Connect with us

News

Nigerians groan as electricity bills takes 57% of minimum wage earners’ salaries

Published

on

52 Views

When the Federal Government announced in September that it would start paying the proposed minimum wage of N70, 000, with a promise to pay civil servants the areas from July and August, not many Nigerians were excited about the news.

And the reasons were obvious, one of them being the recent hike in electricity bill.

A recent report quoting the FIJ calculation clearly indicated that average minimum wage earners spend at least 57.3 percent of their salaries on electricity bills if they use only seven appliances for a month.

The FIJ report noted that while the wage increase was a good development for workers, the cost of living has rendered the wage increase almost insignificant.

The report spotlights the cost of electricity alone and its impact on workers’ wages.

According to a National Income, Salaries and Wages Commission (NISWC) document, civil servants under the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure would earn N930,000 per annum.

This means that a minimum wage earner would go home with a salary of about N77, 500.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) announced a 300 percent increase in electricity tariff for those in the B and A service category in April.

According to the Vice Chairman of the NERC, Musliu Oseni, the tariff hike meant that customers who formerly paid N66 per kilowatt per hour would now pay N225 for the same unit of electricity.

In the announcement, the NERC also said that only users in the band A service category, about 15 percent of the entire customer population, would be affected.

Surprisingly, a few months after the announcement, Nigerians were faced with flagrant and unsolicited transfer to Band A service category without prior notice.

Some people protested the move, while others took to social media to vent their anger and frustrations.

Decrying the move on his X handle, a financial expert, Joe Abah wrote: “I have confirmation that @aedcelectricity has now put me in Band A with no notice at all.

So, N100,000 electricity top-up now lasts just seven days. I have been paying.

Who has a gadget that can help me monitor whether I am getting a minimum of 20 hours of light a day, please?”

News

NGE Condemns Arbitrary Closure of Badeggi Radio Station by Gov Bago for allegedly promoting violence

Governor Bago acted outside his powers to order the closure of a radio station.

Published

on

By

29 Views

• Eze Anaba, NGE President

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) strongly condemned the closure of Badeggi Radio by Governor Mohammed Umar Bago of Niger State.

In a statement signed by Eze Anaba, NGE President, and Onuoha Ukeh, General Secretary, they said that the closure of the radio station was a blatant attack on press freedom and democracy in Nigeria.

Ohibaba.com garhered that Governor Bago accused the owner of the Station for incitement of the people against government and directed that the license of the Radio station be revoked.

The governor directed the Commissioner for Homeland Security and the Commissioner of Police to seal the radio station, and emphasised the need for the security operatives to profile the owner of the radio station as his station promotes violence”, Ibrahim Said

According to the Guild, this act of censorship and intimidation undermines the fundamental principles of a democratic society, where free press is essential for holding those in power accountable.

The association referred to section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) guarantees freedom of expression and press freedom.

The power to sanction television and radio stations only lies with the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) after a thorough investigation of any alleged breach of the Code.

Also, Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which Nigeria is signatory to, also guarantees press freedom and freedom of expression.

Said the statement : ” The closure of Badeggi Radio, a vital platform for public discourse and information dissemination, is a worrying trend that threatens the very fabric of our democracy.

Governor Bago acted outside his powers to order the closure of a radio station.

The power to sanction television and radio stations only lies with the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) after a thorough investigation of any alleged breach of the Code.

We are happy that the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mallam Mohammed Idris, has pointed this out. This should go beyond observing the anomaly.

The federal government should order the unsealing of the premises of the radio station, while investigation is carried out.

Government officials should know that we are in a democracy and therefore, the act of arbitrary order for the sealing off and closure of a radio station is unacceptable. Arbitrary closure of media houses reminds us of the dark days of military rule, which ended 26 years ago.

Governor Bago’s allegation of incitement of violence by the radio station is a serious issue, which has to be investigated and proven before any action can be taken.

We urge the media to operate under strict adherence to the code of ethics of journalism, with responsible conduct at the back of the minds of the professionals.

We also call on the authorities to take measures to respect the rights of citizens to access information and express themselves freely.

Badeggi Radio should be reopened while the investigation continues.

The Guild reiterates that a free and independent press is essential for a functioning democracy and demands that governments at all levels respect and uphold this fundamental right.”

Continue Reading

News

NLC rejects FG’s new policy stopping frequent industrial strikes

” We are in shock that from a catalogue of hundreds of workplace issues contained in the National Industrial Relations Policy, the Federal Government singled out industrial strikes as its headache.

Published

on

By

28 Views

• Joe Ajaero, NLC President

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed concerns over the newly adopted National Industrial Relations Policy by the Federal Government.

In a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday in Abuja, Mr. Joe Ajaero, NLC President, said the new policy would make embarking on strike a criminal issue and silence trade unions.

In a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday in Abuja, Mr. Joe Ajaero, NLC President, said the new policy would make embarking on strike a criminal issue and silence trade unions.

NLC considers the statement by the Federal Government that the newly adopted National Industrial Relations Policy is aimed at stopping frequent industrial actions, particularly strikes by trade unions, as very reprehensible.

“The statement was part of the press release by the Federal Government at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, which took place on 31st July 2025.

“We are in shock that from a catalogue of hundreds of workplace issues contained in the National Industrial Relations Policy, the Federal Government singled out industrial strikes as its headache,” he said.

Continue Reading

News

Olumuyiwa Adejobi Becomes Deputy Commissioner of Police

The promotion, approved by the Police Service Commission, underscores DCP Adejobi’s exceptional service, professionalism, and unwavering dedication to the ideals of policing in Nigeria.

Published

on

By

39 Views

The Nigeria Police Force has announced the elevation of its Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, from the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).

The promotion, approved by the Police Service Commission, underscores DCP Adejobi’s exceptional service, professionalism, and unwavering dedication to the ideals of policing in Nigeria.

Adejobi was first appointed in acting capacity on 16th February 2022 as a CSP and took over from then CP Frank Mba. He was later confirmed by then IGP Usman Alkali (Rtd).

DCP Adejobi has served as the image maker of the Nigeria Police Force with distinction.

Since his appointment as FPRO, he has led several strategic initiatives to rebuild public trust, improve accountability, and modernize the force’s communication channels.

DCP Adejobi studied Archaeology and Geography (Combined Honours) from the University of Ibadan.

Continue Reading

Trending