General
Jubilation as NITEL/MTel Pensioners Begin Verification
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Verification of retirees of former federal government owned telecoms outfit, Nigerian Telecommunication (NITEL) and its mobile subsidiary, MTel, has kicked off. This has sparked excitement among former employees of the company.
The exercise, which is in two phases, commenced on Monday, January 15, 2018 and would be concluded on Saturday, January 27, 2018 (next week).
The verification is being carried out across the six geo-political zones of the country by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).
Over 20,000 retirees of NITEL/MTel are expected to be verified by the agency during the exercise.
For the first phase, the exercise is taking place at four centres; between January 15 and 27 at two centres in Lagos; between January 15 and 23 at a centre in Enugu, and between January 15 and 20 at a centre in Port Harcourt.
For the second phase, retirees of the firms will go to three centres; from February 5 -13 at the Abuja centre, from February 5- 13 at the Kano centre, and from February 5 – 8 at the Gombe centre.
Addressing newsmen at the Enugu centre, Executive Secretary of PTAD, Mrs Sharon Ikeazor, explained that the verification exercise was to off-set pension liabilities owed the former workers by federal government.
According to her, PTAD will pay entitlements of the retirees as soon as the budget is passed by the National Assembly because the money needed to make this a reality has been included in the 2018 budget.
“After the verification we are going to do what we call the computation, the computation of their entitlements; after computation we have federal auditors who have to clear the payments before we actually make payment to them.
“We have actually told them clearly that payment is not automatic, it will take us at least four, five months to get this payment done because NITEL is not the only one under PTAD; they are part of the privatised agencies that we are handling. Recall that we did Delta Steel and we did New Nigeria Newspapers, NICON Insurance and Nigeria Reinsurance among others.
“The money that will be paid to the pensioners will be appropriated in the budget, so we are waiting for the 2018 budget, all our funding liabilities are included into the budget so that’s why we are asking the National Assembly to speed up the passage of the budget.
“To us, these are not numbers, these are human beings, these are lives we are talking about and they must get their entitlements,” she said.
At one of the Lagos centres in Alausa, Ikeja, which Business Post visited on Wednesday, pensioners of the company were seen doing their data capturing.
Though they complained that the process was cumbersome, the joy of knowing that they would be paid soon by the government overrides the pains.
“The process is a bit difficult for us, but the fact that we are in this crucial stage is enough to make us happy,” one of the pensioners told us.
As on Wednesday when our correspondent visited the centre, we learned that tallies had been given to the retirees since Monday and were told to return on Wednesday to be captured.
This, Business Post gathered, caught most of the former workers of NITEL/MTel unawares and left those living outside Lagos stranded in the metropolis.
Efforts to speak with officials of PTAD at the centre on why this system was adopted did not yield any meaningful result as we were directed to the agency’s head office in Abuja.
General
Pastor Ogbueli’s Abuja Night of Glory Holds Today
By Blaise Udunze
Momentum is gathering for the Abuja Night of Glory taking place today, Friday, December 5, 2025, at the main bowl of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
The crusade is being hosted by Dominion City Church headed by Pastor David Ogbueli and it starts by 7pm.
The all-night programme will feature dynamic worship leaders like Nathanial Bassey, Dunsin Oyekan, Theophilus Sunday, Chioma Jesus, Kaestrings, Sunmisola Agbebi Okeleye, Minister GUC, Ebuka Songs, Anthony Kani, and DC Angels.
Reputed as a teacher of righteousness and anointed minister of the gospel, evidenced by the miracles that have trailed his ministry, and one who champions the cause of the poor through empowerment initiatives, Dr. David Ogbueli will be joined by renowned ministers from within and outside Nigeria, including Evangelist Andres Bisonni, Dr. Charles Ndifon, Evangelist Dan Scott, Apostle Ikechukwu Nnajiofor, and several others.
