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No One Can Live on N70,000, Not Even a Newborn – Sowore

Published

1 month ago

September 4, 2026

2027: Sowore Promises ₦500,000 Minimum Wage, Free Education, 24-Hour Electricity

No One Can Live on N70,000, Not Even a Newborn – Sowore

The African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, Omoyele Sowore, has declared that no Nigerian can realistically survive on the current N70,000 minimum wage, insisting that even his proposed N500,000 wage would be inadequate amid the country’s soaring cost of living.

Sowore made the remarks on Friday morning while appearing as a guest on Rapid FM in Rivers State. The activist and former presidential candidate was defending his long-standing proposal for a N500,000 minimum wage when the presenter questioned whether increasing workers’ salaries could worsen inflation by putting more money into circulation without a corresponding increase in productivity. Sowore firmly rejected this argument, stating that Nigeria’s inflation was primarily being driven by the rising cost of production and government policies rather than workers’ wages. He said the N70,000 minimum wage was grossly inadequate for workers to meet their most basic needs, including food, transportation, accommodation and clothing.

“There’s nobody technically, or realistically, that can live on N70,000 a month, even a newborn baby,” Sowore said. He added that his proposed N500,000 minimum wage should not be regarded as excessive given current economic realities. “Even the N500,000 I’m proposing, in my view, it’s too small. But just for the sake of argument, say, okay, let’s pay people just enough to be able to make a living. That’s what the proposal is about,” he said.

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Sowore argued that Nigeria was experiencing what economists describe as “cost-push inflation”, which occurs when rising production and input costs drive up the prices of goods and services. “It’s driven by cost. The type of inflation we have is called cost-push inflation. And it is because the cost of production is very high,” he said. According to him, rising electricity tariffs have contributed significantly to the increase in the cost of production across the country. “You know how much electricity tariffs have jumped in the last three years,” he said. He also linked the rising cost of transportation to the removal of the petrol subsidy by the Federal Government, noting that the increase in fuel prices had translated into higher transportation costs for workers, businesses and consumers.

“It is caused by transportation cost. As a result of the removal of fuel subsidy, wherever you were going for N500 before, it became N2,000. That’s the cost of your inflation,” he said. He further blamed the depreciation of the naira and Nigeria’s heavy dependence on imported goods for worsening the economic situation. “When they just came and floated the naira, at the same time they removed subsidy. That’s the cause of inflation,” he said. Sowore argued that reducing inflation would require the government to tackle the high cost of electricity, transportation and production rather than suppressing workers’ wages. “If you want to change the direction of that inflation, you have to deal with this. You have to reduce electricity tariff. You have to bring back fuel subsidy. That would then force down the cost of transportation and reduce the cost of production,” he said.

The AAC candidate illustrated his argument by comparing Nigeria’s domestic production costs with those of other countries, warning that high energy and transportation costs could eventually make it cheaper to import basic commodities than produce them locally. “It is easier for you to import garri – I just want to be ridiculous by saying from China, than to produce it in Rivers State now because the cost of production of garri in China is lower,” he said. He said Nigeria must make its productive sector more competitive by reducing energy and transportation costs while providing reliable infrastructure for businesses and industries.

Sowore also rejected the argument that higher wages should be tied to concerns over workers’ productivity. He said workers enter into contractual relationships with employers to provide labour in exchange for adequate compensation, while employers and supervisors should be responsible for monitoring productivity. “As long as you come to work as a contract, and you work from, say, 8 o’clock to 2pm or 4pm, I’m going to pay you enough money to enable you to survive,” he said. “The argument as to whether the civil servants are doing work or not is not the argument we are having. That one is regulatory. That is the job of the supervisor,” he added.

