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Palliatives must be for all Nigerians, not only govt workers, stakeholders tell FG
• TUC’s Time-frame On N200,000 Minimum Wage lapses tomorrow
Stakeholders in the private sector and economic analysts have said that the Federal Government must design far-reaching palliative measures that would capture not just civil servants, but Nigerians from all walks of life, in its attempt to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.
They stressed that this was imperative because public sector workers constitute an infinitesimal percentage of the country’s estimated 200 million population.
In the aftermath of his inauguration day speech affirming an end to the fuel subsidy regime, President Bola Tinubu had stressed the need for a review of the minimum wage, among other palliatives to be introduced, to cushion the harsh effects of the removal on the citizenry.
He consequently mandated the National Economic Council (NEC) to come up with inputs on palliatives and minimum wage review.
Rising from its meeting at the State House in Abuja on Thursday, however, the NEC proposed palliatives for workers and vulnerable groups in the country. Disclosing the outcome of the NEC, which was presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, said that the Council considered recommendations from the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission to pay N702 billion as cost of living allowance to civil servants as part of the intervention plans .
He also announced the setting up of a committee by NEC to work out, within two weeks, the modalities for organising and distributing the palliative.
Mohammed, who was joined by four other governors Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Dikko Radda (Katsina), Alex Otti (Abia), and Yahaya Bello (Kogi), also stated that the interventions include a recommended sum, ranging from N23.5bn to N45bn per month, as petroleum allowance for civil servants.
He further explained that the Council also discussed the possibility of obtaining funds from the World Bank and London partners to implement the programme of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for vehicles in the country as part of measures to bring down the price of fuel.
“Various scenarios were given by the presenter on the issue of national salaries, income, and wages and this N702 billion plus, was suggested as an allowance for the cost of living adjustment allowance by organised labour and the other one is a petroleum allowance.
“The governor of Ogun has told you that there are other allowances here and there, but with regard to Labour, these are some of the few allowances that they have suggested; that of petroleum will range from N23.5 billion to N45 billion per month, depending on what is in the kitty for distribution or sharing. So, the N702 billion is a suggested sum for labour to cushion the effect on workers on a new allowance that will be tagged cost of living adjustment allowance,” Mohammed said.
But Nigerians, especially leaders of thought from the organised private sector, are demanding that the planned palliatives should be encompassed in such a way that it would reduce inflationary pressures and improve economic conditions of the generality of Nigerians and businesses.
While affirming that government needed a policy action to tackle the cost of living, they noted that the focus of the interventions should be the one that would affect the standard of living of citizens, adding: “While short-term solutions like the provision of buses and increased allowances and salaries are appealing, the committee should also focus on medium and long-term solutions that would progressively enhance the standard of living of all Nigerians.”
They argued that measures should not be designed for only organised labour, which makes up only five per cent or one million personnel of the public sector out of the nation’s 200 million population, alone as the focus.
Already, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) said that with the fuel subsidy removal, the current N30,000 minimum wage has been eroded by inflationary measures, stating that it expected the Federal Government to provide feedback on its demand for N200, 000 minimum wage by tomorrow, Monday, June 19.
The Secretary General of the TUC, Nuhu Toro, told The Guardian that the new minimum wage of N200,000 was part of the demands it gave to the government in respect of the removal of the subsidy.
The Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr. Muda Yusuf, noted that though there is an urgent need for policy action to address the cost of living generally, wage increases don’t cover everyone, as those on payrolls were 10 per cent of the total working population.
He advised the government to focus more on macroeconomic issues, stressing that the Tinubu-led government needed to take action to bring down the cost of food by involving stakeholders in the food processing sector .
“If government engages effectively, ideas will emerge on what it can do to bring down the cost of staple foods. It is necessary also to bring down the cost of food through import duty waivers, and tax waivers on critical inputs, both in food production, processing, and agriculture. That should not take much time on tariff for tax policies,” he said.
On transportation, he said all tiers of government must reel out mass transit buses to convey people at subsidised rates. “Import duty on passenger buses must be reduced or waived to see more supplies of the buses so that we don’t also put those in the vehicle assembly industry at a disadvantage. Their key raw material is SKD; government should waive the import duty, charges, and VAT that are used in the assembly of buses so that vehicle assembling plants, involved in the assembling of buses, can assemble buses at much cheaper rates. If we increase the supply side of transportation, transportation costs will come down, that is the logic.
