The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has demanded the reversal of the recent 50% hike in telecom tariffs, issuing a 48-hour ultimatum to the Federal government.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on January 20, 2025, announced regulatory approval for telecom operators to raise tariffs by 50 per cent. The agency said the tariff hike will help the operators improve the country’s telecommunication infrastructure.

The tariff hike follows agitations from the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) to review call tariffs upwards.

SERAP described the increase as “unlawful” and warned of impending legal action if the government and telecom operators fail to reverse the decision.

“The Tinubu administration and telcos must immediately reverse the unlawful increase in calls and data costs. We’ll see in court if the 50% tariff hike is not reversed within 48 hours,” the group declared.

SERAP’s ultimatum reflects growing public dissatisfaction over the hike, with many Nigerians expressing concerns about its impact on the cost of living.

The organization also insisted that the tariff hike violates the rights of consumers and threatens access to affordable communication services.

“This increase is not only unjustifiable but also unlawful. It risks undermining the accessibility of essential communication services for millions of Nigerians,” SERAP’s statement read.

The Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, has ordered the removal of speed bumps on the country’s highways to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion on major roads.

Umahi gave the directive during a two-day Retreat for Federal Ministry of Works Highway Engineers and Managerial Staff on Friday in Abuja.

The retreat with the theme “Ensuring Delivery of Mr President‘s Agenda on Road Infrastructural Development,” was organised by the ministry.

The minister said the order to dismantle the speed bumps was necessary because some were haphazardly done causing accidents and elongating travel time.

“I came through one of the federal routes and for a journey that is supposed to last like one hour within that stretch, it lasted like three hours because  every 20 metres you will see a bump.

“Although there is nothing wrong with speed bumps in certain designated locations. But there is an approved technical design for bumps.

“There are also allowable locations for bumps and that is what we want to do. So the National Assembly has directed that these speed bumps should be dismantled.”

Umahi said the ministry had noticed some speed bumps were a menace and causing multiple accidents and deaths.

“Some speed bumps are high, touching the bottom plates of vehicles; that is not desirable. It defeats the aim.

“So, this is what we are saying; and that is what the National Assembly is saying; the ministry as well as motorists want them to dismantle it.”

Umahi said subsequently for any speed bump to be constructed, applications would be made  to controllers for the locations through the Permanent Secretary and to the minister for approval after meeting technical compliance.

He added that there must also be a safe side distance of not less than 100 metres and warning for motorists to beware.

Speaking on infrastructure development, Umahi said President Bola Tinubu’s massive infrastructure development is aimed at providing the much needed impetus to stimulate the economy and improve the lives of the citizenry.

He therefore, said the retreat is aimed at educating  participants to properly understand the president’s renewed hope agenda with specific reference to road infrastructure development among others.

The Minister of State for Works, Mr Bello Goronyo, commended the president’s infrastructure development agenda, saying that it was putting  smiles on the faces of Nigerians.

“Let me  urge you to use the knowledge that you will acquire today in ensuring that you come up to speed with the modern technologies and innovation  so that our country will be better in terms of roads, infrastructure.

“Without the road infrastructure, there cannot be economic growth, and there cannot be prosperity,” he said.

The permanent secretary in the ministry, Olufunso Adebiyi,  said the Federal Road Safety Corps’ record revealed that accidents  were traceable to reckless driving, drunk driving, disregard for road instructions and unauthorised crossing of the road among others.

“It may surprise you that the percentage of accidents caused by bad roads were less than 10 per cent.

“The bad roads are traceable to inefficiency on the part of the engineers, poor supervision of our road works among others.”

Adebiyi urged the engineers to step up and curb some of the irregularities, noting that the ministry was committed to building their capacity to deliver on the administration’s agenda.

The Chairmen, Senate and House Committees on Works reiterated their commitment to supporting the ministry to deliver on its mandate.

By Henry Ukazu

Greetings Destiny Friends,

We are all familiar with the Law of karma, which implies that every action has consequences, or that whatever a person does comes back to them. It’s also known as the law of cause and effect, which means for any action, there’s usually a corresponding consequence. 

