News

Backlogged Unremitted Pension: Former Nation Staff Petition PenCom, Want Fund Paid

Published

5 years ago

October 9, 2020

Former staff of Vintage Press Limited, publishers of The Nation newspapers have petitioned the Director General National Pension Commission (PenCom) over backlog of unremitted pension due to workers.

They want the unremitted funds be paid with the outstanding interests to the workers by The Nation Newspapers.

In a statement signed by Musa Odoshimokhe, former chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, The Nation chapel, said the management had violated the extant laws that sought to protect workers future by ensuring that workers and their employers set part of their earning aside against the rainy day.

He said, “Unfortunately while workers part of the bargain had been deducted from source, the management of The Nation failed to remit such funds to (Pension Fund Administrator (PFA).”

Odoshimokhe, who is a member of the Lagos State Executive Council of NUJ, added that all that should have accrued to workers in term of interests from the unremitted fund had found itself in private pockets at the detriment of workers future savings.

“This petition has the backing of Lagos NUJ because we are talking of workers welfare in the first place. The workers have been cheated over the years because if the money had been remitted as when due it would have be been increased in term of financial gains.

” It has become habitual by The Nation management to hold on to workers contributory pension only to add up the sum of money owed disengaged workers and pay them the money without interests, thereby denying such workers what they should have earned.

“Incidentally, the unremitted fund by management is being used for business without due consideration to how it affects its staff. For instance, the management quickly shed over 100 of its staff away during Covid 19 just a few weeks after the lockdown was announced.

“It is the same company that had lost money close to one billion naira to fraudulent activities without one single person arrested or prosecuted. Most of the perpetrators of the fraudulent activities were recruited into the system by many top management staff, and were granted soft landing after they succeeded in pilfering the company’s resources. There is no guarantee that the trend will end as long as it remain under the command of same structure.

“Our members are demanding for their money with due interests on what was deducted from their legitimate earnings.”

Odoshimokhe also lamented that many of his colleagues who were recently disengaged were only given stipend ranging from between N70,000 to N150,000 as severances packages after putting between five and eight years or more into the system.

“This simply shows that we have a heartless management in the saddle. Many of our remembers were sacked at the peak of Covid-19 pandemic and after about four months were given a pittance. How do you expect such people to restart their lives and even move on? That attests to the poor salary and welfare structure by the management.

“This is place where workers were stagnated or even never get promoted for over 12 years and more simply because management does not like your face.

“All we want now is adequate remittance of our pension with interest accrued paid. Our severance packages is like a drop in the ocean. However, with our pension, many of us can start life again on a new note.”

News

Lagos Suspends BRT Lane Enforcement On Eko Bridge, Odo Iya-Alaro

Published

6 hours ago

July 2, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Government has temporarily suspended enforcement of the Bus Rapid Transit lane along the Eko Bridge and Odo Iya-Alaro corridor to ease growing traffic congestion.

This gridlock is a result of the ongoing structural rehabilitation on the Ogudu-Ifako Bridge expansion joint.

Special Adviser to the Lagos Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa announced the suspension on Wednesday, describing it as a strategic move to tackle gridlock in affected parts of the city.

“This remedial measure, conceived as a palliative response to mitigate commuter hardship, aligns with the Lagos State Government’s forward-thinking and adaptive transportation strategy under the THEMES Plus Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, particularly within the framework of sustainable traffic management and infrastructure modernisation,” Giwa said.

He explained that the temporary suspension is a transitional and conditional measure aimed at absorbing the anticipated vehicular overflow caused by the partial closure of the Ifako-bound carriageway of the Third Mainland corridor.

“We are fully cognizant of the immense strain currently imposed on key ingress routes into the Lagos Mainland. Consequently, this tactical suspension of BRT lane enforcement is a calculated response designed to deliver immediate relief, reduce commuting time, and preserve the fluidity of vehicular movement throughout the duration of the bridge repairs,” he added.

According to him, the directive takes immediate effect and allows general vehicular access to previously restricted BRT corridors on Eko Bridge and Odo Iya-Alaro, particularly during peak travel periods.

He said this move is expected to expand available road capacity and ease traffic along critical routes.

Giwa, however, stressed that commercial buses and articulated vehicles must remain in compliance with existing safety rules and loading guidelines to avoid worsening traffic conditions or compromising public safety.

He also disclosed that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has been mobilised to strengthen its presence along the affected corridors.

“Enhanced personnel deployment and traffic equipment are now in place to ensure orderly conduct, prevent exploitation of the temporary suspension, and respond promptly to any emergent traffic disturbances,” Giwa stated.

News

Lagos Opens Teacher Recruitment Portal For Two Weeks

Published

6 hours ago

July 2, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Government has announced the reactivation of its teaching job recruitment portal to allow qualified individuals to apply for entry-level teaching positions.

In a notice issued by the Lagos State Teaching Service Commission on Tuesday, the portal will be open for applications from Tuesday, July 1 to Monday, July 14, 2025.

“The Lagos State Teaching Service Commission is set to reactivate its Recruitment Portal as a bold step towards improving access to employment opportunities, equity, and fairness.

“The job portal, which will be accessible for two weeks (Tuesday, July 1st 2025, to Monday, July 14th, 2025), is intended to provide a centralised platform where individuals can apply for State Teaching jobs at the entry level (GL 08) in their relevant fields,” the notice read.

The move, according to the Commission, is aimed at improving access to employment opportunities in the education sector while ensuring equity and fairness.

TESCOM urged interested applicants with a degree in Education or other relevant qualifications to visit the official portal https://tescomjobs.lagosstate.gov.ng and apply for teaching roles at Grade Level 08.

The notice was signed by the Chairman of the Lagos State Teaching Service Commission.

News

FG Unveils N50m Grant To Boost Student Innovation, Entrepreneurship

Published

7 hours ago

July 2, 2025

Editor

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has announced a N50m Student Grant Venture Capital Initiative to support scaling student-led enterprises in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.

Alausa said the initiative aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry by turning homegrown research into commercially viable products and services.

The minister made the announcement on Wednesday in Abuja when he inaugurated the Research and Innovation Commercialisation Committee.

He said the scheme, which will be anchored by TETFund in partnership with the Bank of India, targets undergraduate students in 300-level and above with viable business models and innovations ready for market expansion.

According to the minister, the development is aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda of transitioning Nigeria from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-driven one.

“We have hundreds of thousands of young geniuses across our institutions. This fund is designed to unlock their potential and help them build globally competitive enterprises,” the minister said.

On her part, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, described the inauguration as a landmark moment in Nigeria’s education and innovation history.

“For too long, research in our tertiary institutions has been reduced to tools for promotion rather than solutions for development. This must change,” she said.

In his response, the Committee Chairman, Dr. Tayo Aduloju, described the RICC as “a matter of national urgency”, noting that Nigeria’s research investment as a percentage of GDP is among the lowest when compared to peer nations.