“On fuel, we need to break the monopoly of NNPC on fuel importation, in the short run, to ensure more players are involved in the importation of petroleum products so that there can be competition.
“On power supply, if we have enough power, the demand for petroleum or diesel will reduce. There is a need for decentralisation of the grid. This will involve some tariff policies and tax measures. We need to do a lot on renewable energy. All taxes, import duties, and VAT on equipment used for renewables should be removed so that not everyone will be hooking up to public electricity because they are so expensive.
“Within a week, the government can change a lot of things; within a week, the government can change taxes, but not wages. Private-sector employers should encourage remote working to avoid pressure on their employees. They should also be prevailed upon to buy staff buses, not only government,” Yusuf said .
A Professor of Economics at the Lagos Business School (LBS), Bongo Adi, on his part, said it is not a wage increase that is needed at this time, but the introduction of monetary policy to fight inflation.
According to him, if the government expands the means of transportation and also expands the movement of goods and commodities around the country, it will improve the living condition of Nigerians, reduce the cost of living, and improve the purchasing power of people’s incomes.
“If you increase wages by 200 per cent and inflation rises by 200 per cent, it doesn’t help, you are still where you were. What will happen when wages are increased now is a proportionate inflationary vault. That is what nobody wants. What can improve quality of life and purchasing power right now is for inflation to drop. We may have N30,000 as a minimum wage, but let’s have inflation drop by 50 per cent. It means that the N30,000 minimum wage can now afford us twice more purchasing power as before.
“With an addition of 500 buses, let them charge the pre-subsidy removal transportation fare, and people will begin to use them. The little money made would be used to service those vehicles. Each state should replicate the same and charge prices for pre-subsidy removal. That will help people more than increasing their wages.
“There is a need for the government to also partner with the private sector to introduce trucks that will help to ferry commodities from different states, from rural areas to the cities; that will also reduce the cost of food,” he said.
Another Professor of Economics and Dean, of the College of Postgraduate Studies, Caleb University, Segun Ajibola, also noted that the country boasts about one million personnel in the public sector out of 200 million population.
He, therefore, stressed that the NEC committee must not just zero in on the about one million Nigerians that draw their means of livelihood from the government out of 200 million, but also take into consideration those who work and rely on their businesses, skills, and expertise.
He said what the government needed to do was to initiate policies and empowerment initiatives that will make Nigerians self-reliant. He also charged the government to use proceeds from subsidy removal to fix infrastructure and make life meaningful for the citizenry.
For immediate relief, the Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, advised the NEC committee to consider a review of the Personal Income Tax law across the country to make it more friendly and keep more cash in the pockets of Nigerians.
He said a review of the multiple taxes, levies and fees paid by organised businesses and suspension of recently introduced ones would provide immediate succour.
Oyerinde, who said that sustainable enterprise was the foundation for the economic prosperity of workers and government, called on the Tinubu administration to facilitate regulatory ease to promote entrepreneurship and SME development, and also partner with organised businesses to enhance job creation through Technical and Vocational Training and Apprenticeship (TVET).
Furthermore, he called for a quick revamp of the public transportation system across the country with special privileges for the elderly and the most vulnerable.
“To ensure food security and reduce food inflation, the government should immediately announce incentives to farmers and provide logistics support for the transportation of foods from one end of the nation to another.
“It should be noted that government cannot tax its citizens to prosperity and it should not further burden the people through forms of corporate or individual taxation. If this is not done, we run the risk of taxing businesses and especially, Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) out of existence,” he said.
For Public Affairs Analyst, Jide Ojo, the government should focus on interventions around housing, health, education, and motorable roads for those in rural areas to bring in their agricultural produce.
For private enterprises, Ojo advised that this was the time to innovate, be creative, and work smart to reduce the cost of movements. He added that organisations should conduct training on how to work remotely and smartly.
President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Dr. Tommy Okon, however, observed that what would be fundamental to organised labour during this period is sincerity on the part of the government in the implementation of agreements when concluded.
He noted that this has not always been the case, especially on the side of state governments because of the trust deficit. (The Guardian)
Ojukwu Transport Limited, OTL, has raised concerns over what it described as the repeated absence of court records in its ongoing property dispute with Bianca Ojukwu and her sons, even as it filed a motion for stay of execution pending the determination of its appeal.
Proceedings before Justice A.M. Lawal of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, last Monday were stalled for the second time in six weeks due to the unavailability of the case file.