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Sowore also questioned the disparity between the earnings of ordinary workers and the allowances, security details, convoys and other benefits enjoyed by political office holders. He argued that government could afford to improve workers’ wages by reducing what he described as wasteful spending and the high cost of governance. “What has the Nigerian worker done wrong to you that you cannot take a little bit now?” he asked. He criticised the use of large convoys by governors and other public officials, questioning the necessity of some government expenditure. “I don’t understand till tomorrow why a governor who is living in his house in Port Harcourt, to go to his office needs an outrider,” Sowore said. “I don’t know why a governor should commission a project in the first place. If a project is completed, it should be commissioned by use,” he added. The presidential candidate also questioned the large security votes allocated to governors, saying such expenditure should be scrutinised and redirected where necessary. “We waste so much money,” he said.

Using food costs as an example, Sowore demonstrated why the current minimum wage was already insufficient to cover workers’ daily meals. “If you eat three times a day, and you are eating N500 food, you eat N1,500. When you go to work or not, you will eat,” he said. “Multiply N1,500 by 30 days in a month. Are we not already past N70,000? Are you not going to transport yourself? Are you not going to wash your clothes?” He said the debate should therefore focus on whether workers could actually survive on their salaries rather than whether N500,000 was too much. “That is the argument. It’s very simple,” he said. Sowore insisted that reducing the cost of governance could help fund better wages and improve workers’ ability to remain productive. “If you don’t want people to work, you don’t want them to go to work, then don’t hire people to work for you. But the moment you have that contract, there’s so much work for you,” he said. “The moment you have that contract, you must ensure that their living conditions are at least able to support their motivation or their ability to get to work and back,” Sowore added.

Sowore’s remarks come amid growing calls from labour unions for a comprehensive wage review. At the Nigeria Rights of Workers Summit 2026 held in Birnin Kebbi in early August, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) formally demanded a N500,000 minimum wage, aligning with Sowore’s long-standing position. The unions argued that the current N70,000 wage had been overtaken by economic realities. NLC Deputy President Adewale Adeyanju stated that the current N70,000 minimum wage “can no longer adequately respond to the realities confronting Nigerian workers, particularly with the rising cost of living.” The NLC and TUC said the period agreed for the last minimum wage review had expired in July, making it necessary to commence fresh negotiations with the Federal Government.

Additionally, the Federal Workers Forum has written to President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly, demanding an immediate increase in the federal minimum wage from N70,000 to N300,000, arguing that the current salary structure can no longer sustain civil servants amid Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis. The forum also proposed a maximum salary of N1.5 million for Level 17 officers, describing the current wage structure as “suicidal” for federal workers. According to a recent BudgIT report, workers in Nigeria’s most expensive states are left with as little as N7,261 a month after meeting the minimum cost of a healthy diet. The report showed that in Ekiti State, an estimated N62,739 of the N70,000 monthly wage was required to feed an adult adequately, exposing the weakness of judging wage adequacy simply by whether monthly income exceeds the cost of food.

No One Can Live on N70,000, Not Even a Newborn – Sowore

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Court Orders NDLEA to Produce Enugu Airport Duty List in Abba Kyari Cocaine Trial

Published

9 hours ago

October 5, 2026

Trends Admin

Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari

Court Orders NDLEA to Produce Enugu Airport Duty List in Abba Kyari Cocaine Trial

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to produce the duty roster of personnel deployed to Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, on January 19, 2022—the day a cocaine consignment central to the Abba Kyari drug trial was intercepted. The ruling marks a significant development in a case that has drawn national attention and raised questions about airport security and inter-agency coordination in Nigeria’s fight against drug trafficking.

Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order on Monday during the continuation of the trial of suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari and four other suspended officers of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT). The defendants are facing charges of alleged tampering with 21.35kg of cocaine and are standing trial on counts of conspiracy and obstruction in the illegal dealing and importation of the substance. They have all pleaded not guilty.

