The Northern Elders Forum, NEF, has warned President Bola Tinubu against suppressing and marginalizing other regions during the forthcoming national census.

NEF spokesman, Professor Abubakar Jiddere, issued the warning while condemning the composition of the recently constituted National Census Committee.

The Northern Elders Forum said the composition of the committee was lopsided to favour the South-West and also appears to be systematically designed to exclude other regions.

In a statement issued on Friday, NEF called for the immediate reconstitution of the committee to ensure equal representation of all six geopolitical zones in line with the federal character principle.

“The conduct of a national census is a critical and sensitive matter, one that must enjoy the confidence and participation of all geopolitical zones.

“Any attempt to marginalise or suppress the interests of other regions risks undermining the legitimacy, accuracy, and national acceptance of the census outcome.

“A holistic review and equitable redistribution of all federal appointments in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to reflect true national diversity and constitutional compliance,” NEF said.

The statement warned that continued disregard for the principles of equity, justice, and inclusivity threatens the very fabric of Nigeria’s unity.

“The sustained marginalization of certain regions breeds resentment, deepens divisions, and could fuel avoidable instability in the country,” it added.

NEF noted that Nigeria is a diverse nation bound by a common destiny, saying that preserving its unity requires leadership that is fair, inclusive and guided by the rule of law.

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Friday, insisted it will not be silenced in its pursuit for the actualization of Biafra.

IPOB was reacting to a warning by the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa that Southerners should stop propagating its activities on social media.

Emma Powerful, the spokesman of IPOB insisted that Musa’s call was an affront of the group’s fundamental human rights.

Powerful reminded Musa that IPOB’s social media activism halted the Fulani RUGA settlement scheme in his “village” in Kaduna.

In a statement he signed, Powerful insisted that IPOB’s social media activism stopped the Waterways Bill designed to enslave indigenous populations to Fulani hegemony.

According to Powerful: “The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, under the resolute leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, unequivocally condemns the brazen and provocative statements by Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, who has once again resorted to threatening and intimidating Biafrans for exercising their inalienable rights to free speech and self-determination through social media.

“Musa’s reckless call for Southerners to cease propagating IPOB’s activities is not only an affront to our fundamental freedoms but a desperate attempt to silence the awakening of Biafran consciousness. We will not be cowed, and we will not be silenced.

“Musa’s Nigerian Army, an institution soaked in the blood of innocent Igbo youths, has no moral standing to lecture Biafrans on what is good for us. This is the same army that has orchestrated relentless massacres of our people since 1966, from the pogroms that claimed over 5 million Igbo lives to the ongoing genocidal campaigns in Biafraland.

“We ask Musa: What was the crime of the Biafran youths slaughtered at Nkpor in 2016, a massacre acknowledged by Amnesty International and UN Special Rapporteurs as constituting crimes against humanity?

“What was the offence of the Igbo youths mowed down at National High School, Aba, or those killed during the Trump solidarity rally in Port Harcourt? What justified the murderous invasion of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s residence during Operation Python Dance, where 28 innocent Biafrans, including Kanu’s parents, were killed in cold blood by your forces, orchestrated by your Fulani overlords?

“Musa, your audacity to spew gibberish on Biafran soil is enabled only by the cowardice of lily-livered traditional rulers who grant you audience to desecrate our land with your presence. Such traditional rulers are unfit to lead and must face the consequences of their betrayal. We hold them in contempt for entertaining an agent of oppression whose hands drip with the blood of our people.

“Let us remind Musa of the undeniable truth: It was IPOB’s social media activism that halted the Fulani RUGA settlement scheme in your own Kaduna village, preserving your people’s right to their ancestral lands. It was IPOB, under Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s leadership, that stopped the Waterways Bill designed to enslave indigenous populations to Fulani hegemony. Instead of gratitude for IPOB’s tireless efforts to protect indigenous peoples across Nigeria from Janjaweed domination, you parade your ignorance, vilifying the very movement that safeguarded your community from perpetual bondage. Shame on you, Musa, for your blindness and ingratitude.

