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The Olalekan Ayinla Foundation has distributed over 500 school kits to pupils across eight primary schools in Ikeja, Lagos State.

This was part of its Back-to-School Programme designed to support widows, orphans, indigent children, and senior citizens.

The items, which included school bags, uniforms, sandals, and writing materials, were shared among pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds to ease the financial burden on their parents and encourage learning.

Founder of the foundation, Olalekan Ayinla, said the initiative was born out of a conviction that education remains the most powerful tool for empowerment and national development.

‘Education is very important in Nigeria. These children are the future of tomorrow. We all passed through this same road, so it is only right that we give back to society,’ he said.

Ayinla listed the benefiting schools to include Ukera Primary School, Adeniji Jones Primary School, Tokunbo Alli Primary School, Shogunle Primary School, Estate Primary School, Ogba, St. Peter’s Anglican School, Alausa, Opebi Primary School, and Osubiniye Primary School.

‘In total, we are distributing nearly 500 items today across eight schools. This is our way of empowering children. Beyond this, we also plan to extend support to widows, senior citizens, and orphans,’ he added.

According to him, the foundation remains committed to expanding its reach with interventions that will continue to cover pupils, widows, less privileged families, and senior citizens.

‘Nigeria’s growth is not the responsibility of the government alone. Every one of us must play a role in helping others. Through little acts of giving, we can change lives and build the country we want,’ he noted.

An official of the Social Mobilisation Department of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Sumbo Omobolanle, lauded the actions of the foundation.

She called for more private interventions to complement government efforts in tackling the issue of out-of-school children.

‘The reality is that many pupils cannot even afford exercise books or school bags. We appeal to more well-meaning Nigerians and NGOs to step in, because the government alone cannot do it,’ she said.

Head Teacher of Estate Primary School, Ogba, Mrs. Olanrewaju Funmilola, described the donation as a huge relief to parents struggling with the rising cost of basic school items.

‘On behalf of the school management, parents, and pupils, I express heartfelt gratitude to the Foundation. This will bring joy to families that could not afford basic school items,’ she said.

Assistant Head Teacher of Adeniji Jones Primary School, Mrs. Aishat Mohammed, said the initiative would boost the morale of pupils who had been struggling without adequate learning materials.

‘The children are so happy to receive these gifts. We pray that more pupils will benefit in the future,’ she said.

Rivers Hoopers rode a wave of pinpoint shooting from deep to outclass Kwara Falcons 81-61 on Day Three of the ongoing 2025 Nigeria Basketball Premier League (NBPL) Phase Two on Tuesday.

Kwara Falcons started hot, drilling back-to-back threes to take an early lead, but once Rivers Hoopers erased a four-point gap to tie the game at 13-13, there was no going back as the KingsMen scored four more to end the first quarter 17-13.

With the defending champions well settled into the game, it didn’t take much time before the team got the crowd rocking in the second quarter. Mustapha Oyebanji scored fourteen (14) of his team-leading eighteen (18) points in the second quarter, shooting four threes to feed the frenzy, as the KingsMen took a fourteen-point lead with the score at 44-30 heading into the halftime break.

The team scored five (5) threes in the second quarter and four (4) in the fourth for a total of twelve (12) overall (the highest total managed by a team in a single game at the ongoing NBPL Atlantic Conference Phase Two).

At the end of the third quarter, the hosts had opened up a twenty-two-point advantage, much to the delight of the energetic crowd, and kept up the tempo to close out the game at 81-61.

Amongst four KingsMen who hit double figures, Favour Komene had a memorable night as the youngster notched fourteen (14) points, with each of his four (4) threes cheered on by the crowd. Captain Victor Koko scored thirteen (13) points, and John Idoga added eleven (11).

In the end, the defending champions put up a performance which was well pleasing, not only to the fans but also to Assistant Coach Ronald Alalibo.

‘I’m pleased, because when you make a mistake, you go back to the drawing board, you see the kind of adjustments you want to make, and you try as much as possible to effect those adjustments to enable you to perform better.

‘So far so good; it’s a learning process. Even in this game that we won, we still saw some mistakes that we made, and we’ll go back to the drawing board to make some more adjustments moving forward because we have to get better each game,’ he said.

