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OGD At 67: The Man Beyond Politics By Seun Oloketuyi (Mr BON)

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In the game of politics, power and excellence do not usually mix because as they say, power corrupts. This is why politicians all around the world endure harsh scrutiny irrespective of their use of power, achievements and general actions in and out of the political space.

A close look at the man Nigerians have come to know as OGD may reveal why he faces even harsher scrutiny. This is because he defies all available stereotypes of career politicians.

A brilliant engineer with proven and visible results over the years, OGD seemed to have always been marked for success.

Long before the beginning of his political sojourn, Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD) had made a name as the owner of Kresta Laurel, an electro-mechanical engineering company, which he started in 1990. The company eventually grew to become one of the biggest companies in Nigeria, and by age 40, he was already rated one of the richest men in Nigeria by Newswatch.

In his early years as an undergraduate, he had won several scholarships and was so much of a prodigious student that during his year as a National Youth Service Corp member at the School of Engineering of the Lagos State Polytechnic, he supervised the construction of the Engineering complex and also conducted the semester examinations for the School of Engineering. An unrivalled feat for one at his level, he swiftly followed up with a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Lagos. In later years, he crowned his business studies with an executive programme in 1990 at the Lagos Business School.

While growing a reputable career, all of which prepared him for the rigours of politics, OGD worked at Metal Construction (W/Africa) Limited as the Assistant Commercial Manager. In 1983, he joined the then multinational company, H.F.SCHROEDER West Africa Limited, Lagos and as a result of his diligence, rose to the position of deputy managing director at Schroeder, becoming the first African to hold such a position in the company’s history.

Kresta Laurel, his brainchild that specialised in elevators, overhead travelling cranes and hoists was a consolidation of his abilities and vision as an engineer.

As a man who loved to craft, build or bridge gaps, OGD had always operated at the fringes of Nigerian politics, always doing his bit for his country.

After graduation and his consolidation as a business-minded engineer, OGD joined the Yoruba social-cultural group Afenifere under the then leadership of Pa Abraham Adesanya. During the struggle against the military juntas and campaign for the reinstatement of the annulled June 12 election, Gbenga Daniel became one of the financiers of the National Democratic Coalition (Nigeria) NADECO providing support to members who were fleeing the country to seek asylum abroad.

In 2003, he finally threw his hat into the political ring to vie for the office of the governor of Ogun State. His campaign strategy at the time of meeting with every stakeholder of every street and area in the state to sell his ideas redefined campaign trends in Nigeria. It was therefore not much of a surprise when in a landslide manner, he defeated the incumbent Governor Olusegun Osoba with the widest margin ever at the time in the Ogun State governorship race.

As governor, his unique insight saw him run an open government that allowed the people access to their leaders and this became the yardstick for subsequent officeholders. This, among other things, secured his return for a second term, which secured his win against a new opponent.

Since he left the number one seat of the Ogun State government, he has sustained his relevance in the business and political world with impressive grace.

In 2016, he was elected president of, the Nigerian-Finnish Business Council, which was established to foster business relations between Nigerian companies and their counterparts in Finland to encourage trade and investment. Never one to rest on laurels, he started KLL Construction Limited in 2017 to present a new kind of construction company culture in Nigeria.

In addition to relevance, despite all political persecution, the enigmatic founder of Conference Hotels was one of the only office holders not prosecuted by the EFCC despite repeated scrutiny and is as a result headed back to the Senate as a free man to serve his people once again.

Beyond politics, OGD is a tried and tested leader, with a proven interest in growth with or without the backing of political power. As he begins his sojourn into the Nigerian Senate, his antecedent proves that not only is he the right fit for the people of Ogun and all patriotic Nigerians, he is a man to be honoured, emulated and celebrated as he clocks 67.

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UPDATE: King Sunny Ade Speaks About His Alleged Kidnap In New Video [WATCH]

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Following claims of his alleged “abduction,” Nigerian music legend, King Sunny Ade, has addressed concerns about his whereabouts.

A Nigerian journalist, Olawale Olaleye, had yesterday raised alarm over the disappearance of the music icon.

He further disclosed how a lady identified as Damilola Adeniyi, who claimed to be Sunny Ade’s daughter, had accused the musician’s manager and son, Dayo Adegeye, of “abducting their father and forcing him to work under duress.”

