Many workers are struggling to meet basic needs, with many unable to afford to feed their families.

As revealed by data analyzed by The Guardian, states have set an average minimum wage of ₦73,471.43, which is ₦3,471.43 higher than the federal government’s minimum wage of ₦70,000—representing a 5% increase. States like Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Lagos, Niger, Oyo, and Rivers are paying higher than both the federal government’s wage peg and the national average.

However, less than a year after the new wage law was introduced, inflation has eroded much of its real value, leading to fresh agitation from stakeholders. Labour leaders are already setting their agendas for the 2027 renegotiation, citing that while the government made wage adjustments last year, these increases have been largely offset by inflation.

With inflation hovering around 24%, nominal incomes have lost more than one-fourth of their value. The average minimum wage across states, which is ₦55,000 in real terms, is far below the intended value when the wage was set.

Stakeholders point out that while the minimum wage has been implemented, the government at various levels has failed to make the necessary adjustments to keep up with inflation. Consequential adjustments to wages have yet to be agreed upon with all state governments, further exacerbating the financial strain on workers.

The rising costs of living, including telecommunications, transportation, food, electricity bills, school fees, house rents, and fuel, are pushing many workers to the brink. For instance, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the average daily cost of a healthy diet for an adult in Nigeria is ₦1,255. A worker earning ₦70,000 a month would spend ₦37,650 on meals for the month, accounting for over 53% of their salary.

While many state governments are negotiating with their respective labour councils on the implementation of the minimum wage, Enugu state is yet to begin formal negotiations but has started a provisional payment of ₦80,000 minimum wage to its workers. The state’s negotiations are expected to proceed soon.

The update on the implementation of the national minimum wage also shows differing dates for the wage’s application across states. As of July 29, 2024, when President Bola Tinubu signed the 2024 national minimum wage bill into law, inflation stood at 33.4%. Although inflation slowed to 23.18% by February 2025, prices of basic food items and household goods remain high.

In states like Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, and Bauchi, the agreed ₦70,000 minimum wage has already been implemented. Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa, which negotiated ₦80,000, commenced payments in November 2024. Despite this, the National Minimum Wage Act does not apply to part-time workers, workers on commission, seasonal workers, and those in establishments with fewer than 25 employees.

While some labour leaders have praised the reduction of the negotiation cycle from five years to three, they have also expressed concerns about the current wage’s inadequacy due to inflation. Peters Adeyemi, General Secretary of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), said that the previous five-year cycle was too long given the volatile economy.

He hopes that the reduced cycle will allow for wage adjustments that better reflect the current economic realities.

He argued: “I have always argued that the five-year period was too long in a volatile economy. Prices of goods and services go up almost daily, which renders the take-home pay of workers inadequate. Devaluation, price of PMS and inflation are the real enemies of the working class in Nigeria because these are what consume a large chunk of their salaries. With a year renegotiation period, hopefully, the figure that will be arrived at will be pocket-friendly.”

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, also expressed dissatisfaction with the wage, stating that the increasing costs of living, particularly the deregulation of the downstream oil sector, have made the ₦70,000 minimum wage insufficient.

He accused the government of going back on its promise not to increase the pump price of petrol, which had been a key condition for agreeing to the ₦70,000.

However, he believes that agreeing to a three-year negotiation cycle, which will be due in 2027, presents the movement as unique to further push for a wage that will be closer to the reigning economic reality.

Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), argued that no governor deserves commendation for implementing the minimum wage, claiming that ₦70,000 is far too low, especially with the devaluation of the naira. He emphasized that the real value of the wage has been eroded by inflation and the high cost of living.

He argued that a wage that is below $50 for 30 days is one of the lowest in the world.

Speaking to Guardian, he said: “The minimum wage is too low at ₦70,000. In these states, no one knows the number of workers they have. How can we then arrive at how much they are paying from what they get? We simply take whatever they tell us. The argument that the compliance level is high is not tenable to me.”

Onwubiko added that for a currency that has lost more than 100 per cent of its value in the last year, ₦70,000 is not enough to sustain a family of three for one month, saying: “The cost of living has skyrocketed by at least five folds in the last one year. What the former minimum wage of ₦30,000 could buy, ₦70,000 of today cannot buy it.”

He urged the tripartite bodies to gear up for another round of negotiations before the 2027 date.

Tolulope Alayande, an investment banker, acknowledged that while ₦70,000 is inadequate, it is a step in the right direction considering Nigeria’s economic constraints. He pointed out that the removal of the petrol subsidy was necessary, despite the economic burden it has placed on Nigerians.

As the country faces persistent inflation and high costs of living, labour unions and government officials are expected to continue discussions on how to adjust wages and improve the living conditions of Nigerian workers.

[NaijaNews]

The Police have arrested controversial singer, Habeeb Okikiola Badmus, popularly known as Portable over allegations of criminal defamation, threat to life, incitement, and character assassination against renowned Yoruba Fuji musician, Mr. Okunola Saheed, popularly known as Osupa.

Portable’s arrest followed a petition filed by Osupa with the Kwara State Police Command where he accused the Zazuu crooner of using abusive and defamatory language capable of inciting violence and damaging his reputation.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Kwara Command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, in a statement released on Sunday said the Command acted in accordance with the law after receiving credible evidence to support the petition.

