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NANS vows showdown with varsities over planned N80,000 electricity bill

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The National Association of Nigerian Students has opposed the proposed electricity tariff of N80,000 per student by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.

The proposed hike is seen as a response to the surging costs of electricity in the country, which universities claim they can no longer afford to cover without passing the burden onto students.

Recall that Secretary-General of the CVCNU, Professor Yakubu Ochefu, recently revealed that university students might be required to pay as much as N80,000 each to help manage the escalating electricity costs.

Ochefu noted that each universities which was previously charged N61m monthly, was now paying above N200m due to the introduction of the Band A system and the subsequent hike in electricity tariffs.

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In April 2024, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission raised the electricity tariff for Band A customers from N68/KWh to N225/KWh, marking a staggering 300 per cent increase.

Band A customers are those who receive electricity for at least 20 hours per day.

Reacting to this development, NANS National President, Lucky Emonefe, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, opposed the idea of transferring the electricity costs to students.

“It is not possible. Nigerian students cannot pay such exorbitant fees. While we understand there has been hike in electricity tariffs, the burden cannot be put on the students,” Emonefe stated.

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He emphasised that NANS’ commitment to resisting any attempt to increase electricity tariffs for students across the institutions.

He said, “The electricity tariff hike is one of the issues we are engaging the government on. It is not the fault of the Vice Chancellors, but we agree that the government should remove our institutions from Band A and place them in Band B. No Nigerian student will pay that N80,000; we will reject it.”

The Academic Staff Union of Universities also weighed in on the issue, calling for increased government funding for universities.

ASUU National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, stressed that improved funding would enable universities to operate independently and potentially generate their power.

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He further elaborated on the need for universities to receive adequate funding to explore self-sufficient energy solutions.

He said, “There are several issues wrong with the system. The funding is poor, and given the current environment, there is no way students can handle such a bill.

“There is no justification for this electricity hike in universities. You cannot charge them at a different rate. By right, everybody should be getting equal electricity, whether you are in Band A or Band B.

“If you fund the universities very well, every university can generate its electricity. If the universities are challenged to do that, we will. But now, universities cannot award contracts without going through the ministries.

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“It is so sad because the universities are not allowed to operate on their own. If they are, they can do the necessary research to generate electricity on their own.”

On the other hand, the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors has advised universities to adapt to the current realities of increased electricity costs.

The Executive Director of Research & Advocacy at Discos, Sunday Oduntan, stated that reversing the tariff increase was not feasible.

“That is the reality of our time. If the businesses apply it, it is fixed by the regulator and not by the discos using realistic economic realities. If they say we should not consider the cost of production, that means all the businesses will fold up, and there will not be light,” Oduntan explained.

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BREAKING: Jubilation As PDP Wins All 30 LGs In Osun State(See winners)

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSSIEC, has announced that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won all the local government and councillorship positions in the just concluded local government elections in the state.

The Chairman of the Commission, Hashim Abioye, made this announcement via a Facebook Live broadcast on Saturday evening.

Abioye stated that PDP candidates secured all the councillorship seats in all 332 wards in the state, as well as the chairmanship elections in all 30 local government council areas.

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The names of the PDP chairmanship candidates and their respective local government council areas:

Babalola Wasiu Kayode – Boripe

Okunade Oluwafemi Adesanya – Egbedore

Adeyenuwo Rotimi John – Ife Central

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Agboola Francis Olajire – Obokun

Azeez Lateef Adeniran – Isokan

Aina Abayomi Adesina – Boluwaduro

Sodiq Samuel Oluwapelumi – Ola Oluwa

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Ajibade Oluwatoyin S. – Irepodun

Adebanjo Oladiti Tunmininu – Ilesa West

Ibironke Alade Adegboye – Atakumosa East

Aroke Muyiwa Aderemi – Ife South

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Kolade Obafemi Kolawole – Olorunda

Moshood Adekunle Kabiru – Iwo

Awotunde Abiodun Sarafadeen – Ifelodun

Akande Taiwo Adekunle – Osogbo

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Dada Feyisayo Ajibola – Atakumosa West

Amodu Taiwo – Ede North

Atolagbe Kayode Olayinka – Ifedayo

Akande Michael O. – Ife North

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Adeyekun Taiwo Adebayo – Oriade

Adeniran Adenike Felicia – Ayedaade

Afolabi Oyekola Lukman – Ede South

Odunyemi Haruna Bukola – Ife East

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Jooda Ambali Babajide – Irewole

Adewale Adeyinka Oluwaseun – Odo Otin

Ogunbiyi Solomon Akinyemi – Ayedire

Raimi Adenike Nafisat – Ejigbo

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Adebisi Jayeola Nasir – Ila

Ilesanmi Taiwo Sunday – Ilesa East

Alade Aderemi Fatai – Orolu

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DSS arrests three for assaulting operatives during LSHA crisis

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested three persons linked to the alleged assault on its officers during the crisis that rocked the Lagos State House of Assembly, following the removal Mudashiru Obasa, as Speaker

Apparently sensing danger, some lawmakers had mobilized their supporters to the Assembly Complex, but these supporters allegedly attacked some DSS officers who were invited by the Assembly leadership to secure the facility. Security sources revealed that “after extensive analysis of CCTV footage, we were able to clearly identify three of the suspects”.
“The suspects, Ibrahim Olanrewaju Abdulkareem, a photographer and two others attached to the Assembly’s Seargent at Arms, Adetu Adekunle Samsudeen and Adetola Oluwatosin Fatimoh, a lady, were consequently tracked and arrested during the week in different parts of Lagos,” The trio have since confessed to the crime and will soon be charged to court, the source said.

It would be recalled that the Lagos Assembly had in a leaked memo dated 14th February, 2025 and addressed to the DSS Director in the State, and Heads of other Security Agencies in Lagos State, told the Security Agencies in Lagos that, there was credible information to the effect that, Obasa had planned to forcefully reinstate himself today, February 18, 2025.
Accordingly, the Assembly management, held the view that, the development posed “a potential security threat” to it and its members.

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Police seal OSSIEC office, officials nabbed, says chairman

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Hashim Abioye, has claimed that the police have sealed off the headquarters in Osogbo.

In a video post on the OSSIEC X handle, Abioye accused the police of also arresting election officials and blocking journalists from covering the local government election.

According to him, several OSSIEC officials were detained while on their way to polling units on Saturday.

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Attempts by our correspondent to reach Abioye for further details proved abortive as his telephone line was switched off.

The OSSIEC chair, in the post, assured voters that materials had been deployed to affected areas.

So far so good, the reports have been positive and the conduct has been very smooth and peaceful as against the false alarm raised by the police. Everywhere is calm,” Abioye said.

“The only thing is that in some of the areas in which materials are supposed to have arrived for voters to cast their votes, we had reports of police arresting our officials.

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“I don’t know on whose order because there is no court order that warranted the arrest of officers of our officials.

“As it is, we have deployed materials to those units because we have enough on the ground.

For our people in the media community, I want to apologise for the inadequacy of the tags and the jackets because we have enough but the police sealed our office and that was not warranted at all.”

Abioye’s comments come after police had called for the local government election to be called off by the state government, citing a security threat.

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In a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Friday, the Police said it received credible intelligence indicating a likelihood of violence and significant security threats should the planned elections proceed.

The police explained that reports gathered from joint intelligence gathering revealed that various groups, including political elements and other interested parties, are mobilising to instigate unrest, disrupt public peace and undermine the democratic order.

However, the Osun State government acknowledged the police’s advice but insisted on going on with the election.

Channels Television reports that the election eventually went on as scheduled on Saturday.

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