legislative duties as of right without any further or fresh resolution of the Senate following the expiration of her six-month suspension lies solely with the Senate and not with the office of the Clerk to the National Assembly.

    “The Office of the Clerk remains guided by the principles of constitutionalism, institutional respect, and the rule of law. The public is urged to remain patient and allow the appropriate institutions – including the Senate and the courts – to discharge their constitutional responsibilities”.

  • Kidnappers demand N20m to release Ikeja Council Clerk

    Kidnappers demand N20m to release Ikeja Council Clerk

    Gunmen Wednesday kidnapped the Clerk, Ikeja Local Government House, Shamsideen Omotayo.

    Omotayo was whisked away by his kidnappers at Imota, Ikorodu, while he was going to work.

    It was gathered that the kidnappers had already established contact with the local government head of administration, Mrs. Mosunmola Otaiku-Okoka.

    According to the council’s spokesman, Bello Onilegbale, concerted efforts were being made by security agencies to rescue the Clerk.

    He said: “This is to inform the public of the Ikeja Local Government clerk, Omotayo Shamsideen’s abduction by some notorious kidnappers at the early hours of Wednesday, August 2, on his way to work.

    “He has however been allowed to speak with his immediate boss and they are requesting for N20million as ransom. Concerted efforts are on to meet up with their demands.”

    Contacted, the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency (LNSA) media officer, Afolabi Olawale also confirmed the incident.

  • Budget padding: EFCC writes Clerk, Perm Sec

    Budget padding: EFCC writes Clerk, Perm Sec

    Buhari not executing padded budget, says Minister Udoma

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has written the National Assembly Clerk, Mohammed Sani Omolori, and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and National Planning over the budget padding scandal, it was learnt yesterday.

    The EFCC, which yesterday began probing the scandal rocking the House of Representatives, asked Omolori and the Permanent Secretary to produce documents on the contracts awarded by the Assembly and the budget.

    At a Town hall meeting in Abuja, Minister of Budget and National Planning Udoma Udo Udoma said the government is not implementing a padded budget.

    In the August 3 letter, Omolori was asked to furnish the commission with the details of all contracts awarded and executed by the Assembly from June 2015 to date.

    The Permanent Secretary is to provide documents on the budget.

    For about four hours yesterday, EFCC grilled former House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Abdulmumin Jibrin, who blew the scandal open following his removal by Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

    Jibrin accused Dogara, Deputy Speaker Yusuff Lasun, Chief Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Minority Leader Leo Ogor and nine others of padding the budget with N284 billion.

    The commission aslo received a petition demanding the probe of Jibrin and the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons(NCFRIM) for  10 contracts worth N418million, allegedly awarded to firms with links to  Jibrin.

    The EFCC said it would investigate the petition.

    In the letter to Omolori, EFCC demanded a “list of all contracts awarded by the Assembly from June 2015 to date.”

    The letter said the Assembly must “provide the beneficiaries of the contracts, the account details into which payments were made, the total amount already paid for each contract as well as the outstanding balances where applicable.”

    The EFCC asked the Permanent Secretary  to provide it with a “draft copy of the 2016 budget submitted to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari and the final copy returned to the President by the National Assembly.”

    A source in the commission said: “Although no timeline was indicated in the two letters, the Clerk  and the Permanent Secretary are expected to treat it with dispatch.

    “All these documents are vital to the ongoing investigation of all the petitions with us.” Jibrin, who arrived at the EFCC headquarters at about 1pm, had a four-hour session with a team raised to probe his petition.

    It was gathered that the session was meant to “interact with Jibrin to enable him provide more flesh to his allegations.”

    The EFCC source added: “We engaged Jibrin between 1pm and 5pm on the allegations in the petition he filed before this commission including those already in the public domain and the new ones presented to us.

    “The allegations include alleged insertions of N40billion projects into the 2016 Budget by the Speaker, padding of the budget with projects worth over N284billion and padding of the budget by some committee chairmen.”

