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FG okays health insurance for pensioners
The Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Tolulope Odunaiya, yesterday said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved the implementation of a health insurance scheme for retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).
Odunaiya announced this during the directorate’s 2025 budget performance presentation before the House of Representatives Committee on Pensions.
The Executive Secretary said the agency had seamlessly implemented the 28 per cent pension increment approved by the Federal Government in 2024 for the pensioners and settled the 35 months of pension arrears for NITEL/MTEL retirees.
She told the lawmakers that even though it had concluded the payment of arrears to over 155,000 pensioners, it was facing eviction from its Maitama office and struggling with vendor payments.
Odunaiya explained that out of about N128.9 billion appropriated for pensions this year, N62.7 billion was released in June, while N56.6 billion had been utilised.
According to her, no allocation was made for gratuities in the current year due to an oversight.
The PTAD chief stated that despite the prevailing situation, the agency continued to meet its pension obligations and was working with the Federal Government to address unfunded liabilities and other challenges.
She also announced that N25 billion was appropriated for unfunded pension liabilities in 2025, with N13 billion released and N8.7 billion so far utilised.
“On personnel expenditure, N2.4 billion was appropriated for 2025, of which N1.09 billion has been released and fully utilised. Overhead costs recorded N1.49 billion in appropriations, with N434 million released and N334 million expended by mid-year. Capital expenditure of N820 million has yet to be implemented due to delays arising from the bottom-up cash flow management policy and the extension of the 2024 capital budget to December 2025,” she said.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Pensions, Hussaini Jallo, advised the agency to address gratuity provisions, capital project implementation, and compliance with Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) requirements, ahead of its 2026 budget defence.
The lawmaker applauded PTAD for its steady progress in implementing pension reforms and improving the welfare of retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).
He also praised the agency for what he called its “tangible efforts to safeguard the welfare of pensioners”.
Jallo noted that the directorate had consistently demonstrated commitment to accountability and service delivery.
The committee chairman reminded PTAD of the need to embrace CSR as part of its plans.
He promised that the committee would ensure CSR provisions are reflected in the 2026 budget of all pension-related agencies.
“Corporate social responsibility is not just about compliance; it’s about giving back. As we move into the 2026 budget year, we want to see CSR captured by all pension agencies, including PTAD,” Jallo said.
The committee chairman assured pensioners that the National Assembly was committed to protecting their rights and ensuring prompt payment of entitlements.
He promised that the committee would continue to work closely with PTAD to resolve outstanding issues. He also pledged continued oversight support and PTAD, expressing gratitude for the House Committee’s guidance and collaboration.
Citing sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 81 of the House Standing Orders, Jallo reiterated that the committee was mandated to conduct strict oversight on all pension-related matters.
“The House has directed us to carry out a thorough oversight of pension agencies. Activities in 2026 will not be business as usual. We will enforce accountability and ensure pensioners get what is due to them,” he added.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that the party can only adopt a consensus candidate where all aspirants voluntarily agree to the arrangement.
Speaking on the party’s nomination process, the chairman emphasized that consensus candidacy is not imposed but must be the product of mutual consent among all contenders seeking the ticket.
In a statement, the chairman clarified that any consensus candidate must have backing of all the contenders.
— Prof. Nentawe
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost consumer protection.
NCC spokesperson, Nnenna Ukoha, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.
She said the agreement would also combat fraud across telecommunications and financial sectors.
Ukoha said the MoU was formalised alongside inauguration of joint committees on payment systems, consumer protection, and the Telecoms Identity Risk Management System portal.
NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Aminu Maida, said the pact provided a framework for collaboration on payment integrity, fraud mitigation, digital inclusion, and consumer protection.
He said the initiative would deliver outcomes that strengthen trust, deepen inclusion, and support a secure digital economy.
Maida described the signing as a milestone, reflecting both institutions’ commitment to financial stability and consumer protection in an interconnected ecosystem.
“The Commission places significant importance on collaboration. Many milestones in addressing industry challenges came through strategic partnerships,” he said.
He recalled NCC and CBN intervention in resolving the USSD debt impasse, restoring confidence among consumers, telecom operators, and financial institutions.
According to him, the MoU will promote secure digital payments and expand access to underserved populations and small businesses.
Maida said the TIRMS portal would help curb electronic fraud by offering real-time insights into phone number status.
“This includes whether a line is active, swapped, disconnected, reassigned, or flagged for suspicious activity.
“This will significantly improve financial institutions’ ability to combat phone-linked fraud,” he said.
He said the collaboration would also ensure prompt resolution of consumer complaints, including failed airtime recharges.
CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, said the MoU would improve coordination on approvals, standards, and innovation, including sandbox testing.
Cardoso reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to building a safer, more resilient, and inclusive digital financial system.
