NEWS
FG Set to Clear all Pension Liabilities – PenCom Boss
The Federal Government says it will implement measures to clear all pension liabilities under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and ensure that no liabilities will be accumulated in the future.
The Acting Director-General of National Pension Commission (PenCom), Ms Omolola Oloworaran said this when the Nigeria Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme Sector (NUPCPS) paid her a courtesy visit in Abuja on Wednesday.
She said that PenCom was collaborating with relevant stakeholders to address issues related to pension increases, accrued pension rights, and other pension liabilities.
Oloworaran said the initiative would soon be presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval.
She said that the nonpayment to annuitants under the African Alliance Insurance Company, which was being regulated by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) would soon be resolved.
“ PenCom is working with NAICOM to resolve the issue and announce a regulatory change that will require all pension funds under annuity to be domiciled with Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs) to prevent similar issues in the future.”
The acting D-G said that the poor service delivery by any PFA to retirees would not be tolerated.
She said that PFAs and PenCom must provide accessible complaint channels to ensure speedy resolution of issues.
Oloworaran commended the NUPCPS for their visit and reiterated Pencom’s commitment to maintaining a positive and collaborative relationship with the Union.
Earlier, the National Chairman of NUPCPS, Comrade Sylva Nwaiwu, said that Federal Government’s failure to implement pension increases for retirees under the CPS was unjust and inexplicable.
“ The Federal Government’s non-release of funds to enable PenCom pay pension increases for retirees under the CPS is not commendable.
“ While pension increases are implemented for retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), CPS retirees are being neglected,” he said.
Nwaiwu also criticised the irregular release of accrued pension rights by the Federal Government resulting to the delay of retirement benefits for retirees of Treasury-Funded Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) since March 2023.
He said some NUPCPS members who are annuitants under the African Alliance Insurance Company had not received their pensions for five months, from May to September.
Nwaiwu urged PenCom to intervene and resolve the issue and reintroduce sensational engagement with the pensioners
The NUPCPS chairman also urged PenCom to strengthen its oversight of PFAs emphasising the need for improved service delivery to customers.
However, Nwaiwu commended PenCom’s significant achievements in the CPS sector, particularly its ability to grow pension funds to over N20 trillion as of June.
He also commended PenCom for ensuring the security of pension funds, as no case of fraud has been reported in the CPS’s since its first 20 years of operation (2004–2024).
Also speaking, Mrs Grace Yusuf, who retired as a Deputy Editor-in-Chief from NAN, said that the non-payment of accrued rights was having devastating effects on retirees.
According to her, some of the retirees have died while waiting to get their benefits.
“To add salt to injury, we pensioners are no longer under the NHIS, thereby denying us access to healthcare, resulting to deteriorating health and increasing health-related issues; leading to untimely deaths because of lack of money to buy drugs.
“ Some of us still have children who are not employed, how much more being able to fend for their aged parents. It is painful.
“ However, PenCom can liaise with the Federal Government so that retirees can access their benefits latest one to three months after retirement.
“Also, PenCom should through the office of the Head of Service (HOS), make retirement planning education compulsory in all MDAs.
” This knowledge will help retirees plan very well as many of them are suffering now because of inadequate pension and retirement education,” Yussuf said.
She urged PenCom to make late payment of retirees benefits a serious offence, so that it would be taken seriously, adding that removing the payment of gratuities to retirees is unfair and ungodly.
Yussuf said: ” majority of pensioners are wallowing in poverty and hunger, emotional trauma, social isolation, and reduced quality of life.
” The government has a moral obligation to do the needful urgently to save pensioners from avoidable deaths after serving their fatherland meritoriously,” she said. (NAN)
NEWS
They Planted Juju in my Jacket at Davido’s House – Peruzzi
Singer Peruzzi has narrated how a charm was planted in his jacket during his stay at Davido’s house.
Peruzzi was signed to Davido’s record label, DMW, in 2017.
Davido dissolved the label in April 2024.
However, discussing his experience during his stay at Davido’s house, Peruzzi narrated how a charm was planted in his jacket.
Speaking in a video interview online, he said, “I took a shower one evening, like at 6 pm. Just a shower and then went to go and meet them back downstairs because I was chilling there before I went upstairs in David house when I was still living there.
“And then I was done taking the shower. I go to my wardrobe to get my clothes, and then one of my jackets is just telling me, ‘Pull me, wear me, wear me, wear me.’ I don’t know how to explain it, but I was just having the urge to wear it.”So, I carry am (the jacket), and something just dropped inside, and when I looked, it was jaz, better juju inside my room. A jacket that just came from the laundry.”
