Latest News
Power distribution companies overbilled about 7.1 million unmetered electricity consumers between January and September 2023, an analysis of the latest monthly number of overbilled customers showed.
In the various Regulatory Interventions for Non-Compliance with the Order on Capping of Estimated Billing to Unmetered Customers, issued to the 11 Discos by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, an agency of the Federal Government, it was established that the power distributors raked over N105bn as a result of over-billing.
Figures computed by our correspondent indicated that Yola Disco overbilled about 42,902 customers to the tune of N541.9m during the review period, while Abuja Disco overbilled 1,823,218 customers by N17.9bn.
Benin Disco overbilled 754,849 customers underestimated billing by N10.5bn, as Enugu Disco overbilled a total of 1,011,402 customers to the tune of N11.9bn during the nine-month period.
Eko Disco overbilled 371,828 customers under the estimated billing category between January and June 2023, as the months of July, August and September were not captured in the report released by NERC. It overbilled these customers to the tune of N14.13bn.
Ibadan Disco made N333.68m from the overbilling of 143,465 customers underestimated billing between January and September last year, while Jos Disco overbilled 1,264,537 customers to the tune of N13.3bn.
Ikeja Disco overbilled 934,438 customers by N20.9bn, as Kaduna raked in N1.14bn from the overbilling of 126,071 power users under its franchise area during the review period.
Kano Discos overbilled 71,120 customers by N196.97m during the nine month period, while Port Harcourt Disco overbilled 605,621 customers to the tune of N14.2bn between January and June, as the number of overbilled customers in July, August and September were not captured.
It was reported on Saturday that the power sector regulator declared that it would deduct N10,505,286,072 from the annual allowed revenues of the 11 power distribution companies during the next tariff review as part of sanctions over their non-compliance with the capping of estimated bills for unmetered customers.
NERC stressed that the billing of unmetered customers by the power firms in their various franchise areas for 2023 revealed non-compliance with the monthly energy caps issued by the commission.
The regulator often issues orders stipulating the maximum amount that any unmetered customer is meant to pay to the distribution company that provides him or her electricity services.
The amount is continued until the customer is metered by the distribution company, according to NERC’s order to the power firms.
In its order, as reported on Saturday, the regulator said, “The public may recall that in 2020, the commission issued the order on Capping of Estimated Bills (Order No: NERC/197/2020) and subsequently issued monthly energy caps which aimed to align the estimated bills for unmetered customers with the measured consumption of metered customers on the same supply feeder.
“A review of the electricity distribution companies’ billing of unmetered customers for 2023 has revealed non-compliance with the monthly energy caps issued by the commission.”
In response to this and in a bid to safeguard unmetered customers from arbitrary billing by Discos, the commission stated that pursuant to Section 34(1)(d) of the Electricity Act 2023, it had issued the order on Non-Compliance with Capping of Estimated Bills (Order No: NERC/2024/004-01 4).
It said the order stipulates the following: “i. Credit adjustment to customers: Discos are to issue credit adjustments to all over-billed unmetered customers for the period January to September 2023 by the March 2024 billing cycle.
“ii. Public notice: Discos have been directed to publish the list of credit adjustment beneficiaries in two national dailies and on their website no later than March 31, 2024.
“iii, Regulatory sanctions: The commission shall deduct a sum of N10,505,286,072 from the annual allowed revenues of the 11 Discos during the next tariff review, to deter future non-compliance with the energy caps approved by the commission.”
Electricity consumers nationwide have continued to lodge complaints against excessive estimated bills by power distribution companies in Nigeria.
The PUNCH, for instance, exclusively reported on December 31, 2023, that power consumers lodged a total of 333,947 complaints bordering on metering, billing and service interruption to their various distribution companies within a period of three months.
According to the report, this was disclosed in the 2023 third quarter report of NERC, stating that the complaints were lodged in the months of July, August and September 2023.
The report stated that the customer complaints in the third quarter was higher than what was recorded in the preceding quarter by 8,049 cases.