    The source listed the new allegations as follows:

    • Duplication of contracts by Speaker Yakubu Dogara
    • Renting of Guest Houses for the Speaker  at very high rate
    • Receiving of self-rent by the Speaker and others at inflated cost when they have already got accommodation allowances.
    • Abuse of office and mismanagement of funds by House leadership.

    Udoma said the budget signed by the President was well scrutinised and passed the due process of appropriation at the Assembly before it was assented to in May.

    Responding to a question at the meeting, Udoma said: “We did not assent to a padded budget. The budget followed through the various stages of preparation and scrutiny and appropriation before it was signed into law.’’

    In the petition against Jibrin, the petitioner, the Anti-Corruption Unit of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), alleged that 10 contracts, amounting to the N418million, were awarded to firms with links to Jibrin.

    The unit claimed that the contracts were awarded on September 26, 2014 to five companies with three of the firms located in Suite A47 at EFAB Mall, Area 11 in Abuja.

    It alleged that one of the contracts was given to Eleku Construction Limited for “the supply of beans and millets to Kano State.”

    The petition said: “No specification of some of the contracts, no completion date, no certification. Efforts to trace some of the projects have been unsuccessful.

    “Jibrin was copied all the letters of the award of the contracts. No other member of the House from Kano State, no Senator from Kano State and the governor of the state was not copied.

    “We call for the investigation of the culpable of Jibrin and the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRIM).”

    When contacted, the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said: “We have commenced investigation into all the petitions submitted to us.”

  • National Assembly’s Acting Clerk: ‘Saraki still working with PDP’

    National Assembly’s Acting Clerk: ‘Saraki still working with PDP’

    Senate President Bukola Saraki and leaders of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the National Assembly have been accused of setting up land mines against the ruling All Progress Congress (APC).

    It was learnt at the weekend that Saraki’s rejection of the nomination of Mr Sani Omolori as the Acting Clerk of the National Assembly was done in concert with PDP’s leadership in the National Assembly.

    The Senate leadership allegedly planned to extend the tenure of the Clerk, Ben Efeturi, by two years, if his appointment had sailed through.

    But APC leaders frustrated Saraki and his men in the National Assembly.

    The Senate President, through a letter by his Chief of Staff, Senator Isa Galaudu, urged the Executive Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), Dr Adamu Fika, to withdraw the letter appointing Omolori as Acting Clerk of the National Assembly for the period Dr Maikasuwa would be on pre-retirement leave from May 14 to August 14.

    But Fika swiftly rejected the idea, insisting that the decision to appoint Omolori was taken at the commission’s 440th meeting on April 20.

    In a letter on the matter sent to the Senate President, Fika said: “The commission took into account the fact that Mr Efeturi will proceed on his pre-retirement leave on August 2, that is 12 days before the incumbent Clerk will be due to hand over to his successor.

    “This means that Mr Efeturi is time-barred for the acting appointment; hence the choice of Mr Omolori to act and ensure continuity in that very important public service office, where he will serve for the next five years.

    “In arriving at the commission’s decision, the chairman did not use his casting vote because 11 commissioners were in support with only one who voted no.”

    The NASC chairman argued that by career progression in the public service, Omolori is senior to Mr Efeturi.

    He noted that denying Omolori the appointment as Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly in 2014 was improper.

    Fika said: “Reversing the decision of the commission appointing Omolori as the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly cannot be tenable in the circumstance.”

    A highly-placed source, who spoke in confidence with our reporter, said Saraki was acting the script of PDP leaders in the National Assembly as parts of strategies to maintained their hold and influence on the Eighth National Assembly.

    The source expressed surprise that the Senate President was not tired of working against his party, the APC.

    He said APC leaders were watching how far Saraki would go against the party under the present dispensation.

  • ‘Saraki’s action on acting clerk contradicts commission’s Act’

    ‘Saraki’s action on acting clerk contradicts commission’s Act’

    •Senate president ignores laws on appointment

    Senate President Bukola Saraki is set for a confrontation with the leadership of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) following his position on the acting clerk, it was learnt yesterday.