Rivers Hoopers next play Comets by 5pm on Wednesday and will look to make it three wins from three Phase Two games.

A political support group, the Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHA), has predicted a landslide victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

The RHA, which is spread across the country, hinged its prediction on the President’s growing popularity nationwide.

The group’s prediction came ahead of President Tinubu’s scheduled visit to the Southeast yesterday.

In a statement by RHA coordinators in the five states of the Southeast, the group commended the positive impacts of the President’s economic policies.

In the statement, the RHA Southeast Coordinators: Chief Henry Ikoh (Abia), Chief Okey Ezenwa (Anambra), Kelechi Igwe (Ebonyi), George Ogara (Enugu), and Opiah Goodluck (Imo) said the entire region was solidly behind President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

The RHA noted the administration’s strides in revamping the economy, improving security and building trust, among other people-oriented policies and programmes.

The President’s visit to the Southeast is part of the activities marking the 10th anniversary of the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the centre.

President Tinubu, who was received and hosted by the Southeast leaders in Owerri, the Imo State capital, inaugurated landmark projects executed by the Imo State governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Senator Hope Uzodimma.

The RHA Southeast coordinators noted that the President’s visit offered him the opportunity to ‘feel the famed warmth of the Southeast and to witness the massive support of the people of the zone for him and his administration’.

Describing President Tinubu as ‘the father of our nation and the transformer of our era,’ the coordinators said the Southeast was excited to host the Nigerian leader.

‘This visit to the Southeast Zone is significant, being a major activity to mark the historic anniversary and celebration of the impactful 10 years of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in power, especially in the last two years of President Tinubu in the saddle.

‘While we welcome Mr. President to Imo State, the Heartland State, the Renewed Hope Ambassadors applaud and note the economy-revamping and nation-rebuilding effects of President Tinubu’s well-thought-out policies and programmes, which are also inspiring positive actions among hardworking Nigerians across the nation, particularly in the South East and in the Diaspora.

‘Such positive action is further evident in the scheduled inauguration by President Tinubu during the visit of landmark projects by His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma, CON, the governor of Imo State, Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Chairman of the Southeast Governors’ Forum, and leader of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, in line with Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

‘Mr. President’s visit is, therefore, an opportunity to feel the famed warmth of the Southeast and to witness the massive support of the people of the zone for him and his administration

‘The Southeast Zone, under the leadership of Governor Hope Uzodinma, is now, more than ever before, ready to showcase massive support for the President and his government’ the statement said.

Assuring President Tinubu of the full support of the Southeast in 2027, the group urged all Nigerians to support his reelection and ignore distractions.

‘Indeed, the Southeast wants to vote massively for President Tinubu in 2027, to enable us sit at the front of the table in the equitable distribution of resources and infrastructure.

‘The Renewed Hope Ambassadors, therefore, reassure President Tinubu of the love, loyalty, and support of the overwhelming majority of the leaders and people of the Southeast and, of course, Nigerians in the 2027 presidential election.

‘This is a cause to which we are totally committed, and we will continue to work hard under the leadership of Governor Hope Uzodimma to ensure that President Tinubu records a landslide victory, not only in the South East but also in other parts of the country,’ the group stated.

On Friday, last week, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu turned his gaze south-westward to the sprawling city of Ibadan. Over two years since his assumption of office, this would be the president’s first berth in Ibadan, the political and spiritual capital of the Yoruba nation. Just as Kaduna spoke to his national reach the week before, Ibadan speaks to his Southwest base. It is a return not merely to a city, but to a crucible of Yoruba identity, politics, and destiny.

Ibadan is no ordinary city. It is the heartbeat of Yoruba politics and identity, a vast urban sprawl steeped in tradition, intellect, and culture. Here, history drips from every corner – from Mapo Hall, where nationalist firebrands once roused the masses, to Cocoa House, the towering emblem of the Western Region’s prosperity and vision.

Ibadan was the capital of the old Western Region, the epicentre of progressive leadership from where Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his contemporaries presided over the affairs of the region with revolutionary zeal and pioneered free education, agricultural revolutions, and industrial transformation. To the Yoruba, Ibadan is both fortress and fountain – a city where politics is born, nurtured, and projected onto the national stage.