“The petition borders on serious allegations which include criminal defamation, threat to life, incitement, character assassination, conduct likely to cause a breach of peace, and the use of abusive and insulting words,” the statement said.

With the approval of a valid arrest warrant secured from a Magistrate Court sitting in Ilorin, officers of the Kwara State Police Command proceeded to Abeokuta, Ogun State, where Portable was arrested on Saturday, April 13, 2025, at approximately 7:25 pm.

The police spokesperson added that Portable was immediately brought to Ilorin for further investigations. “Upon his arrival, the suspect’s statement was taken in the presence of legal representatives from both parties”.

SP Ejire-Adeyemi confirmed that Portable remains in custody and would be charged to court without delay.

The statement noted that the Command remains committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice is served in a fair and transparent manner.

“We urge members of the public to remain calm and refrain from spreading unverified information,” the statement added.

Former INEC Chairman and current Chairman of the Governing Council of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has criticised the growing trend of Nigerian universities awarding honorary degrees to individuals without academic merit.

Speaking at the 14th convocation lecture of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Abuja on Friday, April 11, Jega described the act as a betrayal of the academic system.

He applauded the graduating students for their hard work and commitment, noting that it was deeply unfair for a student to spend four or more years studying, and a lecturer to devote time to research, only for someone with no formal education or classroom experience to be honoured with a degree for political or selfish reasons.

He said: “Whenever we mention being found worthy in learning and character, people tend to wonder whether learning and character necessarily go together. Well, they do not. One can be learned, but with no good character. Moreover, one can be certificated without learning anything, yet have a good character.

“The expectation is that university graduates are positioned for the ideal of having both learning and character. Now, this ideal has been approximated in Nigerian universities in the past and is now a mere aspiration. In most cases, our universities offer certification to illiterates and award degrees, in many cases, to persons without worthy character.

“This is a stain on the integrity and respect of Nigerian universities.”

Jega further emphasised that such practices were undermining the value of education in the country. He urged students, educators, and institutions to stand firm in protecting academic excellence and resist the politicisation of honorary awards.

He said the purpose of the convocation lecture was to inspire and motivate students, faculty and staff to celebrate milestones and address important issues of ills relevant to the academic, community and society at large.

He described the guest lecturer, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, as an outstanding Nigerian doing the country and Africans proud.

In his lecture, Adesina, reminisced about a time when Nigerian education was globally respected. He noted that while the country still maintained a level of prestige, political influence would erode it if caution was not taken.

[Guardian]

Inmates at various correctional centres across the country have alleged that they are being poorly fed.

Many of them, who spoke to our correspondents, decried that they were dying of hunger.

This is as the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and the independent panel raised last September by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to probe allegations of corruption and abuse of office against officers of the Service, disagreed over the inmates’ claims of hunger.

While the panel confirmed that inmates were dying of hunger, the acting Comptroller-General of the NCoS, described it as an exaggeration, saying there was no statistics to prove the allegations.

Our feeding pattern regimented – Ikoyi prison inmate

Inmates at the Ikoyi Custodial Centre alleged that the meals served them were worse than dog’s food.

Speaking to Daily Trust, one of the inmates, who simply identified himself as Tony, described life inside the facility as regimented.

“The pattern of feeding itself is regimented. We eat three times a day, but even a dog will reject the food served to us. Our saving grace is that some of us are allowed to buy food from the staff canteen. If anyone depends solely on the food served by the authority, I bet you that such a person will die.

“A lot of inmates suffer from malnutrition and are often rushed to the sick bay. Our usual pattern of food is beans in the morning, eba served with watery soup without meat or fish in the afternoon and dry garri in the evening. The cooked beans are usually full of stones, bean shells and weevils since it is not properly picked before cooking. One can count the number of beans inside a bowl of water served as a meal.

“Inmates are served just one or two spoonfuls of beans, which they call a portion, along with dry garri. I usually mix my beans and garri as the garri will soak up the entire water.

“The food is not even enough to feed a chicken. I hardly eat when eba and egusi soup or okra are served. I vomited on my first day at the Ikoyi custodial centre, but I eventually got used to it when the reality of where I was dawned on me.

“The sight of the soup can make one throw up. One can separate the water from the egusi. The beans look like something they scooped from a nearby drainage,” Tony said.

Another inmate, remanded in 2023 for allegedly bolting away with his master’s money, corroborated Tony’s claims, saying, “At some point after eating the often badly cooked beans with stones inside, I would be having a running stomach for most of the day. “The food is terrible. Sometimes, I prefer enduring hunger to eating the meals they serve us.”

An officer at the Ikoyi custodial centre, who also spoke to Daily Trust on the condition of anonymity, disclosed that inmates were fed twice daily, “contrary to the three-square-meal approved by the government.”

Recounting his experience at the Ikoyi prison facility, an inmate told our correspondent at the Igbosere High Court, Lagos, that inmates do not cook their own food, but that meals are prepared by warders or those contracted to prepare food and served.