The matter was adjourned after the file was reportedly not returned to court.
A similar situation occurred on May 8, 2026, when the case could not proceed because the file was unavailable.
OTL alleged that the file had been taken from the Ikeja Judicial Division to Lagos more than two months ago for the execution of a warrant and had not been returned.
The claimants’ legal representatives were absent from court on both occasions.
Describing the development as troubling, OTL said the repeated absence of the file had effectively stalled proceedings and raised questions about accountability in the handling of court records.
Amid the delays, the company disclosed that it had filed and served a motion for stay of execution at the Court of Appeal, seeking to halt enforcement of the judgment pending the determination of its appeal against the 2022 decision in Suit No. LD/1539/2012.
OTL maintained that the application became necessary because steps were being taken to enforce the judgment despite its pending appeal.
The company also contended that the properties in dispute had previously been the subject of a warrant of execution arising from a separate judgment delivered in 2018 by Justice Adedayo Oyebanji in Suit No. LD/794/2011.
The case was subsequently adjourned to October 8, 2026.
Present in court on both adjourned dates on behalf of Ojukwu Transport Limited was one of its directors, Dr. P. Ike Ojukwu.
Counsel to OTL are Ifeanyi Okumah Esq and Chief O. Ugolo, SAN, while Bianca Ojukwu and her sons are represented by Nick Omeye Esq and Co.
The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, has ordered the immediate release of a man wrongfully linked to Boko Haram terrorists.
The setting free followed a DSS investigation review panel that cleared Nura Idris of allegations of collaboration with Boko Haram terrorists.
Aside from giving Idris N3 million monetary compensation to meet his immediate needs, the DSS DG promised to help the wrongfully detained herder in his business, a practice common with the DG.
According to a security source, the farmer and animal rearer from Soba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, was arrested by a sister security agency in Suleja, Niger State, in June 2024, for alleged links with terrorists, and was thereafter transferred to DSS custody.
Following a thorough review of Nura’s case, the DSS investigation panel found no basis for the charges against him, prompting the DGSS to order his immediate release and payment of compensation.
Receiving the compensation, Nura thanked the DGSS for what he described as a kind gesture, saying the money would help him restart his life.
“I thank the DGSS for his kindness. I was well treated in DSS custody and I pray that Allah rewards the DGSS immensely,” the source quoted Nura as saying.
His father, Yusuf Idris, who received Nura upon his release, also expressed appreciation to the DGSS for his compassion and generosity, and assured that the compensation would be put to good use.
“When such cases are recorded, the DSS would usually follow up with the detainee, provide psychological and medical support, after which the Agency would further set up any business of the victim’s choice”, another source disclosed.
The release is part of an internal review exercise which the DSS began last year. The exercise is aimed at reassessing prolonged inherited cases to ensure that erroneously detained individuals do not remain in detention.
“The setting free and compensations across multiple cases underscores the DSS’s growing reputation for institutional integrity and humanness,” added the source.
“The Service under the current DG, has continued to show that safeguarding national security and citizens must go hand in hand with upholding the rights and dignity of citizens,” declared the source.
“Recall the case of Sunday Ifedi and his wife, Calista who were arrested on 8th November 2021 and detained in Wawa facility, three years before the appointment of the current DG in August 2024,” added the source. Sunday was released on 16th December, 2025, after the review of detainees ordered by the DG cleared him of ties with the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the DG awarded him N10 million as compensation.
“Importantly, plans are underway by the DSS to rebuild a restaurant in memory of Ifedi’s wife, Calista, who died while in custody in a detention facility in Wawa. The initiative is to compensate Sunday for the allegations that his late wife operated a restaurant being patronized by IPOB, for which they were arrested. This brings to bear, over thirty cases that have since been reviewed with over N300m paid as compensation,” the source disclosed.
It would also be recalled that, barely one month after ordering the release and payment of N10 million compensation of one Abuja-based business woman, Mrs. Chineze Ozoadibe, in October 2025, the DSS boss ordered the release of one Kenneth Okechukwu Nwafor, arrested in July 2022, for his alleged involvement in the activities of the proscribed IPOB. Five other detainees wrongfully linked to IPOB were by the same directive of the DG, released and each given an initial N2 million cash compensation. Last month, the DSS also released a Yobe State resident, Ya’u Mohammed, after investigations confirmed that he had no connection to terrorism.
Following his release, the Service provided initial financial support worth N2 million to assist his reintegration and restoration of his livelihood.
