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Mixed Feelings Trail Telecom Tariff Hike …As Bayelsa Consumers Lament

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1 year ago

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Telecommunication consumers in Bayelsa State have continued to express mixed feelings over the recent fifty per cent tariff hike in telecom services by telecom firms in the nation.
The Tide learnt this through separate interviews conducted by newsmen in Yenagoa, the State capital and environs.
Consumers in their numbers expressed frustration over the development, which, according to them, has further worsened the economic struggles they face.
They urged the government and telecommunication operators to review the prices downwards to ease their financial burden.
Fielding questions from Journalists, some consumers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the record high cost of living and unprecedented inflation many Nigerians are witnessing, while also grappling with unbearable financial and economic burdens, has been worsened by the hike in telecom tariff hike.
According to a cross-section of respondents, soaring prices of petrol, gas, basic food stuff, and now the 50 per cent tariff in telecommunication services, particularly mobile data, has added to the misery faced by consumers.
According to Ms. Emilia, a Business woman and mother of four, the big jump in the price of mobile data by the major network service providers has worsened her economic woes.
She said having been unable to rent a shop, she opted to take her business online.
The newsmen, who also spoke with Chief Aherhoke Okioma, a Journalist with The Daily Times, who depends on mobile data to file his report and keep abreast of happenings in a modern society, expressed regret, saying the increase in prices by the telecom companies is “choking economically”.
The Tide further reports that respondents say the hike in data is “putting a big hole” in their pockets as money meant for other purposes is now spent to purchase more airtime.
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives, following a motion of urgent public importance raised by the member representing Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State, Hon. Oboku Oforji, had directed the telecom regulator and the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy to suspend the tariff increase, arguing that Nigerians cannot afford higher telecom costs amid rising inflation and the removal of fuel subsidies.
While the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers has rejected the increase, describing it as insensitive and a more burden on consumers who are already grappling with economic challenges and poor network and service delivery, Industry stakeholders, particularly the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, have defended the tariff increase, arguing that it is vital for the long-term sustainability of the sector.
In response to customer complaints, an official of a telecom service provider, who would not want his name mentioned, told The Tide that the tariff increases which was necessitated by rising operational costs was necessary to serve subscribers better.
The Tide also learnt that Nigeria currently has over 160 million mobile telecommunication line subscribers, making telecom services no longer a luxury, but a necessity.
“From job seekers using data to browse opportunities to small business operators relying on it to connect with customers and market products, the tariff hike is cutting deep into their pockets and suffocating their finances”, a group of subscribers said.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

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Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members  In Brass Water

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1 week ago

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May 18, 2026

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A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways
The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and  members of his church were in a programme.
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?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet  to be recovered
as search party are still ongoing.
Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report,  our Correspondent gathered  that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.
The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit
The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s  on the sad accident
By: CHINEDU WOSU
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Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

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1 week ago

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May 18, 2026

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The Rivers State Council of  Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.
Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt,  recently.
Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.
He noted that  the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.
According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.
He also  informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.
“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.
Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.
The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.
He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.
Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.
The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.
He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.
Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.
By: King Onunwor
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FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

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2 weeks ago

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May 13, 2026

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The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.
 Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.
“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.
The minister noted  the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.
According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.
Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.
He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.
“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.
He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.
“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.
Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.
“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.
“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.
She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.
Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).
“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.
“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.
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