    According to sources and a memorandum, the latest powerplay by the Senate president fell flat against NASC’s Act and due process, which the commission went through before arriving at its decision to appoint Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Omolori as the National Assembly’s acting clerk.

    Last week, NASC announced Sani-Omolori’s appointment in a letter dated April 20, signed by its chairman, Adamu Mohammed Fika.

    But the Senate president, in another letter by his Chief of Staff, Senator Isa Galaudu, asked the letter to be withdrawn.

    The Senate president, in the letter, said the appointment should rather go to the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, Benedict Efeturi, despite reasons given by the commission for its decision.

    But Saraki’s action was described by sources yesterday as “arrogance.”

    According to a memorandum, which the commission’s chairman presented at its 440th meeting on Wednesday, April 20, the choice of the Senate president was not eligible for the acting clerk of the National Assembly.

    Fika noted that the need to appoint an acting clerk arose because the outgoing Clerk to the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, would proceed on his three-month terminal leave from May 14, preparatory to his retirement on August 14.

    The memo reads: “On the eligibility list are Mr. Benedict Efeturi, who is the deputy clerk of National Assembly and Mr. Mohammed Sani-Omolori, the clerk of the House of Representatives.

    “Both of them were appointed into the clerk cadre on March 25, 2010.

    “Available records showed that Efeturi is due to retire on November 2, 2016, and should, therefore, proceed on three months terminal leave on August 2, 2016.

    “This means he has less than three months of the terminal leave period of the present clerk to proceed on terminal leave himself.

    “Sani-Omolori, from the records, remains in service till 2021.”

    Fika argued that it was neither expedient nor in conformity with conventions and practices of the service for an officer, who has less than six months to retire, to act in an higher position.

    Noting that Sani-Omolori, who remains the next most senior officer in the National Assembly, would remain in service till 2021, the commission was left with no choice than to approve Fika’s recommendation.

    His recommendation that Sani-Omolori be appointed in acting capacity from May 13, was approved at the 440th meeting.

    Notwithstanding the reasons by the commission, Saraki rejected the appointment, insisting that the letter be withdrawn.

    A National Assembly source, however, said Saraki’s action was a futility because he might not have consulted widely before his antagonism against the appointment of Sani-Omolori.

    According to the source, the Act setting up the National Assembly was explicit that some decisions of the commission were not subject to external authorities or influence.

    “Besides, the commission might have taken note of its powers as stipulated in  Section 6 (8) of the Act, which was clear on the procedure of its activities,” the source noted.

    Section 6 (8) states that: “In exercising its powers to make appointments, disciplinary control over persons, the commission shall not be subjected to the direction or control of any authority or person”.

    Another source said: “To direct the commission to withdraw the letter amounts to Saraki throwing caution to the winds by arrogating to himself powers he does not possess.

    “Yes, the commission can consult with the leadership of the two Houses. But that’s where it ends. The two presiding officers cannot dictate appointments to the commission.

    “The Act is explicit about this, moreover, if he (Saraki) had read the submission of the chairman carefully, he ought to have seen wisdom in the fact that Efeturi is set to go as well.

    “Reasons put forward by Saraki on seniority do not hold because the two officers were appointed to the clerk cadre on the same day.

    “The only difference is that Efeturi is older than Sani-Omolori”.

    On federal character, the source posited that Efeturi does still not qualify for the position, adding: “He is from Delta State, the deputy clerk of the House of Representatives is also from Delta State.

    “So, if Efeturi becomes CNA today, what picture are we painting? Of six most senior positions in National Assembly, how many would one state have?”

    The source, however, urged Nigerians to be vigilant and speak out for justice in the powerplay coming out of the National Assembly.

    “This is left for Nigerians to judge. That said, I want to assure Nigerians that the commission has done what should be done in accordance with extant laws and as such, Saraki’s antics cannot succeed.

    “I hope he is not about to set the NASS on a protracted leadership tussle like the one we are seeing in the political arena,” the source noted.