It quoted the NERC report as saying that “the total number of complaints received across all Discos (distribution companies) in 2023/Q3 was 333,947; Ibadan Disco received the highest number of complaints (59,901), representing 17.93 percent of the total complaints received. Abuja Disco received the least number of complaints (1,919), representing 0.57 percent of the total complaints received.
“Compared to 2023/Q2, the number of complaints received, number of cases resolved, and average resolution rate changed by +2.47 percent (333,947 in 2023/Q3 vs. 325,898 in 2023/Q2), +1.19 percent (317,179 in 2023/Q3 vs. 313,442 in 2023/Q2), and -1.2 per cent (94.98 in 2023/Q3 vs. 96.18 in 2023/Q2) respectively.
“Benin (-47.85 percent), Jos (-26.21 percent) and Ikeja (-1.84 percent) Discos recorded decreases in the number of customer complaints received compared to 2023/Q2.
“Conversely, eight Discos recorded increases in the number of customer complaints with significant increases being recorded by Yola (+43.28 percent), Kano (+17.46 percent) and Port Harcourt (+16.05 percent).”
On the type of complaints, the report stated that “the most frequently reported issues among the 333,947 complaints received by Discos in 2023/Q3 were metering (57.31 percent), billing (12.88 per cent), and service interruption (8.07 percent).
“These three complaints categories cumulatively accounted for over 78 percent of the total complaints in the quarter. Out of the 333,947 complaints received in 2023/Q3, 317,179 were resolved, translating to a resolution rate of 94.98 percent.”
Meanwhile, the commission has reaffirmed its commitment to regulatory compliance and consumer protection within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
Consumers expressed optimism that the power sector regulator would ensure the enforcement of this latest sanction on Discos, with the hope that it would deter the power firms from overbilling electricity users on estimated billing.
[STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu Hails the Super Eagles, Says Team Demonstrated the Great Resilience and Talent of The Nigerian People
AdminPresident Bola Tinubu salutes the Super Eagles of Nigeria for their tenacious performance in the final of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d'Ivoire.
President Tinubu commends the team, the coach, the crew, and the entire management team for their hard work, assiduity, and sacrifice to come this far in the tournament, acknowledging the hurdles they consistently surpassed with steadily improving performance as they pulled through to the finals.
The President urges Nigerians to be of good cheer, emphasizing that we won a great victory in the hearts of Africa and the world by our grit, rigour, and determination in the field of play.
"Let this passing event not dispirit us, but bring us together to work harder. We are a great nation bound as one by the green-white-green banner of resilience, joy, hope, duty, and untiring love. To those cherished Nigerian youths expressing their gifts in communities, drawing lines in the sand as they play football in their humble rectangles of play, you can be our heroes tomorrow, do not relent in your pursuit. My administration is here to make dreams come true," the President says.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Mohammed Sanusi, has said rather than blaming President Bola Tinubu for the present hardship in the country, accusatory fingers should be pointed at his immediate predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, over the way he handled the economy.
The former emir of Kano, who spoke virtually on Sunday at a religious event in Abuja, maintained that the immediate past administration failed to properly manage its economic policies.
According to him, Buhari turned a deaf ear to reasonable advice on how to take Nigeria out of its economic woes.
He said he would, therefore, not be able to meet the expectations of a section of Nigerians who wanted him to criticize President Tinubu over the current economic difficulties in the country.
The former royal father stated: “I have been, over the years, talking about the pending crisis ahead of the current economic hardship. Any economist who has studied monetary policy in the last eight years knows that Nigerians will fall into this difficult situation.
“The difficult situation Nigerians are facing is just the beginning (if the right decision is not put in place) because Nigeria is not exceptional; such situations happened in Germany, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Venezuela.
“The previous administration turned adamant about our appeal for corrective measures (on the economic policy). I have said in the presence of the now sitting president in Kaduna state, any politician who tells you that things will be easy, don’t vote for him because he is lying. People merely dismissed my advisory as a political statement.