“Going forward, the Central Bank remains committed to working with the Commission to protect consumers and strengthen trust in the digital economy,” he said.
He inaugurated the joint committees, noting they would prioritise consumer protection and fraud prevention.
The initiative is expected to boost confidence while addressing risks in converging telecoms and financial services.
Having waited patiently for the Asset Management Team and the Sterling Global Oil Exploration and Energy Company, working with the NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL) to operationalise the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) ,Delta State host communities under OML 26 have said they can no longer wait and are now prepared to take their destinies in their hands.
This was contained in a statement signed by Erere Okpako and Angela Akpofa
For Isoko Grassroots Mobilizers.
According to the group, Chapter 3 of the PIA is very clear about the responsibility of the Settlor to the host communities.
“It is expected that three percent of the settlors yearly Operating Expenditure (OPEX) is set aside for community development through the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT).
“But strangely, the settlor only made a paltry remittance to the HCDT of OML 26 contrary to the PIA.
“This was in October 2025 nearly two years after the inauguration of the HCDT.
“Curiously, the remittance was short paid by about #2.4billion.
“The Board of Trustees (BOT) raised an alarm of the short payments by drawing the settlor’s attention to the shortfall in November 2025 but the company didn’t respond until December 22, 2025 when a virtual meeting held without any resolution despite the assurance of the company that it would respond within two weeks.
“A petition to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) followed in January 2026 which now hosted a tripartite meeting of NEPL, the HCDT BOT at the NUPRC Abuja office on April 15, 2026 where the operator categorically said the shortfall was allegedly spent on Special Intervention Projects contrary to the PIA 2021 and the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) before the advent of the PIA.
“Although, the PIA allows for a one year transition, that one year post PIA elapsed in August 2022.
But we the stakeholders under the Isoko Grassroots Mobilizers are worried that the company Asset Management Team (AMT) led by Sterling Global Oil Exploration and Energy Company is playing games and we can no longer accept this.
“We are aware of the efforts of the BOT to ensure development of the communities but paucity of funds has been a clog in this direction.
“Before the Abuja meeting, we were aware of the Security Meeting the Isoko North Council Chairman, Hon.Godwin Ogorugba held with the security representatives in the Local Government Council area with NEPL and the BoT to nip in the bud any attempt to block the roads to the oil installations but that too yielded no results. This was on April 9,2026.
“We are not unmindful of the implications of a blockade but we can no longer wait endlessly for developments that are not forthcoming.
“These communities have lived without electricity and other amenities for ages,whereas the funds were meant for projects development in OML 26 as stipulated by the Petroleum Industry Act(PIA).
“The Isoko Grassroots Mobilizers have been monitoring the activities of the Asset Management Team and Sterling Global Oil Exploration and Energy in OML 26 and note with sadness the lukewarm response to the underdevelopment of the communities.
“A strange development not known to the PIA was introduced by the company where it said the funds deducted from 2023 to 2025 were adjusted OPEX but this is strange to the law thus creating the impression that the company was playing games with the 3 percent OPEX as stipulated in PIA thus starving the communities the necessary funds for development.
“The HCDT is handicapped in every material particular in the absence of the funds
for projects development.
” It is expected that the tripartite meeting held on the April, 15, 2026 hosted by NUPRC with Nigeria Exploration and Production Limited(NEPL), the Asset Management Team, Sterling Global Oil Exploration and Energy Company and representatives of the board of OML 26 Host Communities Development Trust(HCDT) in attendance may resolve the dispute but that meeting ended without any concrete resolution.
“NUPRC only directed NEPL to revert to them in two week’s time with detailed documented evidence of special intervention projects executed with that shortfall.
“We of the Isoko Grassroot Mobilizers are not happy with this recent claim of the Assets Management team and y Sterling Global Oil Exploration and Energy Company of the alleged Special Intervention Projects.
“By this statement we call on NUPRC to prevail on Asset management Team and Sterling Global oil to do the right thing by remitting the shortfall payment to the HCDT without fail.
“It is on record that OML 26 is lagging behind in terms of infrastructural development in the Niger Delta.
“Our findings have confirmed that no single project has been executed since the PIA took off in OML 26, since February 13, 2024 when the BOT was inaugurated.
“We therefore call on relevant government agencies to prevail on the Asset management Team and Sterling Global Oil to resolve the issue and pay all the outstanding monies to avert shutdown of their operations in OML 26.
“Oil exploration should ordinarily bring development to host communities but from the antics of Sterling Global, the Assets Management team and NEPL, oil exploration is almost turning to a curse to the host communities. But as critical stakeholders, we are ready to mobilise all our people to end this injustice once and fall all.
” We say no to economic oppression and sabotage. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
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