Julius Mba, counsel to Kyari and Inspector Simon Agirgba, told the court that the defence had filed a subpoena duces tecum—a legal order requiring a person or organisation to produce specific documents or evidence. The subpoena directs the NDLEA boss to present certified true copies of the duty roster for personnel deployed to the Enugu airport on the date in question. According to Mba, the document is essential to help the defence establish its case and demonstrate how the cocaine consignment allegedly passed through airport security.

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The court session also addressed the absence of the defence’s second witness, John Nwonke, who was expected to continue his testimony. Nwonke, who had been subpoenaed to appear, was not in court. His lawyers presented a letter dated October 2 stating that he was ill and unable to attend. The development prompted a sharp exchange between the defence and prosecution.

NDLEA counsel Joseph Sunday strongly opposed the adjournment request, urging the court to foreclose Nwonke’s evidence. He argued that the defence had failed to comply with an earlier order directing the witness to appear on Monday. Sunday also questioned the medical letter, noting that it did not disclose the nature of the illness or the hospital where Nwonke was receiving treatment. He told the court the prosecution was “not aware of any subpoena,” adding: “We don’t conduct trial by ambush.”

In his ruling, Justice Nwite declined to foreclose the witness’s evidence immediately. While he observed that Nwonke’s letter was not convincing enough to justify the adjournment, he adjourned the case until October 7, 2026, in the interest of justice. The judge warned that failure of the witness to appear on that date would lead to the foreclosure of his testimony. He also directed counsel to the first to fifth defendants to submit the names of witnesses they intend to call before the next hearing.

The trial had resumed after an indefinite adjournment in May due to Justice Nwite’s shortlisting for elevation to the Court of Appeal. The defence has been calling witnesses in an effort to establish that NDLEA operatives facilitated the passage of convicted drug traffickers through airport security. In a video played in court in March, convicts Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne alleged that their photographs were sent ahead to NDLEA officers at the airport to ensure they were cleared without proper screening. The testimony forms part of the defence’s broader argument that the defendants were not the architects of the alleged obstruction.

Kyari and his co-defendants—Sunday Ubua, Bawa James, Simon Agirgba, and John Nuhu—remain at the centre of one of the most closely watched corruption and drug trafficking trials in Nigeria’s recent history. The case has sparked widespread debate about accountability within Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies and the effectiveness of inter-agency cooperation in combating drug crime.

The case was adjourned to October 7, 2026, for further defence proceedings.

Court Orders NDLEA to Produce Enugu Airport Duty List in Abba Kyari Cocaine Trial

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No Survivors Found in Ondo NAF Plane Crash — Ondo Governor

Published

10 hours ago

October 5, 2026

Trends Admin

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa

No Survivors Found in Ondo NAF Plane Crash — Ondo Governor

The Nigerian Air Force plane crash in Ondo State has ended in tragedy, with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa confirming that no survivors were found at the crash site in Igbokoda. The NAF ATR-42 aircraft went down on Monday morning near the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base in Ilaje Local Government Area, killing all 32 people on board—25 passengers and seven crew members. The confirmation came during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where the governor described the scene as devastating.

Governor Aiyedatiwa said rescue workers recovered debris from the Ondo plane crash site, including wing fragments, identity cards, and military uniforms, which helped confirm that a military aircraft had gone down. “So far, no single life was rescued,” the governor said. “They could not find anybody alive in that aircraft.” His words confirmed the worst fears of a nation that had spent hours hoping for a miracle.

The governor revealed that he received news of the NAF crash at about 10:30 a.m. through the chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area. Initial information was sketchy, with residents across the river reporting a loud sound and vibrations resembling an earthquake. Witnesses later saw the aircraft plunge into a swampy area. Aiyedatiwa said Nigerian Navy personnel initially kept their distance after arriving nearby because they were unsure whether the crash would trigger an explosion or fire. Only after confirming there was no fire or explosion did the Navy personnel move toward the crash site to attempt to rescue those on board.