“If I am to be fair and just to President Bola Tinubu, he is not to blame for the current hardship; for eight years, we were living a fake lifestyle with huge debt from foreign and domestic debts. The Central Bank of Nigeria owes over N30 trillion, which resulted in debt service surpassing 100 per cent.
“I can’t join other Nigerians criticising Tinubu on the current economic hardship, and I am not saying he is a saint free from wrongdoing, but in this current economic situation, President Tinubu is not to be blamed. I will also speak if I see any wrong economic policy of the Tinubu administration in the future
“It’s injustice for anyone to blame the Tinubu administration for the current economic hardship because there is no other alternative than the removal of the fuel subsidy. After all, Nigeria cannot even afford to pay the subsidy. In the last eight years, the Central Bank continued to print more money, and the Naira continued to depreciate. There is too much naira in circulation because the CBN is printing the currency without restraint.
“The economy was poorly managed, and they are not willing to take advice; in the last eight years, apart from sycophancy, nothing has been done; those sycophants are those buying the dollar at the rate of N400 and selling it at the rate of N600 to N700.
“A boy who has no record of service has a private jet and owns houses in Dubai and England just because he is buying dollars at so a rate and selling them.
“I can only plead with the people to endure the hardship, and those who have the means to help the downtrodden should do so.
“I am also pleading with commoners to live according to their earnings; we must not peg our lives above our earnings in this difficult situation where people are looking for what to eat.
The International Monetary Fund has said stalled per-capita growth, poverty and high food insecurity have exacerbated the ongoing cost-of-living crisis in Nigeria.
The report came amid rising inflation, exchange crisis, weak economic growth and business shutdowns.
The global lender said this in a new report titled ‘IMF Executive Board Concludes Post Financing Assessment with Nigeria.’
According to the report, low revenue collection has hampered the provision of services and public investment.
It noted that headline inflation reached 27 percent year-on-year in October (food inflation 32 per cent), reflecting the effects of fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate depreciation, and poor agricultural production in the country.
The report read in part, “Nigeria faces a difficult external environment and wide-ranging domestic challenges. External financing (market and official) is scarce, and global food prices have surged, reflecting the repercussions of conflict and geo-economic fragmentation.
“Per-capita growth in Nigeria has stalled, poverty and food insecurity are high, exacerbating the cost-of-living crisis. Low reserves and very limited fiscal space constrain the authorities’ option space. Against this backdrop, the authorities’ focus on restoring macroeconomic stability and creating conditions for sustained, high and inclusive growth is appropriate.”
Amid Nigeria’s current economic difficulties, the report noted that on January 12, 2024, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund concluded the Post Financing Assessment and endorsed the Staff Appraisal on a lapse-of-time basis. It added that Nigeria’s capacity to repay the IMF is adequate.
The IMF also expressed optimism that the new administration had made a strong start, tackling deep-rooted structural issues in challenging circumstances.
Immediately, it adopted two policy reforms that its predecessors had shied away-namely fuel subsidy removal and the unification of the official exchange rates.
It added, “The new CBN team has made price stability its core mandate and demonstrated this resolve by dropping its previous role in development finance. On the fiscal side, the authorities are developing an ambitious domestic revenue mobilisation agenda.”
According to data from the Debt Management Office, Nigeria currently owes the IMF the sum of $2.8bn. The Federal Government, in its 2024 budget plans to spend about N8.2tn on debt servicing.
Professional services firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers in a new report, warned that Nigeria’s rising debt service cost might affect the country’s debt servicing ability, credit rating outlook and borrowing cost.
PwC said debt service could rise from N8.25tn in 2024 to N9.3tn in 2025 and further to N11.1tn in 2026.
“With a high debt servicing to revenue ratio, the government aims to increase domestic debt in 2024 to meet its deficit funding requirements,” the report read in part.
United States authorities on Sunday said preliminary reports suggest that the chopper crash that killed Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holding Plc, Herbert Wigwe, his Wife, son and others was because of wintry weather conditions.
