Category: Nigerian Tribune

The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), on Monday recounted how he facilitated the increase in the salaries of Nigerian soldiers from N49,000 to N100,000 during his tenure as Chief of Defence Staff, revealing that fresh efforts are underway to secure another pay raise for troops.

Speaking on Monday at a one-day training and financial empowerment programme for widows and wives of military personnel at Lungi Barracks in Abuja, Musa said the salary adjustment was part of efforts to improve the welfare of troops who continue to risk their lives in service to the nation.

Reflecting on the review, the minister said he initiated the process about two years ago while serving as Chief of Defence Staff.

‘When I was Chief of Defence, the soldiers were collecting N49,000. I made an effort two years ago for it to be increased to N100,000, and that was achieved,’ Musa said.

Musa disclosed that the government is not stopping there, revealing that discussions are ongoing with President Bola Tinubu on the possibility of another salary increase for military personnel.

According to him, the President understands the sacrifices made by members of the Armed Forces and is committed to ensuring they receive better financial rewards for their service.

‘We are, however, still making more efforts for it to be increased further. And we know our President is a father, a listening father, who will make sure that our troops are collecting good money because they are sacrificing so much.

‘So, for all of us here, I’m sure very soon, Mr. President is going to announce an increase in salaries for our men,’ he added.

Beyond salary improvements, the Defence Minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting the families of military personnel.

He explained that the empowerment programme was designed to help widows and wives of service members acquire practical skills and build sustainable businesses, thereby improving their financial stability.

Musa noted that strengthening the economic well-being of military families would allow serving personnel to concentrate on their operational responsibilities without unnecessary distractions while also contributing to broader economic growth.

No fewer than 15 people have been killed by suspected herdsmen in an early-hour attack on the Efeyi community in Ugboju District of Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.

According to a local who identified himself as Okpe, who told newsmen in a telephone conversation that the attackers stormed the community around 5 am on Tuesday and shot sporadically.

He said, ‘The current situation in Efeyi Ugboju is pathetic. An attack that started since 5am this (Tuesday) morning till around 7 am; there was no response from security agents.

‘The attackers are herdsmen; they were shooting sporadically when they came into our community, as am talking to you now, 15 corpses have been recovered, while a search is ongoing because some people are still missing.

The chairman of Otukpo LGA, Maxwell Ogiri, who confirmed the attack, said that 14 dead bodies had been recovered while several people had sustained injuries.

Ogiri said that the attack was unprovoked, and he identified the attackers to be herdsmen.

‘Yes, there was an attack on Efeyi in Ogboju district, Otukpo LGA; 14 dead bodies have been recovered, many wounded.

‘There was no provocation at all; the attack was carried out by the same herdsmen. I think they just came to shed blood and kill people. Our people are afraid. There is a great apprehension; people from neighbouring communities are fleeing,’ Ogiri said.

Speaking on the presence of security personnel in the council, Ogiri said, ‘There are many security agencies, including Mopol, Agro-rangers, military, and police, but I do not know if they are not enough.’

He suggested that the government should try to enforce the anti-open grazing law of the state, stating that everything is tied to it. ‘Even the eviction notice given cannot hold because there is nobody to enforce it, and so, we will continue to lament.

‘Mine is to give them (security agents) a comfortable place to stay and other logistics, but I don’t determine their operation,’ he added.

Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, said she would respond when she gets the report.

She said, ‘I’ll respond to this when I get the report and details, please.’

Otukpo Nobi, a community in Otukpo LGA, was attacked about three weeks ago, with eight people reportedly killed by suspected herdsmen.

Florence Otedola, popularly known as DJ Cuppy and daughter of billionaire businessman Femi Otedola, and Afrobeats star Rema have sparked dating speculation after sharing photos from a dinner outing in London.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that DJ Cuppy shared the photos on her verified X page on Monday describing the meeting as a ‘cheeky London link up’.

The photos showed the pair seated together at a London restaurant, smiling and posing for the camera during the outing.