  • NASS Legislative Aides vow to disobey Clerk over poll 

    NASS Legislative Aides vow to disobey Clerk over poll 

    National Assembly Legislative Aides may clash with the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisi Maikasuwa over the move by the aides to elective new executive officers.

    The aides, under the aegis of National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum, Wednesday disowned a caretaker committee inaugurated by Maikashuwa, to midwife an electoral process for the election of new officers.

    The Clerk to the National Assembly, had in collaboration with some members of the National Assembly bureaucracy appointed a seven – member caretaker committee led by the younger brother of the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial zone, Mr. Samuel Melaye.

    Six other members each of the six geo – political zones in the country were picked by the Clerk to organise a credible poll within three months.

    However, some members of the National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum at a press conference in Abuja Wednesday announced the inauguration of an electoral body to organise the election for the emergence of new officers of the group.

    Chairman of the NASSLAF Electoral Committee, Mr. Ishaya Nantur-Vangjen, told reporters that the caretaker committee set up by the Clerk was not known to the constitution of the group.

    He said that members of the forum were not aware of the members of the caretaker committee constituted by the Clerk.

    Nantur-Vengjen noted that each of the 12-member electoral committee selected by NASSLAF from the six geo – political zones, would organise a credible poll for the group.

    He noted the constitution of the group stipulates that the CNA shall direct the conduct of election of the central working committee and the executive within six months of the inauguration of a new legislature.

    According to him, where the clerk fails to call for election, 250 duly appointed members, stating their file numbers, shall summon a congress to initiate the process of election and communicate decision to the CNA.

    Nantur-Vangjen, who said the group had satisfied necessary constitution requirements to conduct the election, stated that the election process would start on 14th April (today) and terminate on Tuesday 3rd, May, 2016.

    Melaye had in a statement, told members of NASSLAF to await his caretaker committee’s election timetable.

    He also assured to conduct a credible poll to usher in new officers of the group.

    He said, “For the clearance of doubt, the Clerk of National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikashuwa, had on March 23 appointed my caretaker committee to run the affairs of the group for three months to create enabling environment to organise election for substantive executive.

    “This caretaker committee was set up to avoid any form of vacuum created by the inauguration of current National Assembly which marked the end of previous NASSLAF Executive led by now Honourable member of House of Representatives, Hon. Mahmud Abdulkadir.

    “The inauguration conducted by the Clerk of National Assembly took place within the National Assembly premises, in the presence of all the representatives of various security agencies in the National Assembly.

    “We wish to use this medium to urge bonafide members of NASSLAF and general public to ignore the fictitious story meant to cause friction amongst members and portray NASSLAF in bad light.

    “In the midst of expressing our electoral rights, we should not forget part of our vision in NASSLAF, which is to protect collective interest of National Assembly Legislative Aides and serve our bosses diligently.”

     

  • Why we dragged Dogara, Clerk to court – Madaki

    Why we dragged Dogara, Clerk to court – Madaki

    Eleven members of the House of Representatives are so aggrieved over the New House rules that they have gone to court to challenge it. In this interview with Victor Oluwasegun, Hon. Aliyu Madaki (APC Kano), who spearheaded the move, speaks on the reasons that informed their decision.

    What exactly is the reason you’re in court over the new rule book of the House?

    There is no organisation, society or government body that will work without rules and regulations guiding it. In the House, we have our rules book. What we are contesting in court is that the rules were changed and it is our belief that the way and manner the rules were changed, the procedures of changing the rules were not followed. Not only that, it is also our contention that some undemocratic things have been put into the new rules. And if you recall, on the 8th of October when these rules were changed, I came through Point of Order, eight times, not once or twice, but eight times. I tried to draw the attention of the House that these new rules we are trying to pass are not only undemocratic, they are also unconstitutional. This is because I believe that the constitution of Nigeria in Sections 36 and 39 gives me freedom of expression, freedom of thought, freedom of religion and freedom of association, and it is my firm belief that with these new rules that the House has adopted, those constitutional rights given me by the people of Dala Federal Constituency will be infringed upon.