Speaking during a media briefing Saturday (3 am Nigerian time, Sunday), a National Transportation Safety Board member, Michael Graham, said officials were on the scene to gather perishable evidence.
“Witness reports of the weather conditions during the accident suggest rain and a wintry mix.
“The helicopter was not equipped with a cockpit voice recorder or a flight data recorder. This helicopter was not required to be equipped with those types of recording devices,” Graham said.
Asked about more information on the passengers, Graham stated there were no details but added that “any names will be released through the coroner’s office” without specifying a time frame.
Meanwhile, Access Bank had confirmed the death of Wigwe and his family members in a statement on Sunday.
DAILY POST recalls that reports filtered in on Saturday evening announcing Wigwe’s death in California United States plane crash.
[PRESS STATEMENT] Shelve strike, key into Tinubu's mass housing scheme, Okechukwu appeals to NLC/TUC
AdminMr Osita Okechukwu, a member of All Progressives Congress (APC) has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), to shelve their proposed strike and key into the Mass Housing Scheme of the Federal Government, and jointly structure long term finance and soft mortgage rates for affordable owner occupier houses for government and private workers nationwide.
Okechukwu also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to as a matter of urgent national importance, utilise the monies he could have used for increase in salary to fund the new soft mortgage system; hence advancement of the long term finance of Mass Housing Scheme he launched recently with Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
“It is my considered view that arbitrary salary increase would definitely worsen the already spiked inflationary malaise in our dear country. Therefore, the provision of targeted one million owner occupier houses of long term finance and soft mortgage rates structured seamlessly is a Win-Win-Card for all Nigerians. It will be President Tinubu’s foremost legacy.” Okechukwu quipped.
He warned against a repeat of the mistakes of the Jerome Udoji Salary Commission of 1972, popularly called "Udoji award" which unwittingly railroaded Nigeria into dollarised economy.
Okechukwu argued that any arbitrary salary increase now, would spike unbearable inflation and eventually defeat the objectives of salary increase.
He noted that after careful scrutiny of the MOU between the Federal Government and Labour Unions, he couldn’t locate any mention of shelter among the fifteen items; shelter one of 1943 Abraham Maslow’s paper on hierarchy of deficiency needs which actualisation is Rent-Safety-Net for millions of our citizenry.
The former Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON) lamented that since some state governments and private firms have been unable to pay the N30,000 minimum wage engraved in law books; what is the guarantee that they have the capacity to pay the new salary increase?
Accordingly, he proposed that the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Ministry of Labour, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, Nigeria Employees Consultative Association and other relevant agencies should work out long term finance and new soft mortgage rates for affordable owner occupier houses which will draw funds from the savings accruals of the withdrawal of fuel subsidy, plus contributions from banks as stipulated in the National Fund Act and foreign direct investment.
He highlighted the multifaceted Win-Win-Card gains in view of the long term finance and soft mortgage rates of affordable owner occupier houses; among which are attraction of foreign investors, Rent-Safety-Net, unprecedented mass employment, lifting of millions out of poverty, change of work ethics,climate change and curbing insecurity via the immediate transformation of the whole country into busy construction site.
“My take is that immediately the cumbersome nature of accessing mortgage finance is watered down and cheap mortgage rates in place; it will be a new dawn for family’s comfort as the over 20 million housing deficit will be drastically reduced to single digit.” Okechukwu submitted.
Okechukwu once more appealed to NLC and TUC to consider this soft mortgage rates of affordable owner occupier houses and shelve the impending strike for the collective interest of workers nationwide and for peace and unity of our dear country.
Implementing code of ethics and conduct in Civil Service is crucial to providing guidelines for both workers and elected officials, while its effectiveness lies in complementing such with training and leadership abilities of different categories of officers for effective service delivery.