“I wonder who eats the fish, as we are not served fish or meat. Only the inmates who have constituted themselves into authority in the different cells get to eat heads of fish.

“You are considered lucky if you get to see pieces of fish inside the watery soup. However, inmates who get to work in the kitchens are lucky because they get to eat what they want aside from the normal rations,” he added.

The source stated that those serving their jail terms usually receive two meals a day – breakfast and dinner, adding that the food served include beans, rice, eba and garri.

He stated that the soup is usually watery and that one can separate water and egusi from the bowl.

“Inmates typically fund their purchases through money sent to them by families and friends or by begging when they go to court”, he stated.

‘Hunger killing inmates at Kirikiri Maximum Prison’

“Hunger is killing people. It’s killing a lot of inmates in Kirikiri Prison. Whenever an inmate dies there, if you check, you will realise that there’s an element of hunger”, said Ibrahim Babangida, who was recently released from the Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Lagos State.

Babangida, from Adamawa State, who told RFI Hausa that he was arrested for sleeping under a bridge in Lagos, said: “There was neither food nor portable water. The food was like poison because it caused you to have rashes. I now have rashes all over my body, which is caused by the food, which is also so little. Each inmate’s ration is measured in a tin of milk; imagine if that is enough. People are dying due to a lack of food.”

“The food is too small, not more than three morsels, which cannot sustain someone even if he is given three square meals,” he said.

Babangida described the food at the facility as as “poison” and alleged that a certain chemical was being added to their meals to make them weak and prevent them from revolting.

“If you eat the food today, the next day you will have rashes. They cook with a chemical called ‘scattering’ powder.

“When you eat that substance, you lose strength for anything. You become lazy and as weak as a 100-year-old, and regardless of the remedy you get, you can only regain strength after the effective period of the chemical has elapsed. That is why the powder is added to our food because when we eat, it weakens our body as if we were seriously beaten,” Babangida said. 

Inmates served raw food at Kano facility

Daily Trust was told that inmates at  the Goron Dutse Medium Security Custodial Centre were served raw food. The facility, established for 500 inmates but later upgraded to accommodate 700 inmates, currently houses over 1,000 inmates.

A freed inmate, who spent about 18 months at the facility, said inmates were served raw food.

“We began cooking our food while serving because the food wasn’t enough, and it wasn’t nice.

“The only inmates that seem to be enjoying their stay are those on death row and those serving life jail terms,” he said.

Sources at the Kano Central Custodial Centre, Kurmawa, told Daily Trust that inmates on death row were given double rations and their meals, usually beans, pap, kunu, rice, garri and tuwo, prepared specially.

‘Calabar inmates fed with half-cooked beans once daily’

Investigations by Daily Trust have shown that inmates in the custodial centres in Cross River State are being fed once a day.

It was gathered that the inmates are being poorly fed with half-cooked beans, sandy rice and “soup meant for dogs”.

Findings showed that the inmates are fed with a few spoons of rice, which were not de-stoned and stewed without meat or fish on Wednesdays and Sundays.

They are also given garri and watery soup once daily.  But the inmates are reported to be rejecting the soup because it is always without salt or spices.

Some non-governmental organisations and churches that access the Afokang facility in Calabar weekly to support inmates with food and drugs also confirmed poor feeding at the facility.

‘Edo inmates need external help for survival’

Edwin Asibor, Executive Director, Securing the Creative Goldmine in Youths Initiative, said inmates in custodial centres in Edo State needed external help to survive hunger.

“What they are getting is not up to three square meals, and for anyone to survive in the prison, you need external help in terms of feeding.

“Parents of inmates in prison augment their children’s feeding as they have to give them money and also buy food items for them, Asibor said.

Speaking to Daily Trust, an ex-inmate at a custodial centre in Edo said: “Though the government provides feeding and drugs, among others, for the inmates, the officers were not allowing us to enjoy them. Some of the drugs provided for inmates are being used by the correctional officers.

“The food can’t take inmates anywhere. For instance, if the government says it is feeding an inmate with N500, what they (officers) are giving the person is not up to N100.

“Recently, I was in prison for standing as a surety to a suspect who absconded, I still meet the same treatment. In the morning, we were given a spoonful of beans (medium) and a tin of garri”.

‘Inmates get unhealthy meals in Benue’

Inmates at the Maximum Custodial Centre in Makurdi, Benue State, are fed twice in a day, mainly morning and evening, with unhealthy meals, sources told Daily Trust.

They said the inmates are mostly fed with pap in the morning and given maize flour meals with poorly prepared watery soups in the evening.

“The meals are not healthy,” a source said.

Of the sources said inmates are fed with pap, rice and beans at different times twice daily.

“Sometimes, they are served with rice, pap or beans in the morning, while in the evening, they eat maize flour or garri with any kind of soup.

“The food given to inmates at the Maximum Custodial Centre in Makurdi is generally of poor quality and insufficient quantity. The meals lack nutrients, often consisting of watery soups, small portions of beans, rice or garri and minimal protein,” the source added.

‘Inmates in Borno get meager portions of food’

Inmates at the Maiduguri Maximum Custodial Centre are served “meager portions” of rations, Daily Trust was told.