It is into this arena of weighty symbolism that the president arrived to witness the crowning of Senator Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland. The Olubadan stool is unlike any other in Yorubaland – a uniquely structured succession line that embodies the Yoruba love of order, merit, and patience. That Tinubu stood in solidarity with the people at such a sacred moment is itself a reaffirmation of his bond with tradition and with the Yoruba nation.

In Ibadan, tradition met power. Serving Southwest governors showed up from Oyo, Ekiti, Osun and Ondo. Former governors and political heavy weights also showed up. The Sultan of Sokoto and very prominent Yoruba first class monarchs from the Alaafin to the Soun and of course Oba Elegushi of Lagos.

Politics without bitterness: Tinubu and Ladoja

The crowning of Rasheed Ladoja as Olubadan carries a personal resonance for President Tinubu. Two decades ago, when then President Olusegun Obasanjo orchestrated Ladoja’s illegal impeachment in 2003, using only a handful of lawmakers, it was Tinubu – then governor of Lagos – who stood against that brazen assault on democracy.

Ladoja, hounded from his office by Obasanjo and denied justice, found sanctuary in Lagos. President Tinubu not only gave him refuge but also lent him the courage and political cover to resist. Against the odds, with President Tinubu’s backing, Ladoja fought his way back through the courts, and the judiciary eventually restored him to power.

This bond, forged in the fire of political persecution and resilience, now finds symbolic closure in Ibadan. Tinubu did not arrive merely as president; he arrived as an old ally, standing with the Olubadan Ladoja on the day of his ultimate elevation to the Olubadan throne.

At the event on Friday at the historic Mapo hall, President Tinubu made remarkable revelation reminiscent of the Abeokuta ‘Emilokan’ declaration. He described the ascension of Oba Ladoja to the throne of his forebears as another ’emilokan’ moment. The message was not lost. Just as the comparison was obvious. His journey to be Olubadan took him 33 years to climb on the long succession ladder just like the President’s journey to the Presidency: the fight for democracy, the sacrifices, the people he built, the many twists and turns and eventually now, the Presidency.

Ibadan was also significant on the coronation day. From the hills of Mapo, President Tinubu delivered a powerful political message of renewed hope. ‘Today, I am honoured to bring the cheering news that our economy has turned around and there is now light at the end of the tunnel.’ Coming from the Commander-in-Chief, the man who knows and calls the shots, it was an important message. It was a validation of the reforms mantra of this administration and the positive impacts of the reforms.

The political capital of the Yoruba Nation

Ibadan represents more than just politics; it is spirit and identity. It has produced poets, warriors, intellectuals, and statesmen whose reach extended far beyond Yoruba land. In every era, Ibadan has stood as the Yoruba voice in Nigeria’s political orchestra. From the days of Adegoke Adelabu’s fiery ‘penkelemesi’ populism to the statesmanship of Lam Adesina and the reformist zeal of governors like Ladoja himself, Ibadan has set the rhythm of Yoruba political expression.

President Tinubu’s presence at the coronation of Olubadan therefore carried the weight of cultural affirmation. It told a people that their heritage matters at the highest levels of power, and that the leader of the nation stands not above tradition, but within it.

Politics of bridges, not walls

Like Kaduna in the north, Ibadan has been the crucible of alignments and re-alignments in the southwest. It was here that old rivalries found resolution and fresh alliances were born, shaping the destiny of the Yoruba within the federation. The president’s return to this theatre of history is a reminder that politics is not about conquest but connection; not about drawing lines, but building bridges.

For the Yoruba political elite, Tinubu’s presence is validation – proof that the son of Lagos remains attuned to the heartbeat of his cultural kin, even as he governs the entire federation. For ordinary Ibadan people, it is a reassurance that their president, despite the burdens of national office, has not forgotten the city that remains the Yoruba axis of history and destiny.

The city of Ibadan was on lock down. The streets lined with excited Oyo citizens and Nigerians welcoming and cheering on President Tinubu. To Mr. President, Oyo State Resounded Loud and Clear- ‘Ekaabo o’.