The post reads, ‘Cheeky London link up with @heisrema before life gets busy again. Dinner on him…he makes more money than me’.

Their appearance together in London has continued to generate widespread discussion among fans, with many speculating that the two entertainers may be romantically involved.

Neither DJ Cuppy nor Rema described the outing as a date or commented on the nature of their relationship beyond the social media post.

NAN reports that the development has continued to attract reactions from netizens , with many describing the pair as an unexpected combination, while others cautioned against drawing conclusions from a public appearance.

Some social media users also revisited Rema’s 2023 song ‘Charm’, particularly the lyric, ‘I know you senior me, I get money pass your papa’, with some speculating that it could have referred to businessman Femi Otedola.

However, the singer has never publicly identified anyone as the subject of the lyric.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has launched what appears to be its strongest political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general election, urging Nigerian workers to unite and actively shape the outcome of the presidential poll, rather than remain ‘mere objects of political manipulation.’

Speaking at the opening of the 2026 NLC Rain School, at the Workers Solidarity Centre in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Monday, NLC president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, declared that the nation’s workforce possesses the collective strength to influence the country’s political direction if it remains united and organised.

He said the theme of this year’s Rain School, ‘The Working Class and the Politics of 2027,’ was deliberately chosen to prepare workers for a more active role in determining Nigeria’s future.

‘If we make up our minds and act unitedly, we will be in a position to define outcomes in the 2027 general elections,’ Ajaero said.

He stressed that workers would no longer accept being reduced to passive spectators in the nation’s political process, insisting that they remain the true producers of the country’s wealth and deserve a decisive voice in governance.

‘The theme of this year’s school is deliberately chosen and profoundly strategic. It is a direct challenge to the political and economic establishment in this country. It declares that we, the producers of the nation’s wealth, refuse to be passive observers in the political process. We are the engine of the economy, the hands that build this nation, and we will not be treated as mere objects of political manipulation,’ he said.

The labour leader challenged workers not to underestimate their influence, despite the prevailing economic hardship, poor wages and rising cost of living.

‘We want to tell you the most important truth you will hear today; you are not insignificant. You are the lifeblood of this nation. You are the critical force that can force change,’ he said.

‘The industrial and political power of a nation does not reside in its treasury or its political party offices; it resides in the palms of your hands and in the collective strength of your solidarity.’

Addressing union organisers, Ajaero said they possess enormous economic and political leverage capable of influencing national affairs.

‘Do you know that you can contract or expand the national economy with a single decisive action? This cannot happen if you do not realise the immense power resident in you and use it to mobilise at all levels of the trade union movement for a positive change in our nation,’ he said.

He also charged labour leaders and gender activists to intensify mobilisation within their unions ahead of the 2027 elections, urging them to promote greater participation of women in elective positions and provide courageous leadership throughout the electoral process.

‘It is the duty of every leader here to guide our unions with courage and foresight. We ask, are you prepared to provide leadership as we move into the 2027 general elections or do you believe that we do not have any role to play? Of course, we do.’

Ajaero maintained that workers were not seeking political favours but demanding accountable leadership.

‘We are not supplicants begging for favours. We are the sovereign power from which all legitimate authority must derive. Our duty is to compel the politicians to work for the benefit of the greater majority, not just a privileged minority.’

He said the struggle for political change must go hand in hand with the fight for improved workers’ welfare, announcing that organised labour was already preparing for negotiations on a new national minimum wage.

‘The battle for a living wage will soon begin in earnest. The paltry sum that currently passes for a wage can no longer be sustainable. It is a poverty wage.

‘We must not go to the negotiation table with a begging bowl. We must demand a wage that can truly approximate a living wage; one that enables workers to feed, shelter, educate and provide for their families with dignity.’

The NLC president further lamented that Nigeria remains among the countries with the worst records on workers’ rights, accusing authorities of delaying the transmission of long-awaited tripartite-reviewed labour law reforms to the National Assembly.

He described the six-year delay as unacceptable and urged workers, lawmakers, civil society organisations and the media to intensify pressure on the Federal Government to ensure the reforms become law.