“Your reference to IPOB as “unlawful” is laughable. No nation in the world, except your Fulani-controlled Nigeria, has proscribed IPOB. Even Canada, which rejected your visa application, hosts one of the largest and most vibrant IPOB families globally. Your Fulani masters proscribed IPOB not because we are a threat to peace but because we stand as an unyielding bulwark against their agenda to subjugate Biafrans and other indigenous peoples. You are too myopic to see that IPOB’s activism protects even the likes of you from the very forces you serve.

“Musa, learn from the mistakes of Yakubu Gowon, who today watches helplessly as his own people are massacred, powerless to even utter a word of condemnation. Your army’s frustration stems from its inability to crush IPOB’s resilience or extinguish the fire of Biafran consciousness. Our youths have awakened to the reality that Nigeria’s forced unity is a death sentence for Biafrans. We will not join your bloodthirsty army, nor will we participate in your colonial contraption. Colonialism cannot confer citizenship—only the collective will of the people can. Until your Fulani masters and their British colonial handlers agree to an all-inclusive referendum to determine the fate of this artificial creation called Nigeria, your threats are but empty noise.

“We call on all Biafrans to intensify our social media campaign to enlighten our people that Biafran freedom is not just a dream but the ultimate goal of every Southeasterner. Let Musa and his ilk know that IPOB remains undeterred, unbroken, and uncompromising in our pursuit of self-determination. The Nigerian Army’s history of atrocities—from the 1966 pogroms to Operation Python Dance—only strengthens our resolve to break free from this oppressive entity.

“To the traditional rulers who entertain agents of genocide like Musa, we say: Your time is up. The Biafran people will hold you accountable for betraying our collective struggle. To Musa and the Nigerian Army, we declare: Your intimidation will not bend us. Your massacres will not break us. Biafra will rise, and no force on earth can stop it. All eyes on Biafra.”

The additional State Pension was a top-up to the basic State Pension and was replaced by the State Second Pension in 2002

Over half a million people are boosting their State Pension by more than £5,000 annually through inheritance, according to data obtained by a pension provider. A Freedom of Information (FOI) request by pensions mutual Royal London revealed that in the tax year 2023/24, over two million pensioners (approximately 2,027,440) received a payment from an inherited state earnings-related pension scheme (Serps).

This was part of the old State Pension system, which allowed individuals to accumulate entitlement to additional State Pension income. The figures indicate that around 541,760 pensioners were receiving more than £5,000 annually in inherited Serps payments, including 17,460 who received over £10,000.

If a person’s spouse or civil partner passes away, they may be eligible to inherit part of their additional State Pension. This will be paid on top of the surviving spouse’s State Pension when they reach the official retirement age, currently 66.

Surviving spouses and civil partners can potentially inherit up to an annual maximum of approximately £11,356.28 (£218.39 per week) for the 2024/25 tax year. For the 2023/24 tax year, the weekly maximum amount of inherited Serps was slightly lower, at £204.68.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) released this data, which was taken from its quarterly statistical inquiry. According to the figures obtained by Royal London, the average annual inherited Serps payment for 2023/24 was £3,377, reports the Daily Record.

Thanks to the inherited pension boost, some lucky individuals are raking in over £20,000 a year from an enhanced State Pension. The simpler ‘New State Pension‘ was rolled out in April 2016.

Royal London’s consumer finance specialist, Sarah Pennells, remarked: “This data shows how much of a difference inheriting a Serps pension from your husband, wife or civil partner can make. The worry is that, while more than two million people are claiming inherited Serps, others could be missing out.

“Understanding the rules is key to boosting your retirement income.”

Pennells further noted: “As we continue to adapt to the new system introduced in 2016, which focuses on individual entitlements, understanding the legacy of Serps and its relevance for thousands of retirees remains crucial.”

For those unsure about their rights to an inherited Serps pension, Royal London advises getting in touch with the Pension Service to find out exactly what you’re due – detailed guidance can be found on GOV.UK here.