Ibadan’s genius has always been its ability to marry tradition with progress, culture with politics, history with modernity. Its monarchy is as revered as its intellectual traditions. Its politics, though fiercely competitive, has often found equilibrium in Yoruba solidarity. President Tinubu’s visit, then, was not just ceremonial. It is a subtle but profound embrace of this heritage – a signal that his politics remains grounded in the values of loyalty, patience, and cultural continuity that the Yoruba hold dear.

The significance of the moment

In Kaduna, Tinubu broke myths and dissolved doubts, receiving resounding political validation. In Ibadan, he affirmed cultural solidarity, paid homage to tradition, and consolidated his role as both President of Nigeria and a proud son of the Yoruba nation. The crowning of Rasheed Ladoja as Olubadan provided the perfect canvas for this: a celebration of continuity, loyalty, and unity.

And just as Kaduna reminded Nigeria of northern political sophistication, Ibadan offered the world a lesson in Yoruba resilience, heritage, and leadership. In Ibadan, loyalty met tradition, politics embraced culture, and history came full circle. And in that convergence, Tinubu’s leadership was reaffirmed once more – not by force of power, but by the enduring power of friendship, loyalty, sacrifice and heritage.

The Coalition of Farmers Association of Nigeria (COFAN) and the Himma Youth Farmers Association of Nigeria (HYFAN) have raised concerns that the restructuring of the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) by the Federal Government could lead to a sharp increase in the prices, threatening the productivity of smallholder and youth farmers.

The groups commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his agricultural reforms and programmes aimed at boosting food security, farmer empowerment, and youth inclusion.

However, they warned that the new direction of the PFI risks undermining the progress achieved under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

‘The PFI was a cornerstone of Nigeria’s agricultural transformation, ensuring affordable fertilizer through raw material importation and support for local blending plants. Millions of farmers benefitted from this intervention, which strengthened food production and national food security,’ Bamai said.

The farmers’ associations urged President Tinubu not to abandon the importation of raw materials until local production is capable of meeting national demand.

They also called for the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) to continue managing importation, arguing that this would guarantee efficiency, transparency, and stability in the supply chain.

‘Nigerian farmers cannot afford a disruption in fertilizer supply at this critical moment. We deeply appreciate your reforms, but we appeal: do not kill the legacy of Buhari’s agricultural transformation on fertiliser access. Sustain raw material importation until Nigeria’s local capacity is ready,’ Bamai stressed.

While reaffirming their commitment to work with government, private sector, and development partners to ensure success of the restructured PFI, COFAN and HYFAN insisted protecting farmers in the short term is essential to securing long-term food security.

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to improving the welfare and recognition of teachers in the country.

The government gave the assurance ahead of this year’s World Teachers’ Day, with the theme: Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession. The event is celebrated globally on October 5 to honour teachers and recognise their contributions to education and society.

The day was first proclaimed in 1994 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Education International (EI), and UNICEF, following the 1966 ILO/UNESCO recommendation concerning the status of Teachers.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, alongside the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, spoke at a symposium in Abuja.

Alausa described teachers as the custodians of knowledge, the builders of character, and the architects of the nation’s future.

The minister applauded teachers for being the foundation of every profession, stressing that their sacrifices keep the country alive.

He said: ‘Honestly, you have the most important and the best profession in the country. Who makes a doctor? Who makes an engineer? Who makes a professor? It is the teacher. That is why the government is working assiduously to come up with better packages for you. Light is at the end of the tunnel.

‘For too long, teaching has often been practiced in isolation. But when teachers collaborate, students are the ultimate beneficiaries. They receive richer, more engaging instruction and witness firsthand the power of teamwork and shared responsibility.’

Alausa also assured teachers that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration was determined to provide the recognition, training, and support they needed to thrive.

‘When you want the highest quality of education, what do you need? A high-quality teacher. And when you want a high-quality teacher, what should you do? Give them the recognition, the support, the training, and the cooperation that they need,’ he added.

The minister praised teachers for producing world-class graduates who continue to excel globally.

‘Anywhere in the world, when they say a Nigerian student becomes a professional, they do so well. That’s the output of your work. We know we can’t pay you enough, but be proud of yourselves. On behalf of the President, I commend you for your sacrifices, your diligence, and your commitment to building our nation,’ Alausa added.

Sir: The recent war declared by Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, (NUPENG) on Dangote Refinery for whatever reasons is uncalled for. It is hypocritical, unjustifiable and shameful.

