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Ministerial Screening: Aregbesola Holds Senate Spellbound, As He Outlines His 8-Years Administration Achievements In Osun

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Former governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola Monday got a rousing welcome in the senate chambers as he reeled out his achievement as governor in the land of the virtue.

Ogbeni Aregbesola who started by recognizing the leadership of the senate, senators from Osun, former progressive governors in the Senate, as well as party leaders in the South West stated that his past 39 years post-academic experience had prepared him for a life of service.

“The past 39 years of post-qualification experience in professional, leadership, and resilience with a huge dose of politics has prepared me for a life of service. I believe that power is responsibility and should be used for the welfare of the people.”

He further went ahead to reel out the achievement of his administration saying, “the United Nations Development Program, UNDP and the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS Human Development Index Report released in October 2018 shows that as at October 2010, Osun Poverty Index was 37.5%, but by 2016, Osun’s Poverty Index had crashed to 17.5%, the lowest in the country.

“Out of school Children reduced from 12.8% in 2011 to 10.5% in 2016 according to the UNICEF Multiple Indication Cluster Survey, 2016/2017. According to the NBS report on JAMB Admissions, in the last 7 years, Osun has ranked top 3.”

On security, the former governor says Osun recorded 0.94 crime incidence rate, being the lowest in the South West of the country. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola also used the opportunity to explain to the senate how his administration was able to weather the financial crisis that ravaged the nation which did not leave out his state.

“I must hasten to add that I and my administration faced lots of criticisms while in government, partly due to ignorance and partly due to mischief. One interesting topic of misrepresentation is salary 7 pensions payment. Yet, while many states were unable to pay a penny to workers for many months, it was never so in Osun.

“What we did was to devise a method of modulated salary & pensions payment by which the most vulnerable workers earned their full pay. This applied to workers on Levels 1-7, who accounted for about 72% of the workforce. Those on Levels 8-12 earned 75% of their salary & pensions, while only those on Levels 13-17 earned 50%.

“I am happy to say that from July 2018, we commenced the payment of full salaries & pension to all workers before I left the office and the practice continues till today. In 8 years, We received a total gross allocation plus IGR of N332,928,683,766.46, of which we paid Salaries, Pensions & Gratuities worth N209,375,950,193.71 representing 62.9% of our total earnings on personnel cost alone.” The former governor stated.

Responding, former governor of Imo and Senator Representing Imo South, Sen. Rochas Okorocha eulogized the nominee, describing him as a man who used power for the good of the people.

In the same vein, Sen. Elisha Ishaku Abbo representing Adamawa North of the PDP gave a touching story of how Ogbeni had supported him in the past when he wanted to contest as chairman of his local government without knowing him from anywhere. He, therefore, asked his colleagues to allow him to bow and go whilst also imploring the president to give him a ‘big ministry’.

Two APC senators from Osun, Sen. Surajudeen Ajibola Basri, and Sen. Oriolowo Aderele Adeyemi Oriolowo spoke glowingly of the nominees describing him as their leader, an achiever, a mentor and benefactor and should be allowed to ‘bow and go’.

Meanwhile, the senator representing the nominee, Sen. Francis Fadahunsi, PDP Osun East seconded the motion as moved by the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, PDP Abia South for the nominee to ‘bow and go’.

Meanwhile, earlier during the screening of a ministerial nominee from Lagos, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, a former governor in Imo, Sen. Rochas Okoracha suggested that the presidency unbundles the Federal Ministry of Power, Works & Housing to allow for effectiveness and efficiency in the provisions of essential services to the populace.

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BIG STORY

Ikorodu Teacher Arrested For Physically Abusing 3-Yr-Old Boy In Viral Video [SEE VIDEO]

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The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency has confirmed the arrest of a teacher following a viral video showing the suspect allegedly physically abusing a three-year-old boy at a school in Ikorodu.

The announcement was made in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

The video, shared by Oyindamola, who identifies as #dammiedammie35, captured a female teacher slapping the child’s face.

