Nelson Ugwuagbo

The Federal Government has ordered the immediate suspension of the recently introduced Free On Board (FOB) levy on imported goods.

Finance Minister Wale Edun, in a directive issued late Monday, announced that the levy, introduced last month by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), would be put on hold following widespread concerns from businesses and trade stakeholders.

“Following extensive consultations with industry stakeholders, trade experts, and relevant government officials, it has become clear that the implementation of the 4% FOB charge poses significant challenges to Nigerian trade facilitation, the business environment, and economic stability,” Edun said in a statement.

The suspension comes after importers and business groups warned that the levy would raise the cost of goods, fuel inflation, and undermine Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.

They also argued that the additional charge would increase the cost of doing business and threaten the country’s fragile economic recovery efforts.

The Rivers State government has begun activities to mark the expiration of the six-month emergency rule imposed in the state.

President Bola Tinubu had on March 18 declared a state of emergency in Rivers following a prolonged political crisis. The declaration led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the State House of Assembly.

With the initial six-month period set to elapse on Friday, September 18, there are strong indications that Governor Fubara and the lawmakers may soon be reinstated.

As part of the transition process, the state government will today, Tuesday, host a public lecture at the Government House in Port Harcourt. The lecture, themed “Democracy and Good Governance”, is expected to highlight lessons from the period of emergency rule.

According to a notice signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Ibibia Lucky Worika, the Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd.) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, CFR, will attend as Special Guest.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed five criminal charges against activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore at the Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing him of defaming President Bola Tinubu.

The charges, filed on September 16, 2025, also list X Corp. and Meta, owners of X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook as co-defendants. According to the court documents, Sowore described President Tinubu as a “criminal” in several social media posts, while criticizing his claims of eliminating corruption.

No court date has been fixed for the matter.

Despite the charges and reported threats from the DSS, Sowore has refused to retract or delete the posts. He has maintained a defiant stance, insisting on his right to free expression.

The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Anambra State, Mr. John Chuma Nwosu, has lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for regularising the David Mark-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

Nwosu described INEC’s prompt recognition of the party’s leadership as a significant democratic gesture for Anambra voters, noting that it came at a time when the electorate is seeking a credible alternative.

He recalled that voters in the state were facing a political situation similar to 2003, when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) “grew wanton with impunity as the only platform.”

Dismissing claims that INEC was working to set up the ADC for judicial failure, Nwosu said conspiracy theories had no place in the exercise of democratic rights and responsibilities.

“There is no hidden agenda. ADC has come to stay; all necessary documentation has been completed, and the Commission has done what is required,” he said.

According to him, Anambra voters now have a credible option beyond “old, spoilt platforms that have taken the masses for a ride.”

Nwosu expressed optimism that the November 8 governorship election would give the people an opportunity to elect “a servant leader and not arrogant mischief makers and opportunists.”

He added that INEC’s decision would compel political parties in the state to focus their campaigns on issues that matter to the people.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled Senate over alleged plans to prevent Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) from resuming her seat after completing a six-month suspension.

The Senate is scheduled to reconvene from its two-month recess on September 23.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended on March 6, had on September 4 written to the National Assembly leadership notifying them of her intention to resume.

However, in a reply signed by the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Dr. Yahaya Danzaria, she was informed that her suspension remained in force and was tied to a pending case at the Court of Appeal.

Reacting on Tuesday, the PDP accused Akpabio and the Senate leadership of deliberately plotting to silence the people of Kogi Central senatorial district and weaken the opposition in the upper chamber.

The party described the move as undemocratic and urged the Senate to allow Akpoti-Uduaghan resume her legislative duties without further delay.

The Nigerian national electricity grid has collapsed on Wednesday, causing power generation to plummet from 2,917.83 megawatts (MW) to just 1.5 MW between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.

Following the incident, Nigeria National Grid, an X handle that tracks electricity distribution, confirmed the development, stating that “system restoration is in progress.”

In a subsequent update, the account revealed that load allocations to all Distribution Companies (DisCos) across the country had dropped to zero, with the exception of Ibadan DisCo.

“Disco load” refers to the volume of electricity (in megawatts) allocated to each power distribution company from the national grid.

As of the time of filing this report, none of the DisCos had issued official statements on the collapse.

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced plans to commence a nationwide strike on Thursday over poor working conditions and other unresolved issues.

President of the association, Dr. Osundara Zenith, disclosed this in an interview with journalists on Wednesday, noting that the decision would be ratified at a National Executive Council meeting.

He said the action became necessary after the expiration of a 10-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government, which he claimed was ignored.

“The reasons are because of the poor working conditions of our members, the shortage of manpower, the downgrading of certificates, the non-payment of salary arrears and allowances, and the issue of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) for over 2,000 resident doctors across the country,” Zenith explained.

The NARD president added that the strike is also in solidarity with resident doctors in Abuja and Oyo State, who are already on strike over similar grievances.

He called on both the Federal Government and affected state governments to urgently address the demands to avert a complete shutdown of public hospitals nationwide.

Efforts by the Federal Government to avert the looming strike by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) hit a brick wall on Monday, as a closed-door conciliatory meeting with the Dangote Group ended in deadlock.

The meeting, convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, alongside the Minister of State, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, was aimed at resolving the industrial dispute triggered by alleged attempts by the Dangote Refinery to bar its compressed natural gas (CNG) tanker drivers from joining labour unions.

In attendance were national executives of NUPENG, representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

NUPENG had last week announced plans to withdraw its members from work starting Monday, September 8, in protest against the alleged anti-union practices. Although the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) and the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA) distanced themselves from the action, the union on Sunday reaffirmed its readiness to proceed with the strike.

Alarmed by the potential impact on the economy, the Federal Government had earlier appealed to NUPENG to shelve the action and allow dialogue to continue. Dingyadi, in a statement issued through the ministry’s spokesperson, Patience Onuobia, urged the union to reconsider its decision, warning that even a day’s disruption in the petroleum sector could result in huge revenue losses and hardship for Nigerians.

“The petroleum sector is very important to this country. It constitutes the core of the economy. A strike, even for just a day, will have an adverse impact, leading to heavy revenue losses running into billions of naira and causing untold hardship for Nigerians,” the minister said.

He also appealed to the NLC to withdraw its red alert to affiliate unions to prepare for solidarity action, stressing that the matter would be resolved amicably.

Despite the government’s intervention, Monday’s conciliation talks ended without an agreement, leaving the threat of a nationwide disruption in the petroleum sector unresolved.