The Chairman, Civil Service Commission, Engr. Tokunbo Odebunmi, stated this during a symposium organised by the Commission for its management staff with the theme, ‘’Strict Adherence to the Rules and Regulations in Treating Issues in Civil Service’’, at the Conference Hall, Obas’ Complex, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Engr. Odebunmi, in a statement signed by Mrs. Funmi Onafowope, Press Officer, Civil Service Commission, explained that drifting from the concept and principles of the public service by civil servants as compared with the past, just as the real foundations in Civil Service should begin from Grade Levels 12 and 13 officers, who would cascade the training, necessitated the choice of topic and participants for the symposium, stressing that it was imperative to ensure that the workforce is improved upon, in order to enhance workers’ performance.
‘’The Commission agreed on a symposium where interactive sessions would take place and lead to a better understanding of the subject matter compared to regular in-house training by it in the past where lectures were only delivered to participants’’, he said.
While highlighting some ethical violations that could occur in the Civil Service of Ogun State to include, nepotism, corruption, conflict of interests and misuse of official resources, the Chairman urged participants to make the best out of the event.
Also speaking, the Special Guest of Honour, who doubled as the moderator of the symposium, Princess Iyabo Odulate, noted the rules and regulations guiding the Civil Service were written to be studied, observed and implemented by the Civil Servants, advising participants to be diligent and upright in the course of discharging their duties.
In his remarks, the Head of Service, Mr. Kolawole Fagbohun (HoS), represented by the Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Mr. Jola Oyeneye, emphasised on the need for training the workers, disclosing that the HoS had secured several approvals that would facilitate capacity building for the workforce.
The interactive sessions had Permanent Secretaries from Bureau of State Pensions, Mr. Soji Adewuyi; Permanent Secretary and Accountant-General, Mr. Tunde Aregbesola and representative of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr. Olumuyiwa Ogunsanwo, who spoke on Public Service Rules (PSR), Financial Regulations, Procedures and Process in the Civil Service and Law, Discipline and Consequences in the Course of Discharging Duties, respectively.
Other dignitaries at the event were former Head of Service, Elder Olusola Adeyemi; Commissioners in the Commission, Hons. Adebowale Ojuri, Nike Osoba, Gabriel Falola and Yusuf Adegbemiro; Permanent Secretary in the Commission, Mrs. Roseline Jacobs, among others.
President Bola Tinubu on Saturday urged the Nigerian Army to shun actions that could truncate Nigeria’s democracy.
The president made this plea at the Diamond Jubilee of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna on Saturday, according to his spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale.
“I urge you to continue to play your constitutional role of safeguarding the territorial integrity of Nigeria, our fatherland,” said Mr Tinubu.
Mr Tinubu added that the army “must shun any acts that are inimical to the well-being of our nation and acts which can destroy the gains of democracy which we have enjoyed in the last 20 years.”
While celebrating fallen heroes who lost their lives protecting the country’s territorial integrity, Mr Tinubu said, “The war against the enemies of Nigeria is not over.”
He charged the Nigerian Army to “upscale the fight against insecurity, which has robbed us of peace and progress.”
The president’s plea to the Nigerian Army to shun actions that are capable of truncating democracy comes as the continent witnessed a series of coup d’états.
In the past three years, several African countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Sudan, and most recently, Niger Republic and Gabon have been controlled by military juntas who cited corruption, insecurity and increased poverty as the bases for the takeover from democratic governments.
From 1966 to 1993, Nigeria experienced several coups, excused by military regimes on widespread corruption, electoral fraud and violence, poverty, and insecurity. The country returned to democracy in 1999.
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, increased the Customs duties exchange rate for the third time in 2024.
Import duties have been reviewed upward to N1,417.63 per US dollar from N1,413.62.
With the upward review, Nigerians will pay more to clear their goods at the port because import duties are benchmarked against the dollar.
This represents an increase of N4.015 and a percentage increase of 0.28 per cent, as the official exchange traded at N1,469.97 per US Dollar at the foreign market on Friday.
DAILY POST gathered that the current upward review of the exchange rate for calculating customs import duty is the third in one week and the third in 2024.
It is also the seventh time the apex bank has adjusted the exchange in eight months since President Tinubu’s administration commenced the floating naira policy, a reform to stabilise the forex market.