A source there said: “Government is treating these inmates like animals, not as human beings.

“The contractor feeding the inmates always complain of the high costs of food items, therefore, cannot provide sufficient food items to cook for the inmates.

“What they do now is rationing. At the end of every month, they cut down the number of times inmates eat.

“For instance, in a week, if the inmates are eating rice four times and beans three times, they will reduce their consumption to two or three times a week and replace them with less expensive stables like garri. At times, they will even skip meals to cope with the situation.”

The source said the use of firewood to cook for the inmates was adding to the cost of feeding.

“We expect that when the federal government reviewed the feeding amount, the contractors would switch to a gas cooker, but they didn’t,” he stated.

Hunger killing inmates – FG panel

An independent investigative panel assembled by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to investigate alleged corruption and other violations against the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), had recently confirmed that inmates were dying from hunger.

The secretary of the panel, Dr Uju Agomoh, while briefing the media last month, said their findings showed that many inmates in most custodial centres were facing death from hunger due to poor feeding and rampant food racketeering.

She said, “During our inspection visit as a panel, in February 2025, there was no food up to the approved weekly standards by the Service. The stock they are supposed to have for at least seven days, as is the practice, is not being implemented.

“This is about being open to knowing where the problem is because many inmates are dying due to a lack of food.

“I have personally been going to correctional centres for more than 30 years, but I have never seen what we see these days. There have always been problems, but it has never been the way it is now.’’

Agomoh, who is also the founder of the Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Actions (PRAWA), said that transparency was crucial for the investigative panel’s goal of enhancing efficiency within the NCoS.

She warned that starving inmates poses a danger, as hunger could fuel aggression.

She said the panel’s investigation also revealed that prison officers in charge of food supply prioritised profit-making.

She stated: “First, the quantity that is provided is small. Second, this drive for profit-making worsens the process. The officers in charge are one of the checks and balances for the contractors.’’

The panel’s secretary requested a response from the Nigerian Correctional Service regarding the implementation of Section 14, Subsection 4 of the NCoS Act.

No proof shows hunger killing inmates – Ag NCoS CG

Reacting in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust, the NCoS’ acting Controller-General, Sylvester Nwakuche, said the panel was exaggerating the situation.

He said there were no statistics to show that inmates were dying of hunger.

The CG alleged that the panel could be making assumptions.

He disclosed that a prison ration committee had been established to monitor the quality and quantity of food served to inmates.

Nwakuche said the team regularly conducted routine checks.

 [DailyTrust]

The Nigerian Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said the addition of 700 megawatts to the country’s national grid may bring an end to grid collapses.

Adelabu disclosed this when he received the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, in his office in Abuja.

According to a statement released on Sunday by the minister’s spokesperson, Bolaji Tunji, Adelabu said the transmission capacity was achieved through the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative, known as the Siemens project, which secured $2.3 billion in financing to revamp and transform its transmission segments.

Giving an update on the project, Adelabu said the pilot of the initiative is 90 percent complete.

“We have installed almost 90 percent of this, and they are working.

“And that has improved transmission capacity by over 700 megawatts, which is the result of what we are seeing now in terms of relative stability in the transmission grid.”

He further said that, “We have almost completed the pilot phase of that project, which involved the importation, installation, commissioning, and energization of 10 power transformers across the country and another set of 10 mobile substations.”

He explained that before the installation of the 700 MW electricity capacity, whenever the national peak reached 5,000, it became unstable and led to collapse.

“Before now, at the time the supply to the grid entered 5,000, the grid was unstable; it shook, collapsed, and all that.

“Now, we are having an average of 5,000, 7,000, and 8,000 megawatts. So, it’s not by accident. It’s because of these activities of the government.”

He added that the country in recent times has achieved two milestones: the highest average of 20,000 kilowatt-hours of daily power consumption and the highest distribution of energy at 5,801 MW.

“Over 20,000 kilowatt-hours it achieved, which has never been achieved before.

“The Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry has transmitted and distributed the highest energy of 5,801.63 MW as the latest feat.”

The development comes as the nation has plunged into partial darkness at least two times this year over grid disturbances. Although the Transmission Company of Nigeria said there have not been grid collapses in 2025,

Meanwhile, TCN confirmed that the country experienced at least twelve grid collapses in 2024 alone.

[DailyPost]

Chess player Tunde Onakoya is planning to attempt to break the world record for longest chess marathon, currently set at 61 hours by two Norwegian players.

Onakoya, who is going against US National master Shawn Martinez, aims to set a new record of 70 hours from April 17 to April 20 at Times Square, New York, USA.

He said his goal goes beyond breaking the record but to inspire the world and raise support for a noble cause of building the biggest free school for homeless children in Nigeria.

Onakoya will be joined by some of his trained children from Chess in Slums Africa initiative, who will participate in the record attempt for a few hours, showcasing their talents and potential.

The event is also open to chess players in New York City, who are invited to challenge Onakoya and his team.

Onakoya wrote: “There is a new world record for 61 hours set by two Norwegian players. On the 17th of April, we will attempt to break that record and set a new one for 70 hours

“My dream is to inspire the world, and raise support to build the biggest free school for homeless children in Nigeria.

