By SN24.com 
By Peter Akpah.
Abuja — The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has denied reports linking the Honourable Minister of Education to delays in the resumption of newly recruited staff.
In a statement, *Femi Akinfala* said there is currently *no approval for fresh recruitment* at NELFUND, as the agency is “overstaffed with many personnel without office spaces and clear schedules of duty.”
“Claims that the Minister’s directive delayed resumption are false and misleading,” Akinfala stated.
According to him, the Chairman of NELFUND, *Mr. Jim Ovia*, had earlier in a meeting in Lagos halted all recruitment processes due to lack of board approval. Despite objections from three executive directors, the Managing Director allegedly proceeded with recruitment outside official channels.
“The Chairman directed that those recruited without approval should not be placed on the payroll and also ordered a comprehensive review of staff ranks,” Akinfala said.
He further revealed that approximately *80% of the current workforce is redundant*, a situation unanimously acknowledged by management as requiring urgent action.
“For verification, the Board Secretary and Executive Director of Operations can confirm the directives issued in Lagos on the recruitment freeze,” he added.
Akinfala noted that the intervention of the Honourable Minister has helped to prevent further breakdown in the organization’s structure.
Source: Femi Akinfala_