Recall that the Customs had on June 24, 2023, adjusted the exchange rate from N422.30/$ to N589/$, and on July 6, 2023, it was adjusted to N770.88/$, on November 14, 2023, it was adjusted to N783.174/$, in December it was adjusted to N951.941/$, on February 2 it was moved to N1, 356.883/$ and on February 3, it was raised to N1, 413.62/$ and now it has been raised to N1,417.635/$.
Experts warned that the continued hike in import duty portends a rise in the prices of imported goods and services in the country.
Bisiriyu Fanu, the former chairman of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents at Seme Border, said the hike in Customs duty through high FX rates will affect all goods in the market because every commodity in the market has imported input in them.
Earlier, the Director of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Muda Yusuf, lamented that increased import duty would further impoverish Nigerians.
South Africa coach, Hugo Broos has reacted to his team winning the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, third-place final against DR Congo on Saturday.
Broos watched as Bafana Bafana defeated Congo 6-5 via penalty shoot-out after the match ended in a 0-0 draw.
Speaking to reporters after clinching the third-place final in Abidjan, Broos heaped praises on his players, saying they showed great mentality.
He said, “I said after the Nigeria match that I was proud of this team, and I think today people can see why I say I am proud of this team.
“We were not fresh but when you see the mentality in that group, it is impressive.
“The boys did very well. They showed great mentality.”
More...
Scotland has revealed its intentions to broaden the diversity of its international student body and increase the retention of foreign students post-graduation.
This was discussed during the country’s inaugural international education strategy held recently as the Scottish government outlined plans to launch a new “Talent attraction and migration service” later this year.
Nairametrics learns that this service aims to offer guidance and support for students considering remaining in Scotland after completing their studies to pursue employment in sectors experiencing growth.
Additionally, the country plans to leverage its nine international offices to promote transnational education through Scottish educational institutions and bolster the efforts advocating for Scottish universities and their research on a global scale.
The strategy also includes initiatives to foster stronger connections with Scotland’s diaspora and alumni networks.
Furthermore, a pilot project for a replacement scheme for Erasmus, potentially named the Scottish Education Exchange Programme, is scheduled for implementation.
The Scottish National Party also proposed plans for a five-year post-study work visa for international students.
Promoting international student recruitment
Scotland’s strategy focuses on attracting students, staff, and researchers from outside the UK to diversify the international student body and maximize their contributions to Scotland.
In the academic year of 2022-23, Scotland hosted 83,000 international students from 180 countries, constituting approximately one-quarter of the total student population. This cohort contributed £4.2 billion in economic benefits during that year.
The strategy underscores Scotland’s identity as an “outward-looking, inclusive nation” that values its international education capabilities and export potential.
This strategy is contrast to UK government’s recent decision to prohibit taught postgraduates from bringing family members, which came into effect last month.
What the stakeholders said
Launching the plan at Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland’s higher education minister, Graeme Dey, said,
- “The strategy sets out our collective aim to create the conditions for our universities and colleges to continue to flourish.
- “In the coming months and years, we will continue to work with Scotland’s universities and colleges to help them diversify their international student, research and staff population by enhancing our reputation as a world-leading safe and inclusive country, with open-minded social policies.
- “The administration hopes to maximize the social and economic benefits of international higher education and continue to promote Scotland’s world-leading research and knowledge exchange sector on the global stage”.
In a similar vein, Professor Andrea Nolan, Universities Scotland’s international committee convener and Edinburgh Napier’s vice-chancellor, said,
- ”The strategy gives us a platform, working together with government and other partners, to further develop these positive links to strengthen the sector’s contribution to the economy, society and culture. It also looks to deepen support for the full breadth of universities’ international role.
- “We’re already known internationally for the quality of our higher and further education, but what may be less well understood is the role our universities and colleges play as major contributors to inwards investment and the attraction of talented people who want to live and work here.
- “Working in partnership, we will build on all elements of our international work to grow our reach and impact.”