“I won’t be doing it alone. I’ll be playing alongside these kids who have shown all of us that it is possible to do great things from a small place. (They will only join in for a few hours). This is an open call to every chess player in New York City to come and challenge them”.

Onakoya broke the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon in April, 2024, surpassing the previous record set by Norwegian players Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad in 2018.

The Norwegian duo played for 56 hours, 9 minutes, and 37 seconds.

Onakoya partnered with US chess master Shawn Martinez, exceeded this record on April 20, 2024, achieving an impressive 60-hour marathon.

[Punch]

•Fagbemi drafts S’Court response, PDP berates President, Ibas, Tompolo hints at Fubara’s return

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has sprung into action and commenced drafting the response of President Bola Tinubu to the People’s Democratic Party’s governors’ suit challenging the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State.

The PDP governors, on their part, have engaged 11 Senior Advocates of Nigeria and six other attorneys to battle the Federal Government at the Supreme Court on what powers the President has to declare emergency rule in a state and suspend a democratically elected institution of the state.

The SANs hired by the governors include Bolaji Ayorinde, Eyitayo Jegede, Kamaldeen Ajibade, J.A Mumuni, Musibau Adetunbi, Samuel Atung and Yunus Abdulsalam.

The others are M.S. Atolagbe, Ezenwa Ibegbunam, Chiamaka Anagu, Olakunle Lawal, Abduljalil Musa and H. A. Adeleke.

The PDP governors are also contesting the appointment of a sole administrator by the President to manage the affairs of Rivers State pending the duration of the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

President Bola Tinubu had on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.

Following the suspension, Tinubu appointed Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (retd.) as the sole administrator to oversee the affairs of Rivers State during the period of the suspension.

Meanwhile, the Senate and House of Representatives supported the President’s decision through a voice vote.

Consequently, 11 PDP governors sued the President and the National Assembly before the Supreme Court, challenging the President’s powers to declare an emergency rule and suspend elected officials in a state.

The 11 states whose governors instituted the suit are Adamawa, Enugu, Osun, Oyo, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Delta, Taraba, Zamfara, and Bayelsa states.

The governors in the suit marked SC/CV/329/2025, among others, asked the Supreme Court to determine “Whether upon a proper construction and interpretation of the provisions of Sections 1(2), 5(2), 176, 180, 188 and 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria can lawfully suspend or in any manner whatsoever interfere with the offices of a Governor and the Deputy Governor of any of the component 36 States of the Federation of Nigeria and replace same with his own unelected nominee as a Sole Administrator, under the guise of, or pursuant to, a Proclamation of a State of Emergency in any of the State of the Federation, particularly in any of the Plaintiffs States?

“Whether the consequent threat by the first Defendant acting on behalf of the President to the States of the Federation, including the Plaintiffs’ States, to the effect that the offices of the Governor and Deputy Governor of the States can be suspended by the President by virtue of a Proclamation of a State of Emergency, is not in contravention of the provisions of Sections 1(2), 4(6), 5(2), 11(2) and (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and inconsistent with the principles of constitutional federalism?”

On Sunday, The PUNCH gathered from a source in the AGF’s office that legal teams were working on the response to the suit.

“As we speak, my colleagues are in the office working on the processes,” the source said.

The Supreme Court has yet to fix a date for the hearing.

Ex-Rep kicks

Meanwhile, a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has fixed May 12 for a substantive hearing in a suit challenging the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and members of the State House of Assembly.

The suit was filed by a former member of the House of Representatives, Farah Dagogo.

To forestall difficulties in serving the defendants personally, the court granted an order for substituted services and fixed May 12 for the hearing.

In the case with suit No: FHC/PH/CS/50/2025, and before Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed, the plaintiff, Dagogo, had on April 9 approached the court seeking reliefs connected to actions bothering on the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and consequent suspension of the state governor and members of the State House of Assembly that involved President Bola Tinubu, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, the Senate, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass, and Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), the Sole Administrator for Rivers State.

In the motion ex parte filed on April 8, the plaintiff’s legal team, led by C. I. Enweluzo, SAN, requested the court to grant permission for substituted service of the originating summons and other related court processes.

According to him, this was necessitated by difficulties in serving the defendants personally.

Justice Mohammed, after reviewing the affidavit sworn by Solomon Ayotamuno, a litigation assistant at Liberty Chambers, and hearing arguments from the Plaintiff’s counsel, including Femi Adegbite, Monday Dayi, Daso Jack, and D. Bakweri, granted the application and directed that a hearing notice be issued, and adjourned the case to May 12, 2025, for substantive hearing.

The court also ordered that all relevant court documents be served on the defendants through DHL courier service to their last known addresses.

The affected addresses include: The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Asokoro, Abuja; The Senate President and the Senate of the Federal Republic at the National Assembly Complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja; the Speaker of the House of Representatives at the same Assembly Complex, and Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd) at the Rivers State Government House, Old GRA, Port Harcourt.

Ad-hoc committee

The House of Representatives will on Tuesday inaugurate an ad-hoc committee to take over the legislative functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly, The PUNCH has learnt.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the spokesman of the House, Akin Rotimi, noted that the presidential proclamation of the state of emergency on Rivers presented to the National Assembly was subjected to rigorous legislative consideration and duly amended to strengthen democratic safeguards and uphold the principles of checks and balances.