“There are many more instances where DSS investigations have established innocence and have been followed by efforts to facilitate reintegration,” stated the source, adding, “these are the kind of measures the DSS is using to build public trust.”
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, and Founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, have praised the United States President, Donald Trump, for taking recent military actions against terrorism and called for more of such action to stem the tide of the unrelenting terror attacks by extremists in Nigeria.
They spoke to a packed audience drawn from a cross section of activists of all races and cadres from across the United States.
The event was in Washington DC during an award night for President Trump, two Congressmen: Rep. Chris Smith and Rep. Riley Moore, both of whom have tabled a bill seeking to end terrorism in Nigeria by punishing the sponsors, and other activists who have championed the cause of religious freedom in Nigeria.
The RCCG leader also spoke on the criticism that he had maintained a stoic silence while extremists carried out the killing and kidnap of Christians and other vulnerable communities across Nigeria, noting that as an elder religious leader, he embarked on a “spiritual warfare” rather than scream to escalate tension with concomitant reactions.
Bishop David Oyedepo delivered his keynote address at the gala night represented by 4 persons- Pastor Deji Akin Abiri, Pastor Dayo Ojo, Apostle Jacob Sharpe and Pastor Seyi Adeyeri
According to him it was not a surprise when President Trump intervened, having followed events and warned of dire consequences for the perpetrators of the violence.
The grand event, tagged: “Faith Heroes Award Gala.” was organised by the Save Nigeria Group, USA with the participation of the US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition at the Hilton Garden Inn, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.Nigerian lifestyle content
Adeboye, who rued that “terrorism is now at my doorstep,” appealed for a global coalition, led by the United States and its Western allies, to help defeat terrorism in Nigeria, while cautioning that the violence that has consumed communities across the country was no longer distant from him.
The appeal came as former United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, and Dr. Katrina Swett, a prominent advocate for human rights, religious freedom and international justice, criticised Nigerian authorities for failing to protect citizens of all faiths from extremist violence.
In an emotion-laden address after receiving an award at the gala, Adeboye said terrorism had worsened since the December attacks on terrorist camps in northern Nigeria.
He said the United States and other Western powers would need to take more decisive action if peace was to return to Nigeria.
Drawing from Isaac Newton’s first law of motion, he said Nigeria was trapped by what he described as a structure of untouchables, powerful actors who make the fight against terrorism difficult from within.
He said: “There are certain people in my country that, I regret to say, are untouchable, and only God can deal with them.
“If you want to help us, help us more.
“No matter who is in office in Nigeria, only God can help us.
“Use your influence to help us.”
Adeboye thanked President Trump and the United States Government for what he described as assistance to Nigeria. Nigerian lifestyle content
But he said the work had not gone far enough.
He said Nigeria needed the combined effort of countries such as the United States, Britain, Australia, and other Western allies to help confront terrorist groups and restore peace.
While acknowledging that people of different religions have suffered from terrorist attacks, Adeboye said Christians had become the prime targets of many of the killings.
He added that none of the major ongoing attacks could be traced to Christians.
The cleric also responded to criticism that he had not done enough because much of the violence was concentrated in northern Nigeria.
He said the scale of the crisis had moved beyond what any religious leader or local institution could address alone.
He warned that without external support, Nigeria might not know peace, saying terrorists were emboldened and communities were being overrun.
Adeboye said his church had established an internally displaced persons camp to help victims of terrorist violence.
He said victims were being provided food and relief, and that plans were underway to establish a secondary school for young people in the camp, along with skills training for adults.
The crisis, he said, had created an estimated 11 million displaced persons, many of whom had lost homes, livelihoods, and access to education.
Adeboye, however, said he did not support sweeping accusations that the administration of President Bola Tinubu was doing nothing to fight terrorism. Executive Branch
He said, like Trump, Tinubu’s role as commander-in-chief was to give instructions to the military, but the effectiveness of those instructions depended on execution.
He also said he had advised Tinubu to meet with Trump to demonstrate seriousness in the fight against terrorism before the December military action.
Though Adeboye said he does not agree with everything Trump says, he described the American president as the best politician he had ever known because, according to him, Trump acts on his promises.
“To be a good politician, you must be able to speak two different things from the same mouth,” Adeboye said, adding: “And I like him because when he says: ‘I want to do this,’ you better get ready.”