Ajaero also blamed corruption and what he described as ‘kleptocracy’ for Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions, insisting that the country’s resources were being diverted for the benefit of a privileged few while ordinary workers continue to bear the burden of hardship.

‘Nigeria is not broke; the political class is saving it in their bank accounts. The only thing missing is not the money. It is our collective anger,’ he declared.

He urged participants to return to their states as agents of change, saying the Rain School should serve as a launching pad for greater worker mobilisation ahead of the challenges that lie ahead.

‘Be brave. Be bold. Be committed. Be united. Go back to your workplaces and your states not as a defeated class, but as the vanguard of a new Nigeria. Organise, mobilise and prepare for the struggles ahead. Nigeria is ours and it needs all of us.’

Nigerian media personality, Nedu Wazobia has claimed that Abuja is the centre of Nigeria’s sugar mummy industry.

Speaking during a conversation with content creator, Ludahydrate, Nedu said the Federal Capital Territory has the highest concentration of sugar mummy relationships in the country.

‘The Sugar Mummy industry is one of the biggest industries in Nigeria. The headquarters as far as I am concerned is here in Abuja,’ he stated.

Ludahydrate supported the claim, arguing that the trend is linked to the presence of Northern politicians and political appointees in the city.

According to him, some wealthy divorced women who received assets as part of divorce settlements may choose to have younger partners instead of remarrying.

‘Why is a lot in Abuja is because Northern men are here and they have more wives. You will see one minister wey get like nine wives. Inside that nine e fit just divorce three when he divorce that three now, maybe e fit just give one an estate and give another one a supermarket as settlement.

‘Imagine a woman wey get a supermarket and maybe she get another water company. She has kids but doesn’t have any man in her life. That kind of woman might not want to get married again. She will prefer to just have a Sugar Boy’, Ludahydrate stated.

The Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service on Tuesday held a sensitisation workshop on the deployment of the Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS) at the PTML Terminal.

The Controller of the PTML Area Command, Deputy Comptroller Nura Miko, announced that PTML has been selected as the second pilot command for the nationwide rollout of the ECTS, following its successful implementation at the Apapa Area Command.

‘The selection reflects PTML’s strategic importance in national revenue generation and trade facilitation.

‘The deployment forms part of the ongoing reform and modernisation agenda of the Nigeria Customs Service under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, aimed at building a technology-driven, transparent, efficient, and globally competitive 21st Century Customs Service.

‘For years, cargo moving under transire to bonded terminals, between commands, or to Free Trade Zones relied on physical escort by officers. Rising trade volumes have rendered this approach unsustainable, leading to delays, potential vulnerabilities, and significant manpower strain,’ Controller Miko stated.

Deputy Comptroller Miko added that the Electronic Cargo Tracking System will address trade-related challenges and deliver multiple benefits.

The Controller said the cargo tracking system will offer real-time cargo monitoring via GPS from the point of departure to the final destination, providing full visibility and control. It will also help eliminate diversion and leakage, with instant alerts triggered by route deviations, seal tampering, or unauthorised stops.

DC Miko added that the system will optimise manpower deployment, freeing officers from escort duties to focus on other core Customs functions. It will also enhance revenue assurance through accurate data on cargo movement and full accountability for all cargo movements.

According to him, additional benefits of the system include strengthened risk management and compliance, supported by data for intelligence gathering and trader profiling.

On the benefits to stakeholders, the Acting Controller said they will benefit directly through faster clearance and delivery, with no waiting time for escort teams. This, he said, will reduce the cost of doing business through lower demurrage, fewer delays, and more predictable transit times.

He further stated that there would be greater transparency and security, as consignments would remain tracked and secured throughout their journey under Customs control.

‘This workshop is therefore convened to engage our stakeholders on the procedures, responsibilities, and expectations under the Electronic Cargo Tracking System regime,’ Deputy Comptroller Miko said.

‘I urge all participants to embrace this change, ask questions, and work with us to ensure a seamless takeoff.’