“One of the most consequential amendments was the designation of the National Assembly-rather than the Federal Executive Council-as the oversight authority for all regulations issued under the emergency arrangement.

“In line with Section 5 of the State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation, 2025, and pursuant to Section 11(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the House has constituted a dedicated ad-hoc committee to monitor implementation and ensure that governance in the state remains within the bounds of constitutionalism and rule of law,” the statement read in part.

According to Rotimi, the committee will be chaired by the House Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, while the House minority whip will act as the deputy chairman.

Other members of the committee include Isiaka Ibrahim, Idris Wase, Muktar Betara, and Sada Soli, Abiodun Faleke, Amos Daniel, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu and Blessing Onuh.

Others are Iduma Igariwey, Shehu Rijau, Oluwole Oke, Etinosa Amadi, Patrick Umoh, James Barka, Alex Egbona, Isa Anka and Fatima Talba.

The secretariat of the committee, according to the statement, will be headed by Prof. Jake Dan-Azumi.

He noted that the development “underscores the resolve of the House of Representatives to uphold the supremacy of the Constitution and ensure that the extraordinary measures undertaken during the emergency period remain subject to legislative oversight, guided by transparency, accountability, and the best interest of the good people of Rivers State.”

Dickson visits Fubara

Also, former Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, lauded Fubara for remaining peaceful and calm despite the political development in Rivers State.

Dickson, now a Senator, stated this when he visited Fubara at his residence in Port Harcourt.

Fubara and his predecessor and estranged political godfather, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, have been enmeshed in a prolonged disagreement, which snowballed into a major political crisis.

According to a post on Facebook, Dickson, a member of the PDP, said he and his host discussed “extreme political development in the state.”

He added, “I appreciated his (Fubara’s) calmness and peaceful disposition amidst unprecedented turbulence.”

Senator Dickson also shared pictures and a short clip of the visit on his Facebook page.

During the visit to Fubara, Senator Dickson commended the people of Rivers State for maintaining peace amidst “extreme and rare political development”, noting, “It may very well be the peace of a graveyard which, any little trigger can alter the balance of peace in the state and across the Niger Delta region.”

He urged the Ijaw people to remain peaceful and resist any provocation or incitement to violence.

He added, “They should refrain from violence and destructive tendencies, particularly the destruction and vandalisation of strategic oil and gas infrastructure in the region, which tends to cause further pollution-damage to our already compromised environment, slow down the pace of economic development and activities in the region, and create fiscal challenges for the government at all levels in the country, especially at this time when the global economy is experiencing unprecedented instability with consequences for all nations.

“The Ijaw Nation is not at war with the President or the APC-led Federal Government. On the contrary, the Niger Delta and the Ijaw Nation have always stood for a restructured and truly federal Nigeria, where power is properly devolved, accelerated infrastructure and human capital development, environmental justice and fairness for all, and an inclusive Nigeria.

“On all these issues, we are encouraged to see the President as a partner from his antecedence and not a foe, irrespective of party differences as some may portray.”

Tompolo breaks silence

Chairman, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, Government Ekpemupolo has broken his silence on the state of emergency declaration in Rivers State, assuring that the suspended “Governor Siminalayi Fubara will return to his post.”

Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, while speaking during his 54th birthday celebration held at Aziza Temple in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area on Saturday, noted with concern that people had been accusing him of betraying the Ijaw nation for being silent on the suspension of Fubara.

“Talks are ongoing to resolve the differences between both Wike and Sim Fubara,” he stated. “I have sat on the throne of my father and all that is lost will return to glory.  The Ijaws will never be conquered people. If the Ijaws choose to go to war, the heavens will join us.  I have never fought a battle and lost.

“Let’s continue to support President Tinubu, he will bring all the good things we desire to the Ijaw nation. He is not a bad person.”

Ekpemupolo added, “On the issue in Rivers State, because I have not spoken, they said I have betrayed the Ijaw nation, but l cannot betray the Ijaw nation. I have spent all my life fighting for the Ijaw but we have passed the stage of responding to Wike’s kind of statement.  We are no longer at that level.

“I assure you that Governor Fubara will return as Governor.  We are already discussing.  Both he and Wike are like son and father.  Before he became governor, many Ijaws were against him, yet Wike was instrumental to his emergence, just like we also supported Wike.

“And just like l will not accept rebellion from my son, l will also not cause more problems.  Wike is angry, but he has to bring his temper down for the good of all.  We will dialogue and resolve all lingering issues, and again, Fubara will return to his seat.

“But you see that Bayelsa, as we are all here, our eyes are there, that is our home.  If you try Bayelsa, you will die. I and Governor (Douye) Diri may differ in opinion, but we are Ijaws. Bayelsa is the home of all Ijaws.  Those who are still carrying guns against their fellow Ijaws, it’s time to love ourselves.”

Forty-seven years ago, Nigerian students took a stand against military dictatorship. They insisted that every child should have a right and access to education. They, therefore, rejected increases in school and feeding fees, insisting that education should not be commercialised.