For over 30 years, Nigerians have suffered perennial fuel scarcity and incessant price increases. Yet, there is no record of NUPENG and PENGASSAN’s intervention to bring lasting succour to Nigerians. Even at the time that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari encouraged investors to establish modular refineries, what did NUPENG and PENGASSAN do to encourage the establishment of many refineries to bring relief to Nigerians?

What was the role of NUPENG and PENGASSAN all the years that the fortunes of the Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries have been nosediving? Which workable action plan did they present and discuss with the governments at the federal and state levels to make petroleum products and job opportunities available abundantly?

There have been losses of thousands of lives and properties on Nigeria roads caused by road accidents involving the drivers of fuel tankers. What has NUPENG and PENGASSAN done with the monies they have been collecting from the tanker owners to reduce or prevent the road crashes?

Because of the failure of NUPENG and PENGASSAN, the National Assembly had to mandate the Federal Ministry of Transportation to bring the stakeholders together, including NUPENG and PENGASSAN to solve the problems of road crashes involving fuel tankers and other articulated vehicles. Yet, the stickers of NUPENG, NLC, NURTW, RETEAN, and NARTO adorn the tankers and other trucks without meaningful concerns about the driver road worthiness and the vehicle road worthiness.

What NUPENG, PENGASSAN and their allies are doing to Dangote Refinery will surely discourage more investors from going into petroleum product refining, thereby blocking the channel for more job creation while also reducing the competition that could bring down the prices for the benefit of the masses they claim to be fighting for.

Ironically, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is also mobilising for nationwide strike against Dangote Refinery. Will this not amount to economic sabotage?? Will the NLC strike create more job opportunities?

NLC which is now more active in the affairs of the Labour Party has suddenly woken up to fight against Dangote Refinery. What was the role of NLC when the importation of cement was draining the foreign exchange of Nigeria? As soon as the likes of Dangote and BUA stepped in to produce cement locally, NLC also stepped in to collect union dues. If Dangote and BUA cement were muzzled the way the unions are trying to do to Dangote Refinery now, what would have been the situation today? The new investors in cement production would not have been encouraged to invest.

There have been crises of public transportation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for many years now. The federal government tried to intervene with hundreds of buses but the buses were grounded in less than three years because of mismanagement by NLC. Some of the buses are presently in the NLC yard on Shetima Munguno Crescent at Utako, Abuja.

If NLC, NUPENG, PENGASSAN and other unions cannot successfully run businesses that impact positively on the Nigerian workers they pretend to cherish so much, they should stop taking anti-economic development actions which will inflict more hardship on the masses.

The unions have been amassing trillions of Naira annually without meaningful investments which can better the lives of the people they claim to be fighting for. Many Nigeria workers suffer disabilities and other hardships in their workplaces while the leaderships of the same unions they pay money to every month turn their faces to the other side. Who is deceiving who?

It is time for the government to review the Labour Laws. If what NUPENG, PENGASSAN, NLC, transport unions, and other unions are doing in Nigeria is what happens in Britain, America, China and other developed countries, their economies would have crumbled.

ANNONTMOUS: Good day, I have been complaining of deduction of N9000 from my pension allowance since September last year. Kindly use your office to rescue me from this situation. l have written several times for correction to no avail why.

PTAD: Dear PTAD PENSIONER, please send your verification slip to our email [email protected] to enable us to investigate and respond further. However, note that PTAD obtained a directive for the re-implementation of the CPA based on grade level in line with the clarification from the NSIWC before implementing the new 20 per cent / 28 per cent increment as applicable. The CPA which was as a result of the minimum wage approval in April 2019 was implemented in May 2021 based on pay-band application with subsequent payment of 24 months arrears covering from April 2019 to April 2021. It is therefore instructive to mention that arrears reconciliation arising from the re-implementation of the CPA based on grade level is set aside pending further directive.

The clarification from the NSIWC which revised the implementation of the CPA to Grade level was taken into cognisance and accordingly implemented on the payroll before the application of the new pension increment of 20-28% as applicable which will take effect from September 2024.

Further to the above, the Executive Secretary gave directive to pay the 20%/ 28% pension increment arrears to ONLY the pensioners whose monthly pension have been correctly computed and implemented as per the August payroll.

