Lagos State Govornor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of has described Prince Tajudeen Olusi, Chairman of the Governance Advisory Council of the Lagos Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), as an epitome of loyalty, trust, integrity and wisdom.

Sanwo-Olu said this in a congratulatory message to Olusi, the Baba Adini of Yorubaland and Atobatele of Ekiti, on his 90th birthday anniversary.

The governor described the nonagenarian as a father, whose counsel helped his administration to navigate challenges.

“Baba has taken me as a son; in fact, I am his political son.

“He is a rare human being, whose wisdom, patience and peacemaking abilities remain invaluable,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu said Olusi remained a repository of knowledge on the political and historical development of Lagos and the old Western Region of Nigeria.

According to him, the elder statesman has an exceptional understanding of Nigeria’s political evolution.

“He can effortlessly recount events that shaped political decisions, from the days of the late sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Action Group to the current republic,” he said.

The governor also commended Olusi for his loyalty to the APC.

“Baba Olusi firmly believes that the party is supreme.

“He often emphasises that no political group or association can stand the test of time if members fail to respect and abide by the party’s decisions,” Sanwo-Olu said.

He prayed for a longer life and continued good health for the elder statesman.

“On behalf of my family and the good people of Lagos State, I pray that Baba enjoys good health for the rest of his life.

“I wish Prince Oluyole Olusi a happy 90th birthday anniversary,” the governor said. (NAN) 

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Omolola Oloworaran, on Tuesday disclosed that more than 241,000 retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) have benefited from increases in their monthly pensions under the reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

According to Oloworaran the adjustment, implemented under Pension Boost 1.

She described the increase as a landmark reform, noting that it was the first time retirees under the contributory pension scheme had received a pension adjustment across the board.

She said the initiative was designed to improve retirement security and ensure that pensioners benefit from reforms in the country’s pension industry.

The PenCom boss also announced a major review of pensions under the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), saying beneficiaries had waited 21 years for an adjustment.

She said the commission invoked the relevant legal provisions to facilitate the review, which resulted in a 1,173 per cent increase in pensions for eligible NSITF retirees.

The adjustment raised the combined monthly pension payments to 2,168 NSITF retirees from N12.56m to N159.95m.

Oloworaran added that the Federal Government had paid N8.7bn in outstanding pension arrears owed to the beneficiaries, bringing relief to retirees who had waited years for their entitlements.

She said beyond the NSITF pension review, the Tinubu administration had approved a N758bn intervention to settle inherited federal government pension liabilities, some of which had remained outstanding since 2007.

According to the PenCom director-general, payments under the intervention had reached hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries, helping to clear obligations accumulated over successive administrations.

She further disclosed that accrued pension rights were being credited to eligible federal employees ahead of retirement following a verification and enrolment exercise covering workers due to retire up to December 2029.

Oloworaran said the commission had also introduced a zero-waiting-time policy to ensure that federal employees begin receiving their pensions upon retirement, eliminating the prolonged delays that previously characterised the process.

She added that retirement benefit applications, which had taken up to 21 months to process, were now subject to a mandatory 48-hour service standard for pension fund administrators.

The reforms, she explained, were aimed at improving service delivery and ensuring that retirees could access their entitlements without unnecessary bureaucratic delays.

The PenCom DG also highlighted the introduction of an exit benefit scheme for eligible employees of treasury-funded ministries, departments and agencies with at least 10 years of qualifying service.

Under the scheme, eligible retirees receive an additional benefit equivalent to 100 per cent of their annual emoluments, alongside their normal pension benefits.

Oloworaran disclosed that the first batch of 175 retirees received approximately N1.1bn under the scheme in August

While improving benefits for existing retirees, she said PenCom was also working to expand pension coverage to Nigerians in the informal sector, including traders, artisans, farmers and transport workers.

She explained that the commission was deploying accredited pension agents to markets, workshops and other business locations to encourage self-employed Nigerians to participate in the Personal Pension Plan.

The initiative, she said, was intended to address low pension penetration in the informal sector and provide more Nigerians with opportunities to build retirement savings.

Providing an update on the growth of the pension industry, Oloworaran said 938,229 Nigerians joined the pension scheme between July 2024 and June 2026.