The video was captioned, “Footage from Christ-Mitots School in Ikorodu, a teacher named Stella Nwadigo was witnessed mistreating and physically abusing a three-year-old boy, Abayomi Micheal.”

The footage has raised serious concerns about the safety and well-being of our little ones in school.”

Reacting to the incident, the Lagos DSVA issued a statement expressing gratitude to those who brought the video to their attention

The statement reads, “We appreciate everyone who brought the disturbing incident of a teacher who was recorded physically abusing a 3-year-old boy to our attention.

We are pleased to inform the public that the teacher in question has been arrested by Owutu FSU, and an investigation has commenced in earnest.

The agency reiterated the state government’s commitment to protecting children, emphasizing that schools must be safe and nurturing spaces.

The statement added, “Indeed, institutions of learning should be safe, warm, and protective environments for all children in their care.

The State Government remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of every child by enforcing strict regulations, holding offenders accountable, and working with stakeholders to promote a zero-tolerance policy for abuse in any form.”

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China Development Bank Approves $254m Loan For Kano-Kaduna Railway Project

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The China Development Bank (CDB) has provided a loan of $254.76 million for the construction of the Kano-Kaduna railway project in Nigeria.

In a statement on Tuesday, the bank stated that the funding aims to support the smooth advancement of the infrastructure project.

The CDB highlighted that the construction is being undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), with financial support from the bank.

“The Kano-Kaduna railway, with a total length of 203 kilometers, is a standard-gauge railway,” the statement reads.

“Once completed, it will provide direct rail connectivity between Kano, an important northern city in Nigeria, and the country’s capital Abuja, offering local residents a safe, efficient, and convenient mode of transportation.”

In addition to enhancing mobility, the bank mentioned that the project is expected to stimulate economic growth along the railway corridor, generating job opportunities and promoting related industries.

“The Kano-Kaduna railway project has been included in the list of practical cooperation projects for the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation,” the CDB added.

The bank stated that the construction is progressing smoothly and reiterated its commitment to collaborating closely with the Nigerian government to ensure the disbursement of funds and effective management of the next phases of the project.

On July 15, 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari launched the construction of the Kano-Kaduna railway project.

The rail project is the third phase of the Lagos-Kano standard gauge railway modernization project.

The first phase (Abuja-Kaduna) and the second phase (Lagos-Ibadan) were inaugurated for commercial operations in July 2016 and June 2021, respectively.

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ICPC Files Money Laundering Charge Against El-Rufai’s Former Commissioner

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged Muhammad Sa’idu, a former commissioner during the administration of Nasir el-Rufai, ex-governor of Kaduna, to court over alleged “money laundering.”

The Kaduna police command arrested Sa’idu over a petition for alleged diversion of public funds.

Osuobeni Akponimisingha, the ICPC’s assistant legal officer, filed the case against the former commissioner on Tuesday at the federal high court in Kaduna.

Sa’idu served as the commissioner of local government affairs, chief of staff, and commissioner of finance during the administration of el-Rufai.

The ICPC dismissed an earlier claim that Sa’idu had been exonerated of all charges after 10 months of investigation.

The former commissioner is charged alongside Ibrahim Muktar, a staff in the ministry of finance.

According to the suit No. FHC/KD/IC/2025, the defendants are charged on a two-count charge of “money laundering.”

“Sometime in March 2022 or thereabouts, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Sa’idu, who at that time commissioner of finance, did accept cash payment of the sum of N155m from one Ibrahim Muktar exceeding the amount authorised by law, which sum you received in cash through proxy to wit: Muazu Abdu, your Special Assistant and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section2(a) and punishable under the Section 19(d) of the “Money Laundering(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” the charge sheet reads.

The ICPC also alleged that within the same period, Sa’idu “indirectly took control of the sum of N155m received in cash for and on behalf of you by one Muazu Abdul from Ibrahim Muktar, which he reasonably ought to have known, formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity to wit: corruption and you hereby committed an offence contrary to section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the “Money Laundering(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

The anti-graft agency noted that section 18(3) of the “Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022” states that “any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection(2) is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than four years but not more than fourteen years or a fine not less than five times the value of the proceeds of the crime or both.”

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