[Nairametrics]
Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Isiaq Oloyede, yesterday warned that students seeking admission into tertiary institutions across the country must ensure that letters of provisional admission handed over to them are the genuine ones issued by the board so as not to thwart the dream of furthering their education.
The warning came as the commissioner of police in Ogun State, Abiodun Alamutu and the Vice Chancellor, Abia State University (ABSU), Prof. Onyemachi Ogbulu, warned students of the institution, particularly those studying at its Ogun State affiliated institutions: Harvarde College in Abeokuta, to shun cultism, but approach their studies with total dedication to be profitable to their parents that invested so much on them.
They spoke during the 2023/2024 matriculation ceremony of Harvarde College yesterday in Obada-Oko, Ewekoro local government area of Ogun State.
Represented by the board’s coordinator in Ogun State, Akeem Abdul-Hammed, the JAMB registrar declared that any tertiary institution admission seeker that fails to follow due process would get into problem in the future.
Ogbulu declared that the institution would not renege in its war of expulsion and other penalties against students found to be contravening laid down standards.
Ogun CP, Alamutu, who lamented the menace of cultism and other related activities across the state, stressed that the trend had become a serious source of concern to security agencies.
President and founder of the institution, Dr. Adebayo Ouwatosin, charged the students to remain focused towards achieving excellent academic success which he said required diligence and perseverance.
[Leadership]
About 21 days before his death, the Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe in a post on X formerly known as Twitter, urged his followers to number their days.
The business mogul reportedly died in an ill-fated chopper that crashed in California, United States, a few days ago.
According to reports, Wigwe was on board a chopper with his family, including wife, son and three other passengers when the unfortunate incident occurred on Friday.
Shortly after the report of the incident on Saturday, netizens began digging out some of his previous posts on his official X handle.
In one of the posts, Wigwe urged his followers to always see life as a precious gift, urging them to ensure that every moment of their lives counted.
He wrote, “Today and always, let us remember that life is a precious gift – a chance to breathe, feel, love, experience and connect.
“Let’s honour this gift by living with purpose, kindness, and gratitude, making every moment count. Let us number our days”.
[DailyPost]
Federal employees across Nigeria have expressed their frustration over the delayed payment of their January salaries, criticizing the government’s handling of the situation amidst the country’s ongoing economic challenges.
The outcry comes as workers from various federal establishments, including educational institutions, media houses, and government agencies, face increasing financial strain.
A memo from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, had previously informed employees about the expected delay.
The document explained that the delay was due to efforts to finalize the 2024 Appropriation on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform, which resulted in the Personnel Warrant for January 2024 not being released on time.
This has affected Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) nationwide, with staff urged to remain patient while the issues are resolved.
The impact of the delay has been profound in states like Ekiti, where staff from institutions like the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), and Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, among others, have voiced their concerns.
Wole Balogun, an official at FUOYE, lamented the added hardship faced by people and criticized the bureaucratic bottlenecks causing the payment delays.
Similarly, Folashade Daramola from the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, highlighted the difficulties in fulfilling loan obligations and meeting daily transportation and feeding needs.
In addition to the salary delays, Owoeye Ilesanmi from the National Orientation Agency (NOA) pointed out the government’s failure to fully disburse the wage award promised to federal workers as compensation for the subsidy removal on petrol, which has led to a significant increase in living costs.
The situation has also led to distress among workers in Katsina State, where employees like an engineer from the Federal University, Dutsin Ma, and a non-academic staff member of the Federal Polytechnic, Daura, report severe disruptions to their work schedules and daily lives due to the financial crunch.
With the delay affecting employees’ ability to commute to work and exacerbating the financial pressure from rising food prices, the sentiment among federal workers is one of increasing desperation.
Many have taken to social media to voice their grievances, with one worker humorously referring to the extended wait for their salary as “January the 39th,” indicating the prolonged nature of the month without pay.
As federal workers navigate these challenging times, the delay in salary payments highlights broader issues of economic hardship and the need for timely and efficient administrative processes to support the workforce.
[NaijaNews]