This has a close resemblance to a foremost scientist, Isaac Newton’s theory, the Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation, which states that “whatever goes up must come down”.

The principle and ideology behind these laws and principles are centered on the principle of life that stays, the way you lay your bed that’s the way you will lay on it. The question we need to ask ourselves is what seeds are we sowing? It’s instructive to note that nobody plants an orange seed and reaps a mango fruit, nor can a watermelon seed produce a pineapple fruit.

The principle of sowing and reaping is sacrosanct. It is whatever one sows that they will reap. This principle is universal. When you sow a seed, you might not get the result immediately, but you will get it in due time by and by.

As a man, when you treat your spouse with love and affection, you will surely get a reciprocal from her, and as a woman there’s the tendency to reciprocate a support from a partner, especially when he is down. These are laws that work with conscience and heart of gratitude of the recipient. No doubt, common sense entails one does the needful.

As a business owner, when you invest in your company and staff, you are bound to reap the fruits in due time. As a parent, when you invest in your children’s good home training and quality education, you’ll be glad for the foundation you laid at your old age.

As a progressive mind, when you invest in reading books, building sustainable relationships, networking, learning skills and adding value to your life, updating and upgrading your life via personal development, you are bound to reap the fruits of your labour.

The challenge most people have is that they haven’t taken time to learn, nor have they taken time to sow the seeds that will create opportunity for them. Some people are just comfortable with begging or looking for parasitic opportunities where they haven’t invested time and resources. Some people are even entitled to someone’s work just because they are friends, family or have a form of relationship. This shouldn’t be the case. As human beings, it’s important for one to be intentional and strategic. Nobody likes to be “used”, rather people like to give value to their time and money.

It is important to note that any seed one sows today, will produce the fruit they will either eat or need tomorrow. In my personal development journey, I was a little bit confused on how I wanted to execute my vision. Because I lacked the right mentors to strategically guide and inspire me, I began to live my life based on experience with no set plan.

In some cases I failed, and in some cases I was able to make an impact. However, one thing is certain, I was moving in the direction I needed by being at the right events and meeting the right people. In the course of time, I began to see myself gaining clarity about my interest. Overtime, I had mentors who were instrumental in guiding and strategically positioning me in the right direction.

When I look back in retrospect, I can only give God the glory because the little works and skills I invested in my life have gradually begun to pay back. The moral here is that I sowed the seeds I am reaping today. It took a while, but it finally came through. This experience has shown me one can get to any height in life, in addition to getting recognition when one is consistent, intentional and passionate about a cause.

Whether you are a boxer, teacher, singer, athlete, journalist, lawyer, coach, writer or minister of the gospel, please do it diligently, and if what you are doing is your purpose in life, the universe has a way of conspiring with you to get to the top.

When people say someone is lucky, blessed, privileged, smart, highly connected to a mentor, or resource person, they are just crafting words of art to describe or qualify their point just to convey a message. This is because though all these words might play a role, if one has not taken a time to do the work, the required opportunity will not pop out and even if they pop out, and one is not destined for the opportunity, the corresponding blessings will not come.

The question we need to ask ourselves is what are we doing with our lives?  What seeds are we sowing for the blessings and opportunities we are hoping to get. In my native belief in law, there’s a latin maxim that says “Nemo dat quod non habet” which translates to ‘you can’t give what you don’t have’. This is the reality of many people. They want money, but don’t want to work. They want opportunities but don’t want to intern or serve in probono capacity. They want favours just because they are related or have a kind of relationship with someone, and therefore, automatically believe it will rub off on them without them giving substantiated reasons why they need support. These sets of people believe wealth is sexually transmitted.

I can go on and on, but as a sage will say, a word is enough for the wise.

In conclusion, as you journey through life, always remember that whatever you sow has a way of coming back to you, if not today, in your old age, or transmuted to your children. Just like when you assist your boss in saving money, tomorrow when you have a company, your employees will pay you back without you knowing it’s the deed you invested many years ago. As a single man or lady, when you derive joy in sleeping with married women or men, just know that you will get a corresponding visit in due time.