The federal government has removed five top officials of the National Examination Council, NECO. Those removed were served their letters on Thursday this week.

As atFriday,all the officials were absent from their desks with new people taking over their positions in acting capacities.

When this reporter visited the headquarters of the Councilon Friday, it was discovered that the issue of the removal of the officials were being discussed in hushed tones by other staffers of the Council.

None of the staff was prepared to volunteer information to the press on the matter.

It was also discovered that some directors in the council were in a meeting with one of those appointed in acting capacity but no official statement was released after the meeting.

We learnt that only two weeks ago, the governing council led by its chairman Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq visited the Council during which he looked into the operations of the Council.

The removal of the officials it was gathered, may not be unconnected to the report submitted by the governing council to the Federal Ministry of Education.

It was however gathered that three reasons were being adduced for the removal of the officials, top officials among them, unilateral award of contracts without passing through due process.

It was also gathered that the officials illegally recruited over 300 staff without advertising the vacancies and clearance from the relevant ministry.

It was further gathered that some of those removed were being investigated for alleged corruption running into several millions of naira.

Before their removal, a top source who didn’t want his name in print said some of the officials had been visiting the Abuja office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation into the alleged crime.

All attempts to get confirmation of the story from the Head Public Affairs of the Council Alhaji Azeez Sani proved abortive as he could not be reached on his mobile phone or physically in his office.

•Adapted from a THISDAY report.