An enraged military regime sent out soldiers against the students. What followed was a massacre.

The Murtala-Obasanjo regime zeroed in on four student leaders: Segun Okeowo, Bukar Mbaya, Offiong Aqua, and Ekpein Appah, leader of the University of Benin, UNIBEN, Students Union. Appah had most infuriated the Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo and his Deputy, General Shehu Yar’ Adua.

However, while the first three were generally known, Appah appeared to be a shadowy figure. After their detention for months and expulsion from school, he seemed to have fallen off the earth’s surface.

To mark the 47th Year of the uprising which comes up this Thursday, April 17, 2025, I drew Appah out of his shell in Kiama, Bayelsa State to present the uncommunicative hero to the world.

He had attended primary schools in Kiama, Abeokuta, Lagos, Enugu and Kaduna; secondary school in Yenagoa and higher school in Port Harcourt, before being admitted into UNIBEN in the 1976/77 Session. His active participation in student unionism was fortuitous. He was an off-campus student and the Students Union had decided that those students should be represented in the parliament. So he came to represent the off-campus students.

Appah teamed up with some other students to present a candidate for the union presidency. Their candidate won, but turned out to be a disappointment. So Appah moved a motion for his impeachment. The union then decided to re-write its constitution. He was made the Chair of the Constitution Review Committee. The Committee visited universities like Ibadan and Lagos to apprise itself of their student union constitutions. When he returned, he found that in his absence, the student union had decided to put in place a Caretaker Committee, and he had been presented as the Chairman.

This was when the NUNS was consulting various groups against the military’s decision to commercialise education. UNIBEN students were in full support of the student agitations and Appah immediately joined other national student leaders. They met a delegation of the military regime led by General Yar’Adua. In Ekpein’s analysis, the talks broke down because General Obasanjo believed that Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who was agitating to be elected President on a programme for free education, was the brain behind the students agitation. So, the ruling Supreme Military Council was insistent that it would make no compromise.

Appah insisted there was no such external influence, and that indeed, there was no influence from any quarters as the students were well informed about local and international issues which were often debated across campuses. He said the NUNS position was that if the leakages in public expenditure were blocked, there would be enough money to fund and maintain free education. The NUNS had listed some of those leakages.

He said the students also felt that if Ghana, which did not have the resources of Nigeria, including oil wealth, could provide free education, there was no reason why Nigeria could not do same. The students insisted that there could be no increase in school fees without the military consulting them, their lecturers and parents.

Appah said when ABU students and other citizens were shot in Zaria, the anger of the students and the Nigerian populace could no longer be contained.

Students decided nationwide to carry out symbolic burial of the victims. Appah told me what happened next in UNIBEN: “We had two campuses: Ekenwa and Ugbowo. We carried coffins from Ekenwa to Ugbowo. The police stopped us on the Lagos-Benin highway and ordered us back. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Aliyu Attah, who later became IG (Inspector General of Police, 1990-93) told us the police would not allow us to proceed. I told him he should either allow us or shoot us.

He argued that the burial we wanted to carry out was merely symbolic, so there was no issue whether we actually carried out the burial or not. I replied that in Africa, burials can be symbolic. It was a tense situation as some of the students were military personnel on in-service training and had guns. I myself carried a knife for self-defence.

Attah then told us the Commissioner of Police, Etim Inyang, later IG (1983-86) wanted to see us. We told Attah we would see the CP but would not trek to the Police Command. So they provided vehicles. We had started our march at 7am and did not leave the Police Command until 3pm. They carried us back to Ekenwa where we held a strong rally. During the rally, only one car was destroyed. It was an official car with the inscription, ‘Bendel State Hospital Board’, which was burnt.”

The regime which prided itself as being strongly anti-Apartheid, was livid when Appah in a letter to General Obasanjo wrote that while Apartheid South Africa was killing Blacks, he could not use Nigerian guns to kill Nigerians.

Appah was invited to see the Police Commissioner from where he was whisked to the Kingsway Road, Lagos offices of the secret Nigeria Security Organisation, NSO. He was then moved to the NSO Headquarters on Awolowo Road where he met detained lecturers like Ola Oni, Bade Onimode and Laoye Sanda. He was later moved to the Kirikiri Maximum Prison where he spent a total 49 days. He said he had a lot of introspection in prison as he had no access to books.

Appah said of his release: “ One day, the warder said I should come out and I was just left outside the Kirikiri (prison) gates. I walked to the road, and took a taxi to my brother’s residence at Number 230, Ojo Road, Ajegunle.”

After schools were reopened, he was about taking his examinations when an announcement was made expelling him. He was not allowed to return to school until 1982 when he was admitted by the University of Ibadan, to read Classics and Philosophy.

The Ibadan students were unaware of his presence on the campus until the campus press came to interview him. His former co-detainee, Bade Onimode, a Professor, then called him and said: “You can’t hide.”

On the current state of the country, including 18.3 million out-of-school children, Appah told me in our April 12, 2025 interview: “Wherever we are, whether in the village, town or country, we must be able to fight for it. Until you die, there is no rest. Until he died, Fidel Castro did not rest, Mandela did not rest. We must be ready to die for our society; Jesus died for his country.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto State has expressed concern regarding the administration of local government funds under the current All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government.