On behalf of the officers and men of the PTML Area Command, he expressed profound appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs and the NCS Management Team for their commitment to the digitalisation of Customs processes, as well as to stakeholders for their continued partnership.

Acting Controller Miko then formally declared the Sensitisation Workshop on the Deployment of the Electronic Cargo Tracking System open and flagged off cargo tracking with a consignment destined for the Don Climax Bonded Warehouse.

Participants at the workshop included Customs officers, licensed Customs agents, freight forwarders, terminal operators, and other private sector stakeholders.

A career is a profession or occupation that a person chooses and develops over a long period of time. Every teenager has unique talents, interests, and abilities that should be nutured rather than ignored.

Unfortunately, many parents force their children into careers they do not enjoy. For example, a student who dreams of becoming a fashion designer or musician may be compelled to study medicine or law simply because of family expectations. Such pressure can make the child unhappy, reduce motivation, and prevent them from reaching their full potential.

There is an instance of a young lady that came out on the internet recounting her experience of how she wanted to study advertising, but unfortunately she was forced by her parents especially her dad, to study law. It was very difficult for her to understand and pass the courses in law but she just made up her mind to make her parents proud. She eventually graduated with honours. Funily enough, she is, today, a director in an advertising agency.

Parents should guide their children instead of forcing career choices on them. They should identify their children’s strengths, provide support, and allow them to pursue careers that match their passion. When teenagers are encouraged to follow their dreams, they are more likely to succeed and contribute more positively to society.

WHEN the 2023 presidential election results were announced, many analysts and commentators gave a largely unanimous verdict regarding the voting pattern in the South-east. The region had voted almost entirely along the ethnic line. The figures told part of the story: Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party swept the zone with over 1.8 million votes. In comparison, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress recorded just about 127,000 votes across the five South-east states. Three years into the President Tinubu administration, that electoral map is already being redrawn – not by rhetoric, but by landmark projects, appointments in strategic positions and deliberate political engagement. The South-east has historically complained of federal neglect, specifically in relation to federal presence. President Tinubu has moved to close that gap with visible infrastructure projects. The federal projects, completed or ongoing in the zone, are now too numerous and one could easily lose count. They include the renewed federal push on the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue Trans-Saharan Superhighway, Enugu-Port Harcourt Road, and the Second Niger Bridge access roads.

For a region whose economy runs on trade, fixing these arteries will directly impact businesses in Onitsha, Aba, Nnewi, and other commercial hubs in the region. I saw some of these iconic roads and the high quality of work being done during a recent National Media inspection tour of the federal and state government projects in the South-east organised by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team. President Tinubu has also committed to the Eastern Rail Corridor from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, under which the South-east segment is prioritised. This revives a transport mode that collapsed decades ago. The import becomes even more significant when some facts are considered. Some of the projects now being brought to life under President Tinubu, according to the Minister of Works, Engineer Dave Umahi, were conceived during the colonial era but left unrealised for decades. Such renaissance is not limited to road infrastructure. On energy, the inclusion of South-east states in the Siemens Power project and renewed attention to gas infrastructure to power industrial clusters in Aba and Nnewi is important. During the inspection tour, we visited the ANOH gas project (Assa North-Ohaji South Gas project), one of Nigeria’s largest natural gas development projects and a cornerstone of the Federal Government’s decade-long gas initiative. The processing plant, operated by ANOH Gas Company as a 50-50 joint venture between Seplat Energy Plc and Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company, a subsidiary of NNPC Limited, was inaugurated by President Tinubu on May 15, 2024. It is already supplying processed gas to offtakers like Indorama Petrochemical Company.

