Headline

Protest, Unrest Looms As BEDC Disconnects UNIBEN From National Grid

Published

1 year ago

July 2, 2024

Students and staff of the University of Benin, UNIBEN, are sitting on the edge of provocation that could lead to unrest and strike over power outage in the school which has been on for over a month now.

The issue has now been compounded as the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC Plc, the power distribution company in Edo State, servicing the school, last week formally disconnected the school from its services as a result of non-payment of bills.

The reason behind the electricity crisis is attributed to the recent increase in electricity tariff for some categories of consumers as approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC ) which reportedly shot up the university’s monthly electricity bill from N80 million to over N250 million.

The non-availability of electricity on the campus is putting a strain on the students and staff as they, including lecturers, have resorted to using solar powered facilities including lights in their offices with others using generators.

The health centre at the Ugbowo campus is worst hit as health officials don’t have access to light from 10 pm when the three hours the school put on its generating set is exhausted daily and at times, workers on night duty use torchlights.

Strategic offices including the secretariat of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) run on generators and there is no substantive Students Union Government (SUG) since the union was disbanded after some of its officials invaded the Senior Staff Quarters when a governorship candidate was their guest, an action that was seen as an affront on the management and staff of the university by the students.

The students are at the mercy of the management of the school as at now.

The BEDC disconnected the university from its services following their inability to reach agreement over the contentious electricity billing.

The obvious implication is that staff cannot deliver on their work 100 percent “because it is only the administrative block that the generator can power throughout working hours” and the students cannot have a conducive environment to learn.

When contacted, the Head, Branding and Corporate Communications of BEDC, Mrs. Evelyn Gbiwen, attributed the increase in energy tariff to the directive of the NERC. “The new tariff system determines what ‘Band A’ customers would pay, there is nothing deliberate about any customer.

“It is a general policy that when customers don’t pay their bills, they will be disconnected. And it is when such a customer pays his bills that he would be reconnected,” she added.

The Public Relations Officer of the University, Mrs Beneditta Ehanire, when contacted said “Management is bending backwards really but will continue to sue for patience because everyone is tensed. Yesterday, a tanker was engaged to supply water to a hostel that had a water challenge.”

The statement the University issued a few weeks ago said the University paid the over eighty million Naira monthly bill up till April, 2024 in the two campuses of Ugbowo and Ekehuan.

“The delay to Pay the May bill is as a result of the disputed astronomically increased bill of over two hundred and fifty million naira, monthly, thrust on the University by BEDC.

“Despite the challenges, Management of the University has gone the length to ensure that students do not suffer unduly by providing generator light to all the hostels between the hours of 6am to 7am and 7pm to 10pm daily.

“Management appeals once again to staff and students to be patient and to demonstrate understanding of the situation as it is also exploring alternative power sources including solar energy.”

Headline

Trump Threatens Extra 10% Tariff On BRICS Nations

Published

13 hours ago

July 7, 2025

Editor

US President, Donald Trump has warned that countries supporting BRICS policies that clash with US interests will face an additional 10% tariff.

“Any country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% tariff.

“There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump wrote on social media.

Trump, who has long criticised the BRICS alliance—comprising China, Russia, India and other emerging economies—has ramped up trade pressure as part of his economic strategy.

The US had set 9 July as a deadline for countries to finalise trade agreements.

However, according to US officials, tariffs will now kick in from 1 August.

Trump said he would begin sending letters to various countries, notifying them of the tariff rate they will face if no deal is reached.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has introduced multiple import tariffs, arguing they are necessary to protect American manufacturing and jobs.

Back in April, during what he dubbed “Liberation Day,” he rolled out a wave of new tariffs—some reaching as high as 50%—but later paused the more extreme measures to allow for negotiations until 9 July.

During this interim period, a general 10% tariff has been in place on goods entering the US from many of its global trade partners.

So far, Washington has only secured full trade agreements with the UK and Vietnam, alongside a partial deal with China.

Yet, the UK and the US are still at odds over tariffs on British steel.

Asked whether the tariff changes would take effect on 9 July or 1 August, Trump responded vaguely: “They’re going to be tariffs, the tariffs are going to be tariffs.”

He added that between 10 and 15 countries would receive letters on Monday outlining their new tariff rates if they don’t reach an agreement.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick later confirmed that the new tariffs will take effect on 1 August.

Trump also warned Japan last week that it could face a “30% or 35%” tariff if it fails to strike a deal with the US by Wednesday.