The concerns were raised on Saturday by the PDP State Chairman, Hon. Bello Aliyu Goronyo, during a meeting with party executives from the state, zonal, and local government levels at the PDP secretariat in Sokoto.

During the meeting, Hon. Goronyo highlighted what he described as a need for greater transparency and accountability in the management of local government resources. He claimed that many local councils in the state are experiencing financial constraints, which he attributed to governance challenges.

He further noted that such financial difficulties, if not addressed, could hinder development efforts and affect the delivery of essential services in local communities.

The PDP also commented on the state of basic infrastructure, pointing to issues such as limited access to potable drinking water in parts of Sokoto metropolis. Goronyo called on the current administration to prioritize the welfare of residents by addressing these needs.

Despite the party’s concerns, Hon. Goronyo expressed optimism about the PDP’s prospects in the 2027 gubernatorial elections, stating that the party is committed to offering what he described as a more responsive and people-oriented alternative.

“We believe the people of Sokoto State deserve quality leadership and improved living conditions,” he said. “The PDP remains focused on providing solutions that meet the needs of our communities.”

As political activities begin to intensify ahead of the 2027 elections, the PDP has reiterated its commitment to engaging citizens on key governance issues while working to regain the trust and support of the electorate.

 [Vanguard]

Here are the seven top business stories you need to track this week — April 14 to April 18.

FG SAYS NAIRA-FOR-CRUDE OIL DEAL WILL CONTINUE 

The federal government says the naira-for-crude deal will continue after the first phase ended on March 31.

The ministry of finance announced on April 9, after a meeting between the technical sub-committee on the crude and refined product sales in naira initiative, Wale Edun, minister of finance, and Zacch Adedeji, the chairman of the committee and the executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

“The stakeholders reaffirmed the government’s continued commitment to the full implementation of this strategic initiative, as directed by the Federal Executive Council (FEC),” the ministry said.

‘NIGERIA INSULATED FROM GLOBAL TARIFF SHOCKS’ 

Edun, also said Nigeria is well-positioned to withstand global trade disruptions, including the new United States import tariffs.

Speaking at the recent corporate governance forum organised by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) in Abuja, the minister said while oil and minerals are exempted from the tariffs, the broader economic impact could be felt through declining oil prices

He stressed that Nigeria remains relatively insulated due to early reforms and a shift in economic strategy.

‘PETROLEUM IMPORTS DECLINED BY 23%, NON-OIL IMPORTS FELL BY 12%’

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced a balance of payments (BOP) surplus of $6.83 billion for the 2024 financial year.

CBN, in a statement signed on Wednesday by Hakama Sidi-Ali, its acting director of corporate communication, said the balance of payments in 2024 represents a surplus compared to the deficit of $3.34 billion recorded in 2023 and $3.32 billion in 2022.

According to the CBN, the current and capital accounts recorded a surplus of $17.22 billion in 2024, driven largely by a goods trade surplus of $13.17 billion.

“Petroleum imports declined by 23.2% to $14.06 billion, while non-oil imports fell by 12.6% to $25.74 billion,” CBN said.

FAAN PHASES OUT PHYSICAL LUGGAGE SCREENING AT LAGOS AIRPORT 

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has phased out physical luggage screening at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

This follows the installation of advanced Rapiscan screening machines and surveillance systems at key checkpoints within both the old and new terminals.

FAAN said the new technology is aimed at streamlining security processes and reducing pre-flight check-in time.

NERC FINES EIGHT DISCOS N628M FOR OVERBILLING UNMETERED CUSTOMERS 

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has sanctioned eight power distribution companies (DisCos) for noncompliance with the capping of estimated bills for unmetered customers.

The affected DisCos, according to a statement, are Abuja, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, and Yola.

NERC said the companies overbilled customers in violation of energy caps set by the regulator for the third quarter of 2024 (July to September).

NCC PROPOSES NEW GUIDELINES ALLOWING SUBSCRIBERS TO RECLAIM AIRTIME ON INACTIVE SIMs

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has introduced a new draft requiring telecommunications operators (telcos) to develop solutions that prevent customers from losing their unused airtime.

The NCC announced the ‘Draft Guidance on Unutilised and Unclaimed Recharges’ during a high-level virtual stakeholders’ engagement forum on Tuesday.

The commission said the aim is to strengthen consumer protection in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving telecom sector.

‘NIGERIA’S OIL RESERVES DROPPED TO 37.28BN BARRELS IN JANUARY’ 

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) says the nation’s crude oil reserves, including condensate, dropped to 37.28 billion barrels as of January 1, down from 37.5 billion barrels in 2024.

The commission said Nigeria’s gas reserves also hit 210.54 trillion cubic feet (tcf) during the same period, up from 209.26 tcf in 2024.

In a statement on April 11, Gbenga Komolafe, NUPRC’s chief executive officer (CEO), said oil and condensate reserves stood at 31.44 billion barrels and 5.84 billion barrels, respectively — amounting to 37.28 billion barrels.

[TheCable]