The road and rail projects that crisscross the South-east landscape are not campaign promises. They are budget lines with contractors on site. In politics, delivery takes slogans for lunch. Inclusion in government and important appointments for South-easterners also matter. The 2023 figures showed APC’s vote deficit. However, the 2023-2026 appointments show a deliberate effort to correct the representation deficit. Key South-Easterners now hold strategic positions in foreign affairs, defence, works, science and tech, and security agencies. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, from Anambra State (although Enugu-born), for instance, is today the biggest female political appointee in the Federal Executive Council. Beyond the titles, the message is clear: the South-East is being brought to the centre of decision-making, not kept at the margins. This has started shifting the conversation from ‘exclusion’ to ‘what more can we get done together.’ The President’s economic reforms, such as unification of foreign exchange rates, removal of fuel subsidy, and recalibration of tax, may be tough. Still, the South-East is positioned to benefit most from the pivot to production and exports.

Aba’s Made-in-Nigeria campaign, Onitsha’s trading network, and Nnewi’s manufacturing base are being linked directly to federal grants, CBN intervention funds, and export support. And with the recent formal handover of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, to the concessionaire, the region’s logistics and commercial hub dream has received a massive boost. The Tinubu administration is treating the South-east not just as a voting bloc, but as Nigeria’s industrial engine. In terms of political realignment, the numbers are also moving up. Elections are about addition. In 2023, APC polled 127,370 votes in the South-east. The goal of the Tinubu administration for 2027 is not to win every state on day one, but to grow that base state by state, LGA by LGA. That growth is already visible: from not a single state in 2019, two states in 2023, APC has now moved to three. The other two states in the zone are not opposed to President Tinubu. Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and his Abia State counterpart, Governor Alex Otti of the Labour Party, are strong supporters of President Tinubu, his reforms and reelection plans.

All the governors, not only South-East governors, acknowledge and say President Tinubu’s reforms have freed resources to the subnationals, which have, in turn, enabled them to engage in infrastructure projects. Governor Hope Uzodimma, who is also the Chairman of the Progressive Governors, has remained vocal in his support for the President and loud campaign for his second term. Uzodimma is the Director-General of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, the main campaign group for Tinubu’s reelection. Speaking at a state dinner for the National Media Team comprising over 50 journalists, editors and members of the Presidential Communications Team in Owerri, Imo State capital, two weeks ago, Uzodimma described President Tinubu as the Lee Kuan Yew of Nigeria. ‘In President Tinubu, I have seen another Lee Kuan Yew,’ he said, praising the President’s bold economic reforms and expressing confidence that his performance would secure him a second term in 2027. ‘The old order is gone and there is now a new order. President Tinubu knew exactly what he came to do. He started implementing the reforms immediately because he understood the task before him,’ he said.

Importantly, governors and stakeholders in the South-East zone are now in regular dialogue with the Presidency. Federal projects are being inaugurated with bipartisan presence. Youth and business groups who sat out in 2023 are now engaging with APC structures because they see tangible projects in their communities.

Politics in the South-East has always been pragmatic. Where federal presence is felt, political alignment follows. The 2023 electoral map showed where President Tinubu and APC were. Now, President Tinubu’s governance story in the South-East is showing where things are headed.

By linking infrastructure delivery with political inclusion and economic empowerment, the administration is redrawing the South-East political map from one defined only by election-day figures, to one defined by roads constructed, factories powered, and people included in governance.

The South-East deserves to be at the centre of Nigeria’s growth story. Under President Tinubu, I dare say that repositioning has begun.

Founder and Group Executive Board Chair of the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN), Dr. Salamatu Garba, has called for the speedy passage of the proposed Agricultural Extension Bill, saying it will strengthen extension services and equip young people with practical skills to drive food security.

Garba made the call while speaking with journalists shortly after the visit of the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Maruf Alausa, to the WOFAN-Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA) SIBLING (Skills Improvement to Boost Livelihood and Nurture Growth) Project, at Bayero University, Kano.

She said WOFAN and its partners had moved beyond advocacy by establishing a practical model that demonstrates how collaboration between the private sector, government and agricultural institutions can transform agricultural extension in the country.

She said stakeholders in the agriculture sector, two years ago, proposed the bill, which has already passed first and second readings at the National Assembly.