She added that pension assets increased from N20.7tn in July 2024 to N31.48tn in June 2026, representing growth of more than N10.7tn in less than two years.

The director-general also disclosed that PenCom had recovered N36.6bn from employers who failed to remit pension contributions deducted from workers’ salaries as of July 2026.

She said recoveries in 2025 set a record for annual collections since the introduction of the Contributory Pension Scheme, adding that the commission had already surpassed the previous year’s record in 2026.

Oloworaran warned employers against deducting pension contributions without remitting them into workers’ Retirement Savings Accounts, describing the practice as a breach of trust and the law.

Going forward, she said the commission was preparing to introduce additional measures to strengthen retirement security, including a minimum pension guarantee and a healthcare programme for low-income retirees.

The proposed healthcare initiative, known as PenCare, is expected to provide essential medical services at no cost to an initial 30,000 eligible retirees.

She explained that the minimum pension guarantee would establish a floor below which eligible retirees under the contributory pension scheme should not receive pension payments.

According to her, the two initiatives are part of broader efforts to strengthen social protection, improve retirement outcomes and expand access to pension benefits.

Oloworaran also disclosed that PenCom had begun work on a Pension Transformation Agenda 2030, which would establish clear priorities and measurable targets for the industry while strengthening accountability in pension administration.

She said the commission would continue to focus on protecting contributors’ savings, improving the payment of retirement benefits and ensuring that more Nigerians could look forward to financial security after leaving active employment. 

Leader of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, Government Ekpemupolo, has advised the people of Lagos State not to allow a repeat of what played out in the 2023 election in the state in the 2027 presidential election. 

He called on the people to take advantage of the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and get their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) to enable them vote massively for one of their own, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Ekpemupolo, widely known as Tompolo, who was represented by Kestin Pondi, gave the charge in Lagos, on Tuesday, during a campaign rally for Tinubu’s reelection, during which he also presented 57 campaign vehicles to state coordinators.

“What happened in 2023 must not repeat. He must win convincingly in 2027,” he said. 

He described Tinubu as a selfless and courageous leader who did not care about his reelection but went on carrying out bold reforms that are already yielding results and which many Nigerians are benefitting from.

Ekpemupolo pointed out that, the fact that Lagos is today referred to as a city for all Nigerians is all thanks to the foundation laid by President Tinubu, which successive governors have built on, and now that he has a higher responsibility, there was the need for his own people to stand solidly behind him. 

“Lagos is the city for all Nigerians because someone stood firm to restructure and reform it. “From the time he came into office in 1999 up to 2007 that he left, Lagos was the envy of other states. 

“Today, he has a higher responsibility, an opportunity to replicate the Lagos success story in Nigeria through reforms. There is massive development across the states today because reforms are working,” he stated. 

Ekpemupolo said to ensure that the reforms continue, the people of Lagos and all Nigerians must take the message to every door and everyone that Tinubu is the man for Nigeria. 

Also speaking, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, pointed out that Nigeria was attaining economic stability under the Tinubu-led administration.

He advised the people to ignore the antics of opposition politicians who have no plan for Nigeria, but only desperate to win elections and have been moving from one party to another, demonstrating a lack of consistency, which he emphasised was bad quality for any leader. 

Sanwo-Olu said Tinubu has constructed more roads than previous administrations in three years, given succour to students, increased minimum wage and made money available for payment of pensions. 

“Why won’t we vote for him? The entire Lagos is for Tinubu. All our votes are for Tinubu. You’ve done it before, you’ll do it again. “We will touch every corner of Lagos with our message to reelect Tinubu. Go out and convince everyone that Tinubu is the candidate to vote,” the governor stated. 

Earlier, National Coordinator of the movement, Sunday Asuku, urged the people of Lagos to go out and get their PVCs to enable them vote massively for Tinubu.

“We must stand our ground and deliver Tinubu with PVCs, not with guns or intimidation. Lagos must not put their son, Tinubu, to shame,” he stated. 

He said in the 2027 presidential election, Nigerians must make a bold statement to retire “serial contesters” who he described as “enemies of Nigeria.”