    So what are the procedures that are wrong?

    When I discover they will not heed my pleas, I called for a division. If you read our standing order section 77, says if the presiding officer rules on something if you’re not in agreement with what he ruled on, you can call for division…I don’t know, it’s as if I’m going into the substance of the case and I don’t think that is proper and the case is in court, but I believe there are so many procedures that have not been followed, even the changing of the rules.

    But some people as laymen will look at it and say the new rules are laudable, especially because of some things that have happened in the parliament in the past, especially the snatching of the Mace and things like that.

    Do you watch other parliaments in the world? I watched recently about two or three months, I saw a parliament in Asia, the president came and they were throwing eggs at him. In a democracy, there is bound to be disagreements. We’re not here to serve our personal interest, but to serve our constituents, but with the new law we have now, we cannot even do our work, because if I stood up to talk or contribute to a debate or to disagree with a presiding officer and he asked me to sit down based on the new rule and I refuse, I will be suspended for 30 plenary days. Do you understand what 30 plenary days mean? It means 30 days of sitting. If you count 30 days of sitting, it would give you about three months. In those months, that constituency will not be represented in the National Assembly. And in the new rule, the Speaker can suspend you for 6 months for approaching the Mace, or for intending to approach the mace. I don’t know how we can read intention.

    Do you think you’re being victimized?

    I don’t know. That was why I raised it on the floor. I said it that nobody on that floor can stop me from talking. That is what I’m here for. I don’t go to any government agency seeking for contract or favour, quote me. I do my job. I try to serve the interest of my people in the best way possible. And in this motion…Kano, we are traders, our airport was the first in the whole of Nigeria. But because of the economic situation in the country, things went so bad. But I thank God, in the 7th Assembly I raised between 7 to 8 motions on the airport. Now, go to Kano Airport, it has come back to life. It was through one of those motions that I raised that Emirate Airline was given permission to land in Kano.

    What was the issue with Emirates and Kano and the BASA agreement?

    The BASA, you know is Bilateral Air Service Agreement signed between Nigerian and United Arabs Emirate giving landing rights to Emirates Airlines to fly Abuja and Kano routes as one single route. After they were given the approval, after they have sold tickets to customers, they were about to start operations, just two weeks, the then federal government wrote a letter to Emirate informing them to suspend the Kano leg of the agreement, and that it would be for a very short period of time. And we all know what happened. After that, elections held and the government lost. They don’t have an interest in any airline going to Kano or anywhere in Nigeria because they were leaving office. I just brought the issue, that as an assembly let this resolution be passed that the suspension be lifted because the agreement has been signed and Emirates Airline is ready to go to Kano. That was all. And somebody now decided to keep it somewhere. And I went to him as a friend and begged. He said when we return from break. When we came back I didn’t see it.  I went to him again, said please this week put it. This week, I didn’t see it on the Order paper so, that was why I had to bring it to the floor.

    So, are you satisfied with the Speaker’s ruling that it should be first come, first served?

    What the Speaker did was the right thing by saying first come, first served because I’m aware that there was someone who brought his own last week and it is in this week’s Order Paper. So, I don’t want a situation where we will be staying in the Animal Farm where some animals are more equal than others.

    There were eleven members that went to court on the new rules issue, are they all in agreement over the issue?

    How would I put somebody’s name that is not in agreement? If you know me very well, I won’t put the name of someone who has not consented on the list. Let anyone on the list look me in the eye and tell me he has not consented. I won’t do that. I am not that kind of person. If you see me in the chambers, whatever is right, I will stand up and say this is right; if it is wrong, I will say this is wrong. I will never defend the un-defendable. I said it the day this new rule was passed that I would go to court. When I said it, I didn’t intend to carry anyone along with me. If I believe in my cause, if I’m the only one, 359 can be on one side and I will be on the other side. That is if my conscience tells me what I’m doing is right. And my conscience tells me in this case that I am right. This is not for me. I have said it that day, that tomorrow I can be the Speaker’s friend. And I’ve never seen in a democracy where members of parliament will sit and give one single person this kind of sweeping powers. I have never seen it.