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Personnel from the Ondo State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), local residents, and the Amotekun security network also joined the rescue operation. Aiyedatiwa said he had been in constant contact with officials in Igbokoda and had received updates from his Senior Special Adviser on Security Matters and the Nigerian Air Force. The Air Force is also conducting its own assessment to determine the cause of the crash.

The governor described the incident as a “painful development,” especially because it involved military personnel “sent to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria.” “Today is a very sad situation,” Aiyedatiwa said. “We are all sad as Nigerians. And it happened in my own state, not just my own state, but even my own local government area.” His voice carried the weight of a tragedy that has struck close to home for the people of Ondo State.

The traditional ruler of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, expressed relief that the aircraft did not crash into the town. “I was praying and afraid that this must not be an aircraft because the casualty figure would have been too high,” Odidiomo said. “We first of all thank God Almighty that it did not drop in the town.” He added that the plane crashed in bushes and a waterlogged area across the river, and that the presence of water may have prevented the aircraft from catching fire after impact.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo had earlier said the aircraft, with registration number NGR 931, lost contact with air traffic control at about 9:13 a.m. during a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos. Nigerian Air Force spokesman Ehimen Ejodame confirmed that search and rescue operations had been activated in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.

Governor Aiyedatiwa has directed SEMA, the Ministry of Health, and relevant security agencies to deploy personnel and resources to support the Air Force and other emergency responders at the crash site. He also ordered security agencies to cordon off the area to prevent unauthorized persons from interfering with rescue operations. The measures reflect the urgency of a situation that has gripped the entire nation.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash to prevent future occurrences. The President extended his deepest condolences to the families of the victims, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and all officers, airmen, and airwomen of the Nigerian Air Force.

No Survivors Found in Ondo NAF Plane Crash — Ondo Governor

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Benue Boat Mishap: Catholic Priest Among Four Dead, Nine Missing

Published

13 hours ago

October 5, 2026

Trends Admin

Benue Boat Mishap: Catholic Priest Among Four Dead, Nine Missing

A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Moses Tsuagh, is among four people confirmed dead following a boat mishap at the Buruku crossing point in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State.

The accident occurred on Saturday, October 3, 2026, as passengers were travelling across the Buruku River after attending a burial ceremony. Most of those on board were reportedly from neighbouring Gboko Local Government Area.

The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) confirmed that four bodies had been recovered, while nine passengers remained missing as search and rescue operations continued.

SEMA Information Officer, Tema Ager, said the number of people who were aboard the boat was still being established because different accounts had emerged from survivors, relatives and community members.

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An earlier estimate suggested that more than 200 people may have been on the vessel, while subsequent information put the number of passengers believed to have been involved at about 138. The boat was also carrying numerous motorcycles.

Ager said 125 passengers had been rescued as of Monday, while divers and other rescue personnel continued searching for those still unaccounted for.

The rescue operation is also focused on recovering motorcycles and other belongings that went into the river. Authorities said 38 motorcycles were believed to have entered the water, with five subsequently recovered.

Initial accounts attributed the mishap to engine failure, overloading and difficulties encountered while attempts were made to rescue passengers. Another preliminary account from the state Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Dennis Iyaghigba, said a strong current swept the boat into an abandoned barge, causing it to overturn.

The differing preliminary accounts are expected to be clarified as the authorities complete their investigation.

Following the accident, the Benue State Government suspended the Buruku crossing-point branch of the Nigeria Union of Maritime Workers.

Iyaghigba also ordered the suspension of the line operator and directed the arrest and detention of the boat skipper involved in the incident pending investigation.

SEMA has continued to appeal to passengers using the state’s waterways to observe water safety measures, particularly the use of life jackets and compliance with instructions from maritime officials.

The tragedy has renewed concerns about maritime safety in Benue, including passenger capacity, boat maintenance, enforcement of safety regulations and the need for safer river crossings.

Search and rescue efforts are continuing as authorities work to account for all passengers believed to have been aboard the vessel.