General
Oyo Pensioners’ Ultimatum Useless—Commissioner
By Ebitonye Akpodigha
Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters in Oyo State, Mr Bimbo Kolade, has expressed the government’s displeasure over the 14-day ultimatum given by the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP).
Mr Kolade noted that the state government had already approved the release of N880 million on Friday, October 7, 2016, for the payment of pensions of retired Local Government Pensioners across the state.
He said this was done during the monthly Joint Account Allocation Committee meeting held last Friday with all the Caretaker chairmen of Local Government Areas in Oyo State.
According to him, “Facts and figures I have with me from Local Government Staff Pensions Board indicates that Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Friday, 7th October 2016, approved the sum of N880 million for the payment of arrears being owed retired Local Government Primary School teachers and Local Government retirees.”
Condemning the publication by the NUP as mischievous, baseless and unacceptable, the Commissioner said that the 14-day ultimatum was unnecessary as funds had already been approved for the purpose last week.
Mr Kolade, while assuring local government retirees of government’s commitment to their welfare, by ensuring prompt payment of their entitlements, also implored them to ensure that they attend the ongoing verification exercise being carried out by the Pension’s Board.
The Commissioner explained that the verification exercise has assisted the state government through the Local Government Staff Pensions Board in discovering about 400 names of pensioners whose gratuities are pending, but “have issues with their data.”
He also appealed to labour leaders in the state to always embrace dialogue rather than confrontations on the pages of newspaper, especially at a time when the labour-government standing committee constantly meets to proffer solutions to issues of wages, salaries and pensions in the state.
General
Dangote to Produce Plastic Packaging, Textiles as Polypropylene Facility Commences

By Adedapo Adesanya
The Dangote oil refinery has commenced operating its polypropylene facility in Lagos.
Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer that is commonly used in plastic packaging, textiles, reusable shopping bags, surgical equipment, household chairs, and kitchen utensils.
According to S&P Global, the starting up of Dangote’s 830,000 metric tonnes per year polypropylene site was one of the last outstanding milestones for the oil refining and petrochemical complex in its commissioning sequence, which has been taking place since January 2024.
“Polypropylene production has now started, with supplies being distributed in 25kg bags, and has already threatened to upend the domestic market,” two market sources had told Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights.
When it becomes operational, the Dangote facility is set to become Africa’s largest polypropylene production site, producing from two polypropylene units with capacities of 500,000 metric tonnes per year and 330,000 metric tonnes per year.
The President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, previously set out hopes that the complex would fully cover some 250,000 metric tonnes per year of domestic demand for polypropylene.
S&P Global cited that the new capacity could quickly capture market share in the existing polypropylene homopolymer market, which has so far been concentrated at Indorama Eleme’s Port Harcourt refinery in Nigeria and drawn imports from the Middle East.
The company had previously said its $2 billion petrochemical plant located in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, is designed to produce 77 different high-performance grades of polypropylene in the country.
With a turnover of $1.2 billion, the Dangote Petrochemical plant, situated alongside the Dangote Refinery, is positioned to cater to the demands of the growing plastic processing downstream industries, not only in Africa but also in other parts of the world.
Speaking then, Mr Devakumar Edwin, now the Vice President of Dangote Industries Limited, said the Dangote Petrochemical will drive massive investment in the downstream industries, generating huge value addition in the country, creating employment, increasing tax revenues, reducing foreign exchange outflow, and increasing the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
“We have 77 types of polypropylene, which can be used for different purposes, and we can produce it from our petrochemical plant. Currently, the plant is capable of producing about 900,000 tonnes of polypropylene per annum. Our Petrochemical plant should be the biggest in Africa,” he said.
General
Lagos PDP Guber Candidate Jandor Returns to APC

By Adedapo Adesanya
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 governorship election in Lagos State, Mr Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has announced his return to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mr Adediran, along with his supporters, switched back to the ruling party on Monday at a media briefing held at Liberty Place, Adeniyi Jones Street, Ikeja, Lagos.
This comes after a closed-door meeting between Jandor and President Bola Tinubu in Aso Rock, Abuja last week, where undisclosed matters were discussed.
Jandor previously resigned from the PDP, citing indiscipline and anti-party activities, betrayal by the party leadership on the eve of the Lagos governorship election.
He also lamented false claims of an alliance that misled PDP supporters into voting for another candidate, presumably the candidate of the Labour Party.
Following his resignation from the opposition party, Mr Adediran, who was previously a member of the ruling party in the state, met President Tinubu in Abuja to inform him of his decision to return to his initial political family.
Before meeting with Mr Tinubu, Jandor also held talks with several political leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former military President Ibrahim Babangida, former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar and 2023 SDP Presidential Candidate, Mr Adewole Adebayo.
Jandor ran alongside popular Nigerian actress, Ms Funke Akindele, but they came third at the 2023 Lagos polls after the incumbent, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, polled a total of 762,134 votes to emerge the winner of the contest.
The candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, polled 312,329 votes, while the PDP candidate scored 62,449 votes.
General
Rivers Assembly May Impeach Fubara, Serves Notice of Gross Misconduct

By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Rivers State House of Assembly may have commenced the process of removing Governor Siminalayi Fubara from office.
This is because the legislative arm of government in the state has served a notice of alleged misconduct against Mr Fubara and his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu.
The Governor had been at loggerheads with a faction of the parliament in the past months, especially because of his fallout with his political godfather and predecessor, Mr Nyesom Wike, who is currently the Minister of the FCT.
Last week, after a Supreme Court judgment, Mr Fubara went to re-present the 2025 budget to the Rivers Assembly led by Mr Martin Amaewhule, but he was locked out.
Last Friday, the Assembly, which has 27 members loyal to Mr Wike, indefinitely adjourned plenary.
In a notice obtained by Channels Television, the state parliament said the decision to serve the Governor the notice was in line with the Nigerian Constitution.
“In compliance with Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and other extant laws, we the undersigned members of the Rivers State House of Assembly hereby forward to you a Notice of Gross Misconduct by the Deputy Governor of Rivers State in the performance of the functions of her office,” the notice read.
Recall that last week, during a media chat, Mr Wike disclosed that heavy would not fall if his successor is impeached by the Rivers Assembly.
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