In line with the directive of the Executive Secretary, the Department reviewed the August 2024 pension payroll to ascertain that only pensioners who are on their correctly computed monthly pension are paid the 20 – 28% pension increment arrears and thereafter identified and excluded the following categories of pensioners:

Pensioners on the payroll with inherited monthly pension and whose monthly pension entitlement is yet to be computed to date;

Pensioners on the payroll with inherited monthly pension but whose monthly pension entitlement have been computed but not yet implemented;

Pensioners on the payroll with monthly pension figure that appears to be higher than the maximum monthly pension for their Grade Level.

Thank you.

OJO: Our Dear Sister, I am one a Heritage bank customer at Ado Ekiti. I am one of those who were not paid their pension since May. I sent a message to you with all my particulars. Please, I am waiting for your help. Ojo from Ado Ekiti.

PTAD: Dear Mr. Ojo we are not in receipt of your new bank statement from UBA as we discussed with you and your daughter on the phone. Thank you.

MABAWONKU: My Name is Mabawonku, a federal/State pensioner. I worked at the Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) from September 14, 1982 to July 6, 1993. Thereafter, I joined the Lagos State government on July 15, 1993 and retired on January 28, 2008 as a Director. Despite several demands in writing, calls and physical presence the gratuity has not been paid. I did physical verification with PTAD at Lagos in 2019. On request, I have sent my verification certificate and bank details from 2008 till date to PTAD. With all the conditions met since 2019, still my gratuity of 11 years and pension arrears of six months (January to July 1993) has not been paid. The Nation newspaper through you (Omobola) should please help me. Thank you.

Sixth Gamathon, Africa’s convention for video games and immersive media, has opened in Lagos, bringing together innovators for a week of creativity and economic opportunity on October 4, it is the finale of a regional tour that has taken in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Bridge’, Convener of Africacomicade, Michael Oscar, said it is aimed at connecting talent, investors and firms in Africa’s creative technology sector.

‘The regional tours in Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa have shown the huge talent and potential on the continent. Gamathon Nigeria 2025 creates bridges between regions and sectors while setting pathways for youth empowerment, jobs, and growth,’ he said.

The event features workshops, studio tours and networking, with exhibitions in video games, animation, extended reality and digital fashion. A highlight will be the pitch competition for PC and mobile game developers, offering a $2,000 prize pool and direct access to investors.

Pensioners under the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme (DBS) can now smile to the bank as the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) began the payment of N32,000, 10.66 per cent and 12.95per cent pension increment in the September 2025 pension payroll cycle.

This followed the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of the emergency budgetary allocation for the payment of the new pension increment rates for pensioners under the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme (DBS).

The directorate was able to secure a partial release of N20.188 billion from the N45 billion approved by the President.

The Executive Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Tolulope Odunaiya made this known in a statement obtained by The Nation.

She said: ‘This achievement has been made possible through the partial release of N20.188 billion, by the Federal Ministry of Finance, from the initial N45 billion emergency funding approval granted by the Federal Government. This milestone clearly reaffirms the Federal Government’s dedication to safeguarding the welfare and entitlements of DBS pensioners in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

‘PTAD expresses profound appreciation to the President, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for approving the emergency funding allocation to implement the pension increments as well as other landmark reforms that are certain to enhance the welfare of the beneficiaries and redefine the future of the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) pension administration.

‘We also acknowledge the unflinching support of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun; Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite; Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, Dr Zacch A. Adedeji; the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Shamseldeen B. Ogunjimi, the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, the House Committee on Pensions, and other stakeholders too numerous to mention. Their commitment, timely interventions, tireless disposition, partnership and coordinated efforts have been instrumental in ensuring that this day, when the DBS Pensioners will begin to enjoy this enhanced pension payment, is realised’.

She expressed appreciation to the national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPPAN), for their cooperation, understanding, constructive discussion, collaboration and perseverance while the Executive Secretary and Management of PTAD worked diligently to secure the release of funds.

Odunaiya further assured all DBS pensioners and stakeholders that the Directorate will continue to collaborate with the relevant authorities towards release of the outstanding approved funds and subsequent fulfillment of all future obligations relating to the pension increments and the landmark reforms.