Night of Glory has, in previous editions held across Nigeria’s cities, recorded remarkable results, such as immediate healings and freedom from chronic ailments, recovery of vision and movement after many years of paralysis, along with liberation from dependencies and emotional distress. Numerous participants have also shared testimonies of breakthroughs and big personal changes after the experience. Organisers state that this year’s event, in Abuja, is anticipated to exceed previous editions.
The event is intended for all individuals trusting God for divine intervention in any area of life.
Understanding the role of faith in the destiny of individuals and nations, a dedicated prayer session for Nigeria will take place during the crusade to tackle some of the current challenges being faced in the country and also to uplift he leaders and institutions before God.
Attendance is free, and registration is encouraged via the QR codes on event banners. Organisers expect a massive turnout as worshippers travel from across the country for what is anticipated to be a transformative encounter.
Adequate security and free transportation have been put in place ALL over the city of Abuja, while those outside Abuja are expected to join online.
General
Rivers Speaker, 15 Other Lawmakers Leave PDP for APC
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr Martin Amaewhule, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
At the plenary on Friday, Mr Amaewhule joined the ruling party from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), along with 15 other members of the state parliament.
This development comes some months after they had earlier declared their support for the APC in the wake of a crisis with the state governor, Mr Sim Fubura.
The lawmakers had an issue with Mr Fubura, which led to a state of emergency declared on the oil-rich state by President Bola Tinubu in March 2025.
This embargo was only lift in September 2025 after the duration of the six-month emergency rule in the state.
A few days ago, members of the Rivers Assembly passed a vote of confidence on President Tinubu, backing him to remain in office till 2031, when he would have spent eight years in office if re-elected in 2027.
Announcing their defection today, the lawmakers pinned their decision on the crisis rocking the PDP at the national level.
It is not certain if their political godfather, Mr Nyesom Wike, who is the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), will join them in APC.
Mr Wike, who governed Rivers State from 2015 to 2023, has been accused of instigating the crisis in the opposition PDP. He was expelled from the party last month at a national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
General
Nigeria Risks Brain Drain in Energy Sector—PENGASSAN
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has warned that Nigeria risks massive brain drain in the oil and gas sector due to poor remuneration.
The president of PENGASSAN, Mr Festus Osifo, said at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union on Thursday in Abuja that the industry was facing challenges arising from Naira devaluation and inflation, noting that, oil and gas skills remained globally competitive.
Painting an example, he said, “A drilling engineer in Nigeria does the same job as one in the US or Abu Dhabi,” noting that the union must take steps to bridge the wage gap to prevent members from leaving the country for better opportunities abroad.
“If we don’t act, the brain drain seen in other sectors will be child’s play,” he said.
According to him, PENGASSAN has recorded significant gains through collective bargaining across oil and gas branches.
“We signed numerous agreements across government agencies, IOCs, service and marketing sectors,” he said.
He said the agreements brought relief to members facing rising costs of living, adding that, the association’s duty is to protect members’ jobs and enhance their pay.
Mr Osifo urged companies delaying salary reviews and those foot-dragging as a result of the prevailing economic realities, to do the needful.
He said the industry employed some of the nation’s best talents, making competitive pay critical to retaining skilled workers.
“This industry recruits the best. Companies must provide the best conditions,” he said.
On insecurity, Mr Osifo urged government to take decisive action against terrorism and kidnappings across the country.
“We are tired of condemnations. government must expose sponsors and protect citizens,” he said.
He urged government at all levels to prioritise tackling insecurity through better funding and equipment for security agencies.
Mr Osifo said PENGASSAN supported calls for state police to improve local security response, adding that decentralising policing will protect citizens better than rhetoric.
He also said economic indicators meant little, if food prices remained high and farmers could not return to farms due to insecurity.
“Nigerians want to see food on the table, not macroeconomic figures,” he said, urging the government to coordinate fiscal and monetary policies to ensure economic gains reach households.
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