In May, the European Union was told it would face tariffs of up to 50% without an agreement in place.

Reports last week suggested the EU was considering a temporary arrangement to maintain a 10% tariff on most goods, while also negotiating to ease existing tariffs—such as the 25% tax on cars and car parts, and the 50% rate on steel and aluminium.

Last year, Brics expanded beyond its founding members—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Together, the bloc represents more than half of the world’s population and aims to elevate its global influence in opposition to Western powers.

In 2024, Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs on BRICS countries if they proceeded with plans to launch a rival currency to the US dollar.

Sunday’s fresh threat came after BRICS finance ministers, meeting in Rio de Janeiro, denounced the US tariff strategy and proposed changes to the International Monetary Fund and global currency valuations.

They issued a statement warning that such tariffs pose a risk to the global economy by creating “uncertainty into international economic and trade activities.”

Andrew Wilson, deputy secretary general of the International Chambers of Commerce, said it would not be easy for countries to sever trade ties with China.

“Shifting away from China…in a number of sectors is far more difficult to achieve in the world in practice,” he said.

“You look at the dominance China has in a number of sectors—EVs, batteries [and] particularly rare earths and magnets, there are no viable alternatives to China production.”

(BBC)

Headline

After Fallout With Trump, Elon Musk Says He’s Forming ‘America Party’

Published

2 days ago

July 6, 2025

Editor

Billionaire Tesla owner Elon Musk, has disclosed that he is forming a third political party, which he called the ‘America Party,’ after a dramatic falling out with Donald Trump over a tax and spending bill recently signed into law by the President.

Musk, who was the largest individual donor to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, worked with the current US President as the lead of his cost-cutting government agency—the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—until his recent resignation.

After bowing out of the DOGE role, Tribune Online reports that Musk started criticizing Trump’s “big beautiful bill” because of estimates that he said would add trillions of dollars to the federal deficit.

Speaking via his X social media platform, Musk said, “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy.”

Musk, a former ‘first buddy’ of the US President, declared that the new party is for freedom: “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”

Meanwhile, Musk’s rift with President Trump last month after intense criticism of the spending bill appeared to have cooled after Musk regretted and deleted the most incendiary posts he made linking Trump with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and calling for the President’s impeachment. According to Musk, those posts ‘went too far.’

However, the world’s richest man reignited the feud over the last several days as the bill neared passage and eventually passed by the House before it was subsequently signed at a White House ceremony.

According to CNN, the extent to which Musk has taken steps to legally form the party is unclear, as party formation requires registering with the Federal Election Commission. The most recent FEC filings showed no indication that this has happened, CNN reports.

The owner of X, who has made threats during the social media scuffle with Trump, had indicated he wants a party that is fiscally conservative and reins in spending, but has offered few other details about what the party’s platform would be.

While Musk and Trump reportedly share similar views on contemporary social issues, the former has argued the Republican policy agenda will increase the debt, calling it “debt slavery.”

The two-party system in the United States has long been criticized by both registered Democrats and registered Republicans, but efforts in the last century to form a third party have shown little success. Billionaire Ross Perot ran for president as an independent in 1992, winning nearly a fifth of the popular vote, but carried no states in the election, which was won by Bill Clinton.

Headline

Australian Actor Julian McMahon Is Dead

Published

2 days ago

July 5, 2025

Editor

Australian actor Julian McMahon, best known for his roles in Nip/Tuck, Charmed, and Fantastic Four, has died at the age of 56.

McMahon passed away in Clearwater, Florida, on Wednesday following a private battle with cancer.

His death was confirmed in a statement released on Friday by his wife, Kelly.

The statement read,”With an open heart, I share with the world that Julian McMahon, my beloved husband, died peacefully this week after a valiant effort to overcome cancer.

“His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible.

“We wish all of those to whom Julian brought joy to continue to find joy in life.

“We are grateful for the memories.”

Born into a prominent political family, McMahon was the son of former Australian Prime Minister Sir William McMahon.

In a nod to his family’s legacy, he portrayed an Australian prime minister in the Netflix drama ‘The Residence.’

McMahon’s career spanned decades, earning him international recognition for his roles as Dr. Christian Troy in ‘Nip/Tuck’, Cole Turner in ‘Charmed’, and Victor Von Doom in ‘Fantastic Four’.

He was married three times, including a high-profile marriage to Australian singer and actress Dannii Minogue, sister of pop icon Kylie Minogue.