    But you are just eleven members, are you not in the minority in the House?

    We are eleven that went to court, but we are not eleven that are against the rules. If you get the video of what transpired that day, I have it here, you will see I’m not in the minority, even when they took the voice vote, and that was why I asked for a division. When you request for a division, it means you did not agree with the voice vote. What we’re using here is the voice vote. And serious issues like changing the law, in my own sincere opinion, we shouldn’t use voice vote for changing the House rule. It is just like changing the constitution; we don’t use voice vote, it has to be crystal clear that this is what you’re voting for or against. But voice vote can be easily manipulated. Very easily. That is why I requested for a division that day. I have the tape.

     

  • APC: arrest Speaker, Clerk

    APC: arrest Speaker, Clerk

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, to arrest the Speaker, Princess Jumoke Akindele and the Clerk for swearing in two Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates without certificates of return.

    A statement by its Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, said: “It is illegal for Abayomi Akinruntan and Coker Malachi (Ilaje l and II) to be sworn in as members of the House of Assembly without certificates of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “When a candidate is elected as a member of any assembly, a certificate of return is issued in his/her name by INEC, which the Clerk of the Assembly will confirm before performing the oath of office and allegiance. In the case of these two gentlemen, due process was not followed.

    “After the April 11 House of Assembly election, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Segun Agbaje, in a statement, said the elections in Ilaje I and II were inconclusive and that a later date would be announced for the supplementary elections in the two constituencies.

    “Till date, the supplementary elections have not been conducted. We, therefore, call on the IG to arrest the Speaker and Clerk for their complicity in this illegality.

    “This is impunity and this is how government is being run in Ondo State in the last six years under the leadership of Olusegun Mimiko. Impunity must stop during this era of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

  • Teacher employed as clerk seeks upgrade

    A 32-year-OLD teacher, Mr Ojo Toefeek, has cried out to the Lagos State government to upgrade him to Grade Level 08 of the teaching service.

    Toefeek, who was employed in 2009, as a non-academic member of staff at the Islamic Model Primary School, Mushin, studied Economics Education at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

    The father of three said he started  teaching Economics at Bethel Private Secondary School,Mushin, but left because he felt he needed to reach out to pupils in public schools.

    “I have been teaching in the private school but I thought that my destiny is not going to be fulfilled there. Those that I actually wanted to reach out to are in the public school. I left when God told me to leave and I did,” he said.

    However, things did not work out as planned. In 2009, when he applied to the Lagos State Government to work as he teacher, the only opening was for a non-academic position far below his qualification.

    “They told me that there was no teaching job for me, except if I could be employed for a Grade 04 job with WASC result, which is a clerical job.  I made them realise I was a graduate but to no avail. Because I have so many responsibilities, I decided to start from somewhere. My hope was that if I am in the system I would monitor it,” he said.

    Sadly, about six years later, the upgrade to the teacher scale has not happened for Taofeek – despite being given classes to teach as an acting teacher. He received a letter to be an acting teacher.

    Having scrounged to educate himself at UNILAG after his father’s death and with his passion and determination, Taofeek expects more out of his career.

    Though discouraged about his situation, Taofeek said it had not dampened his love for teaching and helping the less privileged.

    He said: “My desire is to teach. I cannot just be in the office sitting down. I have to be in the classroom. They have not increased my salary; they have not increased my level; what I am earning is nothing to write home about. But I keep on doing what I love to do believing that one day, things would turn out for good. I am just waiting for the time that the government would rise to my aid and convert me to Level 08. I am begging the government. I know it is possible.

    “The teachers still see me as a non- academic staff but I am one of them; I am active in the classroom but the sentiments are still there.  Some understand that the clerical employment is a demotion but I don’t allow that to bother me. I have taught in primary six and they all passed their common entrance exams.”

    Taofeek’s passion to see young children succeed prompted his founding the Children Education Development Awareness (CEDAR) Foundation in 2012 to promote reading culture and moral values.