A major controversy has erupted within the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) as multiple staff members accuse a senior official—allegedly a relative of President Bola Tinubu—of orchestrating a web of corruption, nepotism, and abuse of power within the agency.
Insiders at the FHA claim that promotion processes have been hijacked, with merit and professionalism cast aside in favour of loyalty to corrupt practices. According to staff members, a long-awaited list of promotion approvals, based on performance reviews and interviews conducted over a year ago, remains deliberately withheld.
Instead, promotions are allegedly being handed out to individuals involved in land racketeering and bribery, while honest, qualified staff are sidelined or transferred to remote locations. “More than a year has passed since we completed our promotion interviews. We prepared, we performed, but the results have vanished,” one source lamented.
The scandal is reportedly being driven by a clique within the FHA referred to as the “Jagaban Boys”—a nod to President Tinubu’s political alias. The group allegedly includes the Executive Director of Finance and other top-ranking officials who are accused of fast-tracking promotions for loyalists engaged in illegal activities.
“They reward those helping them collect bribes from developers and grab land,” said one aggrieved staffer. “Meanwhile, those of us who followed the proper channels are treated like garbage.”
Whistleblowers further allege that the President’s in-law has consolidated control over the agency, using his influence to promote his loyalists, many of whom are implicated in shady land deals. “He’s promoting his foot soldiers while ignoring qualified staff,” a source said.
There are growing concerns that the agency is being run like a criminal enterprise, with some staff warning that the FHA’s credibility is on the brink of collapse. Reports also indicate that whistleblowers are facing threats and intimidation as they prepare to release more damning evidence, including documents detailing illegal allocations and extortion schemes.
Calls for immediate intervention are intensifying, with aggrieved staff urging the Minister of Works, the National Assembly, and the Presidency to launch an independent probe. “If nothing is done, the rot will destroy the FHA—and with it, public trust in our institutions,” said one employee.
Another staff member expressed deep frustration with the current administration: “I voted for this President, but this isn’t the change we hoped for. If this is how public institutions will be run, may God intervene before 2027.”
The staff are demanding the immediate release of the long-overdue promotion list and the removal of officials implicated in corruption. They warn that unless meritocracy is restored, the FHA’s role in providing affordable housing for Nigerians may be permanently compromised.
“This is not how public service should work,” one source emphasized. “If the government truly believes in ‘Renewed Hope,’ it must begin by cleaning house at the FHA and restoring dignity to public service.”