He said that as Trump winds down the Iran war, he should complete what the cleric described as the good work he started in December against terrorist camps in Nigeria.Nigerian lifestyle content
He said the terrorists were mocking the faith of their victims.
“They are asking: ‘Where is their God?’” Adeboye said, adding that he had gone to God in agony and deep prayer several times over the crisis.
Brownback, a former Governor of Kansas, who also served in the United States Senate and House of Representatives, said it was painful that Nigeria was still bleeding, making apparent reference to the latest killings of 22 persons in Plateau State by suspected Islamist terrorists.
He warned that Nigeria risked losing the nation if terrorists were allowed to overrun it.
He said the United States wanted to help Nigeria defeat terrorism so that Nigerians could fulfil the promise of their country.
He described Nigeria as being “out in the fork” and urged Nigerians and their allies to subdue terrorist networks, including Fulani terrorist groups, and resist any attempt to turn the country into a caliphate.
Swett, in her remarks, described Nigeria as a country of extraordinary people and said America must do more to help Nigeria fight terrorism.
“Yes, the future is in the hands of Nigerians, but America has powerful leverage to do more,” she said.
She expressed satisfaction that the Trump administration was placing Nigeria at the centre of international discussion on religious freedom and terrorism.
In his remarks, Stephen Osemwegie, President of Save Nigeria Group USA and convener of the US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition, said the mission would not be complete until the entire terrorist network in Nigeria was dismantled.
“Terrorism is not a Nigerian or American issue,” Osemwegie said, adding: “We need global support to establish global peace.”
He urged both chambers of the United States Congress to speedily pass H.R. 7457, the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2025, and send it to President Trump for signature.Nigerian lifestyle content
Osemwegie paid tribute to two members of Congress, Christopher Smith of New Jersey’s 4th Congressional District and Riley Moore of West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, for their sustained efforts in keeping terrorism in Nigeria on the American policy agenda.
He also praised Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo and Leah Sharibu, describing them as symbols of Christian resilience in the face of persecution.
The event, which organisers called: “Thank You, America,” brought together religious leaders, Nigerian diaspora advocates and American human rights voices pressing for stronger action against terrorism and religious persecution in Nigeria.
Among those honoured with the Faith Heroes Award was Bishop Oyedepo, who was represented at the event.
For the organisers, the Washington gathering was both a tribute and a warning: a tribute to those they say have stood for persecuted Christians in Nigeria, and a warning that without global intervention, the crisis could further unravel Africa’s most populous nation.
My Heart Bleeds — Oyedepo
Echoing the profound urgency in a powerful keynote address, Bishop Oyedepo, who extended his apologies for his physical absence, but whose words resonated deeply through the hall, declared that Nigeria is “virtually at the brink of collapse.”
The fiery Chancellor of Covenant University threw his weight behind a monumental legislative move unfolding in Washington: “Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026.”
Citing the horrific data compiled within the US Congressional findings, Oyedepo confronted the stark reality of Nigeria’s bleeding landscape.
The findings reveal that between 2009 and 2025, an estimated 50,000 to 125,000 Christians have been martyred, with over 19,000 churches destroyed.
Shockingly, the report confirms that Nigeria alone accounts for a staggering 72 percent of all Christians martyred worldwide.Nigerian lifestyle content
Pointing directly to the operations of Fulani-ethnic militias, Boko Haram, and ISWAP, Oyedepo backed the US legislative framework seeking to designate these militant groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) under international law, referencing the brutal massacres in Benue and Plateau States that claimed over 9,500 lives between 2023 and 2025 alone.
“From the above, you can see that the happenings in our country today call for urgent action from all stakeholders and well-meaning individuals to prevent a situation of total anarchy,” he warned, adding: “The intervention of the United States of America in Nigeria’s affairs is a most welcome one.”
He expressed deep gratitude to President Trump for his passionate concern.
He added: “My heart bleeds as I put down these few lines.
“We look forward to a nation that will be safe, peaceful, and prosperous again.”
Diaspora Ignites Washington
The Gala Night capped off a week of intense advocacy by Save Nigeria USA, which began on Saturday with a massive, roaring Save Nigeria Rally at MacPherson Square, just steps away from the White House.
With 26 civil society groups united under a single banner, the diaspora community has made it clear: they will no longer remain silent while their homeland bleeds.
Oyedepo was represented by Pastor Deji Akin Abiri, Pastor Dayo Ojo, Apostle Jacob Sharpe, and Pastor Seyi Adeyeri.
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