By Modupe Gbadeyanka

About N3.82 billion in settlement of Back-End Computation (BEC) pension arrears has been disbursed to 30,356 Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) pensioners by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD).

A statement signed by the Head of Corporate Communications at PTAD, Mr Olugbenga Ajayi, said on Friday that the beneficiaries were drawn from across the Parastatals Pension Department (PaPD), Defunct and Transferred Agencies Pension Department (DTAPD), and Tertiary, Education and Health Pension Department (TEHPD).

According to him, this payment represents accrued arrears arising from the BEC review exercise conducted by the directorate to address and resolve complaints relating to pension computations and outstanding entitlements of DBS pensioners.

He stated that the disbursement further demonstrates PTAD’s sustained commitment to addressing verified outstanding obligations and improving the welfare of DBS Pensioners under its mandate.

The Executive Secretary of PTAD, Ms Tolulope Odunaiya, expressed appreciation to the affected DBS pensioners for their cooperation throughout the review process, reaffirming the organisation’s commitment to the timely, transparent, and accountable payment of verified pension entitlements.

She further noted that this payment reflects the federal government’s commitment to addressing pension-related issues and strengthening pension administration under the DBS.

The PTAD chief said her agency remains committed to continuous engagement with DBS pensioners, prompt resolution of pension-related complaints, and the delivery of efficient, transparent, and accountable DBS pension administration.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Nigerian refineries will not be allowed to waste away, given the huge investments made over many years, President Bola Tinubu has declared.

Speaking on Thursday in Abuja, the President assured that in-depth research, restructuring, and leadership will reposition the moribund oil facilities to deliver value and profit.

Responding to a request by the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), led by its leader, Mr Salimon Akanni Oladiti, to revive the nation’s oil refineries, Mr Tinubu explained that the challenges confronting the refineries would be addressed through a systematic, evidence-based approach rather than short-term interventions.

According to him, the federal government will encourage detailed research and technical assessments to identify the structural, operational, financial and managerial challenges affecting the facilities and develop sustainable solutions.

“The refineries that you mentioned are going to come back to work; we’re just building a very firm, resetting, and structural reworking of the economy of it. Ordinary flame and smoke of a refinery doesn’t mean that it’s working until it’s profitable and yields the value for which it is built.

“I’m not a man who goes looking back on everything because I’ve accepted the assets and liabilities of my predecessor. No matter what has happened in the years past, it’s now my responsibility as president to fix it and make it work for the greatest common good of our population. I take responsibility for that, and we will do it.

“I will just appeal to all of you to let us work diligently and passionately on this democracy. Democracy is about celebration of freedom and opportunity that must be cherished by all of us, just like a painful childbirth, but the joy is everlasting and long. And I promise you, you will enjoy a better Nigeria,” the President was quoted as saying in a statement signed by his spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga.

Responding to the remark on the implementation of local government autonomy, President Tinubu promised that the constitutional issues involved in its implementation are being reviewed for possible fine-tuning. He appealed for understanding among stakeholders.

He also took the opportunity to acknowledge a former President of the Union, the late Frank Kokori, for his role in deepening democracy in Nigeria.

“You brought good memories of my relationship with Frank Kokori; may his soul rest in peace. We struggled for this democratic dispensation together, and it was very tough for us to have this democracy, and you have been a very good partner of the government in progress,” he said.

Mr Tinubu also promised the NUPENG executives more inclusion in the implementation of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas. He, however, challenged them to make the effects of the CNG drive get down to the commuters.

In his remarks, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Mohammed Idris, commended NUPENG for acknowledging the positive outcomes of President Tinubu’s reform agenda, stating that this mutual understanding has reduced friction between trade unions and the government.

On his part, Mr Oladiti commended the President for taking the bold decision to end the fuel subsidy regime, describing the policy as a courageous step that has saved the country from decades of financial drain and depletion of national reserves.

According to him, the decision to remove the fuel subsidy has begun to yield enormous benefits for the country by freeing resources for critical infrastructure development and other sectors of the economy.

He particularly commended President Tinubu’s renewed commitment to rehabilitating and constructing major highways across the country, especially the ongoing construction of the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway as major examples of infrastructure projects.

“For our members, a good road is the difference between arriving home safely and never arriving at all. Every stretch of highway rehabilitated or constructed means fewer accidents, fewer spillages, fewer lives lost, and less stress for the men behind the wheels.

“Mr President, that is a reform our members feel in their bones, and for it we say thank you because our tanker drivers and other road users are already seeing the benefits of the rehabilitation and construction of federal highways,” he said.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has extended the deadline for the submission of memoranda and position papers on the proposed legislation to Friday, August 21, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. West Africa Time.

In a statement signed by the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, the group said the extension was intended to ensure that interested individuals, institutions and organisations have adequate opportunity to make substantive contributions to the proposed legislation.

“The Presidential Working Group is committed to ensuring that the process of developing the National Policing Bill benefits from broad consultation and the informed perspectives of Nigerians and relevant stakeholders,” the statement read.

The proposed legislation is intended to provide the operational, administrative, institutional and funding framework necessary for an effective policing architecture that responds to Nigeria’s evolving security needs, while providing appropriate safeguards for accountability, professionalism and the protection of citizens’ rights.

“Given the significance of the proposed reform to the future of policing and internal security in Nigeria, the Working Group considers it important that stakeholders are afforded more opportunity to make substantive and technically sound contributions to the process,” the statement said.

The former lawmaker said legal practitioners, civil society organisations, security sector professionals, state governments, professional bodies, academics, experts and interested members of the public are encouraged to take advantage of the extended window to submit their memoranda and position papers, exclusively through the official National Policing Bill portal, nationalpolicingbill.com, on or before the new deadline.

According to him, developing an effective policing framework required careful consideration of a number of critical issues, including sustainable funding, command and control structures, recruitment and training standards, operational jurisdiction, inter-agency coordination, accountability mechanisms and safeguards against political interference or abuse.

“These considerations underscore the importance of robust stakeholder engagement in developing a framework that is effective, accountable, sustainable and responsive to the peculiar security needs of communities across the federation,” he added.

He noted that at the conclusion of its assignment, the Presidential Working Group will present a final, implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill for onward legislative processing.

The Presidential Working Group appreciated stakeholders who had already made submissions and encouraged others intending to participate in the process to take advantage of the extension.

The National Policing Bill portal went live on August 3, 2026, when Gbajabiamila first announced the public consultation window during a press briefing on the reform, at the time indicating that submissions would close after roughly two weeks.

The Working Group is expected to present the completed Executive Bill package to President Bola Tinubu for review on September 3, 2026.