While expressing optimism that the bill will eventually become law, Garba said the SIBLING project is already providing a practical example of the type of extension system the legislation seeks to institutionalise.

‘We have started practicalising what we are advocating by creating a partnership between the private sector, public sector and agricultural institutions so that we can perfect the agricultural extension system,’ she said.

She noted that one of the major challenges facing the agriculture sector is the shortage of competent extension workers capable of transferring modern farming technologies to producers.

Garba explained that WOFAN invested in the infrastructure for the SIBLING project, including facilities covering agricultural production, processing, value addition, logistics and waste-to-wealth initiatives.

‘The SIBLING project is about Skills Improvement to Boost Livelihood and Nurture Growth. We have provided all the infrastructure and value chains needed to enhance agricultural production,’ she said.

She commended the minister for visiting the facility, describing him as a strong advocate of agricultural extension and youth participation in agribusiness.

According to her, his support will further strengthen efforts to secure the passage of the Agricultural Extension Bill.

Garba said the project goes beyond classroom instruction by providing students with intensive hands-on training across multiple agricultural enterprises.

She explained that students are exposed to integrated farming systems, including poultry, fisheries, crop production, mechanisation, waste recycling and fabrication of agricultural equipment.

The centre also trains students to convert agricultural waste such as rice husks into briquettes while exposing them to the fabrication of equipment used in the production process.

She described the Centre for Dryland Agriculture at Bayero University as a true centre of excellence that offers practical learning capable of producing highly skilled agricultural professionals.

Garba expressed confidence that graduates of the SIBLING programme would enjoy strong employment prospects because of their practical competencies.

‘As we popularise this concept, industries and employers will begin searching for graduates from this institution because they possess practical skills,’ she said.

Beyond paid employment, she said the initiative is designed to produce agripreneurs who can establish their own businesses and create jobs for others.

‘Our graduates will not just be job seekers. We are training them to become agripreneurs who can establish their own farms or provide private extension services that are commercially viable,’ she said.

She added that students have access to a wide range of agricultural machinery and equipment, including tractors, tricycles for produce transportation, rice cutters, weeders and sprayers, enabling them to acquire practical experience before graduation.

According to Garba, the combination of practical training, entrepreneurship and modern agricultural technologies will contribute significantly to improved food security and sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria.

The Plateau State Police Command has arrested three suspects in connection with the gruesome killing of a 25-year-old man suspected of stealing a phone in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

According to a statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Alfred Alabo, the command received a report on Sunday at the Lamingo Police Division from a Good Samaritan at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), informing the police that some youths had brought an unconscious man to the hospital under suspicious circumstances.

The command stated that, upon receiving the report, its officers immediately mobilised to the hospital, where the victim was identified as Ibrahim Mbaya, a 25-year-old male from Rayfield, Jos. He was, however, confirmed dead on arrival by the medical doctor on duty, and his remains were deposited in the hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.

It added that a follow-up investigation led to the arrest of three suspects, identified as Rinji Daniel Fwanji, 25, Emmanuel Newyear, 30, and Nensemka Fwanji, 22.

The statement further revealed that one of the suspects, Emmanuel Newyear, was captured in a viral video using a large wooden plank to assault the deceased.

‘During the interrogation of the suspects, they revealed that the victim was suspected of stealing an iPhone 12. Rather than reporting the matter to law enforcement agencies, the suspects took the law into their own hands, attacked the deceased and beat him until he became unconscious.’

The command stated that the suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Jos, while a discreet investigation is ongoing. It added that efforts are being intensified to apprehend other fleeing suspects connected to the crime.

Meanwhile, the Plateau State Police Command strongly condemned the resort to jungle justice and reiterated that no individual or group has the legal authority to assault or kill anyone suspected of committing an offence.

It emphasised that Nigeria’s Administration of Criminal Justice System provides lawful procedures for investigating and prosecuting criminal offences and that every suspect is entitled to due process under the law.

The command warned that resorting to self-help and mob action not only undermines the rule of law but also exposes perpetrators to criminal prosecution.