The Director-General of the National Pension Commission, Omolola Oloworaran, has revealed that newspaper organizations in Nigeria owe retired journalists over N1.3 billion in unpaid pension contributions. This disclosure was made during a meeting with the Nigerian Press Council (NPC), where Oloworaran expressed concerns about the widespread non-compliance with the Pension Reform Act 2014 (PRA 2014) among media establishments.

PenCom and the NPC have initiated a strategic collaboration to urge newspaper organizations to settle their outstanding pension liabilities to their employees. The PRA 2014 mandates employers to remit monthly pension contributions into employees’ Retirement Savings Accounts within seven days of salary payments. However, many media outlets have failed to meet this requirement, prompting PenCom to assign recovery agents to audit and determine the outstanding pension debts and applicable penalties.

Oloworaran emphasized that journalists deserve to retire with dignity, given their critical role in ensuring accountability across both the public and private sectors. She urged media organizations to lead by example by fulfilling their pension obligations to their employees, highlighting pension contributions as a crucial safeguard against old-age poverty. She also appealed to the NPC for support in advocating compliance within the media sector.

The NPC Executive Secretary, Dili Ezughah, assured the Council’s support and commitment to addressing these issues. He stated that the NPC would escalate the matter to relevant stakeholders, including the Nigeria Union of Journalists and the Nigerian Guild of Editors, emphasizing the significant impact of unpaid pensions on journalists’ welfare and the challenges it poses to the Nigerian media industry.

In other news, prominent Lagos socialite Emeka Okonkwo Daniel, also known as E-Money, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged abuse of the Nigerian currency. Additionally, wanted business executive and socialite Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu was also arrested by the agency.

A video recording of Nnamdi Kanu’s interrogation by the Department of State Services was played in court during his ongoing trial in Abuja. The statement Kanu made on October 15, 2015, was also read, where he admitted to establishing Radio Biafra and registering it in London.

Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro has attributed Atiku Abubakar’s loss in the 2023 presidential election to the choice of Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate. Moro’s comments followed Okowa’s statement expressing regret over accepting the role.

Agencies involved in the investigation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s alleged drug-related case in the 1990s are expected to release their investigation reports on Friday, May 2, as ordered by the court. These agencies include US Attorneys, the Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Central Intelligence Agency.

The Islamic State West Africa Province has claimed responsibility for an improvised explosive device attack near Rann in Borno State, which resulted in the deaths of 17 people, including women and children.

A High Court in Ado-Ekiti has sentenced five men to death by hanging for conspiracy, armed robbery, and murder, also handing them 21-year prison terms for conspiracy.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed to challenge the defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and the entire party structure in the state in court, while Senator Ebere Wabara predicted the All Progressives Congress (APC) would soon implode.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has stated that Labour Party’s Peter Obi does not need a coalition with the PDP or support from figures like Atiku Abubakar or Nasir El-Rufai to win the 2027 presidential election.

Chidinma Ojukwu, accused of murdering Super TV CEO Michael Usifo Ataga, testified in court that all her statements to the police were false and made under duress.

Former Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa claimed that Atiku Abubakar is planning to leave the PDP, stating that Atiku was consulted on the decision by himself, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and other Delta PDP stakeholders to defect to the All Progressives Congress.