NEWS
AFSNET Business Conference Kicks off in Calabar
From Ene Asuquo, Calabar
The 6th African sub – sovereign Governments Network Investment Conference has started in Calabar the cross river state capital as Afreximbank opens a $2 billion tap for Cross River State and other African sub-sovereign governments for the financing of bankable projects that can turn around their economies.
Making the disclosure in Calabar in a press briefing, The Director, Trade Facilitation and Investment Promotion, Afreximbank, Dr.
Gainmore Zanamwe, said the 6th African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network Investment Conference (AfSNET 2026) is going to be a three day event, running from Thursday 12th to Saturday 14th November, 2026.Dr Zanamwe stated that, the Bank has the facility ready to finance. According to him, “Some people say funding is a problem. From Africa we say no. The $2 billion is there,” Zanamwe said. “Go and tell your people. You people in the media, go and tell people that money is there,” stressing that the bank is fully prepared to spend the next three days, November 12, 13 and 14, in Calabar enlightening states on how to access the fund. “How do you then access the funding? He asked.
“That is what we’ll be telling everybody in the course of the next three days. We’ll be showing you how you can tap into the $2 billion to do your projects. We’ll make it very simple.” He maintained.
Zanamwe stated that only states that present properly packaged, bankable projects will benefit. “We’ll start tomorrow with a training on how to identify projects in your states. Some normally start by saying there’s a project in this, they then run to the investors. It doesn’t work that way. We’ll be breaking it down,” he said.
“We would like, under the leadership of your Governor, to be able to start from the vision and say this is the vision in terms of promoting trade investment in your states. Once you start from that big vision, you cannot do everything. You need to focus. Identify two or three sectors that you really need to focus on and promote,” he added.
He explained that capital can be raised in two ways: by preparing a project and making it bankable for financial institutions like Afreximbank, or by preparing a pitch deck to generate interest from potential investors.
He also promoted Africa Direct Investment, saying an investor from Lagos or South Africa can as well enjoy the same privileges and incentives given to an investor from America.
He stressed that governors will pitch their projects on November 13 and 14, adding that in the last five years, the initiative has facilitated opportunities worth more than $3 billion, trained over 2,000 people, and worked with 21 African countries.
Also speaking on behalf of Governor Bassey Otu, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, welcomed investors to the state.
“With Cross River State’s agrarian economy being rejuvenated by this administration, for the first time a very deliberate attempt is being taken to be able to make sure that our diverse products are being properly processed to meet international standards,” Cobham said.
NEWS
RMAFC Advocates Fair Share of 13 Per Cent Revenue Derivation Among Oil Producing States
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has advocated a fair distribution of the 13 per cent derivation revenue among states that produce oil and gas.
The Chairman of the commission, Mohammed Shehu, made the appeal on Thursday in Owerri during the inauguration of an oil and gas wells verification exercise.
Shehu explained that the commission’s constitutional responsibilities under the 1999 Constitution, as amended, include monitoring revenue generated into and disbursed from the Federation Account, including funds allocated under the 13 per cent derivation arrangement.
He said the exercise would focus on identifying and confirming the geographical coordinates of disputed oil and gas wells, alongside newly drilled wells between 2017 and 2026.
According to him, an Inter-Agency Technical Committee established for the assignment would carry out physical inspections of the affected wells, verify their locations and ensure that their coordinates were accurately recorded using officially approved maps.
He added that the committee would also take relevant court judgments into consideration when addressing disputes involving oil and gas well locations.
Shehu said the committee would forward its technical findings directly to the commission for review, ratification and eventual adoption.
He described the verification exercise as essential to ensuring that revenue allocations from the Federation Account are accurate and fairly distributed, explaining that the geographical positions of oil and gas wells determine the financial entitlements of producing states.
“This exercise represents a crucial phase in establishing statutory accuracy, technical fidelity, and fiscal equity within the Federation Account allocation framework,” he said.
He further explained that the precise coordinates and geographical positions of oil and gas wells have direct implications for the legal and financial rights of the respective states.
The RMAFC chairman urged officials participating in the exercise to adhere strictly to professional surveying procedures, recognised maps and relevant legal requirements in carrying out their assignments.
He reiterated that the technical committee’s report would be submitted solely to the commission for administrative review and formal approval.