Adeniyi had, in a series of posts on her Instagram handle, accused Dayo, her half-brother, and his siblings, of “using Sunny Ade to get shows which he never attended.”

Reacting to the allegation, Dayo had, in a statement issued on Monday evening, denied the allegation, claiming that “Sunny Ade is safe and in good condition.”

Adegeye reiterated that the musician “was not abducted by anyone,” stressing that his band are working with the family to “put an end to the rumour and protect his reputation.”

Sunny Ade would thereafter appear in a now viral video to confirm his safety and well-being.

As captured in the short video shared on Facebook by Olaleye, the musician was seen singing one of his songs in Yoruba, “ènìyàn laso mi,” before expressing his gratitude to Nigerians for their concern over his whereabouts.

“Glory be to Almighty Father in heaven. I thank God and you my fans all over the world. It’s my children that insisted on seeing me. I thank God within the period I went to relax. I wasn’t kidnapped and also did not run away.

“I have to thank you my fans. Since six to seven hours up till now, the whole world have been calling me out of love.

“This is the beginning. I’m on my way to a show now. I was at a show last Saturday at Lekki. I wonder why people say I’ve been kidnapped. I was never kidnapped.

“To great Nigerians, thank you. Beginning from the President of the great nation Nigeria.” Sunny Ade said in the video.

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Troops Rescue NDLEA Deputy Commander, Five Kidnap Victims In Taraba [PHOTOS]

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The Nigerian Army has announced the rescue of a senior officer from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and five other individuals who had been kidnapped in Taraba State.

The army stated that this rescue operation was conducted in collaboration with other relevant security agencies.

According to Zagazola Makama, a publication focused on counter-insurgency in the Lake Chad region, the rescue followed a distress call received around 11:40 pm on April 27 from Abe Samuel, a youth leader, who reported an attack on a Toyota Hilux vehicle along the Wukari–Kente road.

Troops deployed to the location discovered the abandoned vehicle, identified by registration number FG 117-B03, with a flat tire, but the occupants were missing.

Makama reported that a joint search and rescue operation was immediately initiated, and by 6:00 am on April 28, the troops successfully rescued Musa Hudu, the deputy commander of NDLEA Zone 1, Ibadan, along with five other victims, from a nearby bush.

Makama added that the rescued individuals were unharmed, and initial investigations revealed that they had fled into the bush after three armed men attacked their vehicle and fired at them with a locally made gun.

The victims were safely escorted out of the area and were allowed to continue their journey after their vehicle was repaired.

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Federal Government Plans Five-Month Wage Award Arrears Payment

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The Federal Government has announced its plans to begin the payment of the outstanding “N35,000 wage award arrears” owed to federal civil servants.

This information was disclosed in a statement released by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) on Monday in Abuja.

According to a statement signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Bawa Mokwa, the outstanding arrears will be paid in instalments, with workers set to receive “N35,000 per month for five months.”

The OAGF clarified that although the “April 2025 salary would be paid separately,” the first part of the wage award arrears would be released immediately after the April salary payment.

“The wage award arrears would not be paid with the April 2025 salary; it will come immediately after the salary is paid,” the statement read.

The Federal Government had previously disbursed wage awards to federal workers for five months as part of efforts to lessen the impact of economic reforms. However, “five months’ arrears remained unpaid.”

The OAGF restated the government’s commitment to fully implementing all policies and agreements related to staff pay and welfare, noting that such efforts were aimed at improving productivity and operational efficiency across ministries, departments, and agencies.

The “N35,000 wage award” was introduced in 2023 as a support measure for workers following the removal of the petrol subsidy and other economic adjustments.

Earlier in January of this year, the Federal Government assured workers that it would clear the arrears of the “N35,000 wage award,” and also stated that the government had resumed the payment of the wage award.

The government also reaffirmed its commitment to addressing issues in the National Minimum Wage agreement reached with the Organised Labour in 2023.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, disclosed the government’s commitment towards implementing agreements with trade unions during separate meetings with the leadership of the Trade Union Congress and Congress of University Academics, in Abuja.

Earlier this month, the Nigeria Labour Congress criticized the Federal Government over the delay in the payment of the minimum wage for certain workers in the federal civil service.

The Federal Government had earlier blamed the delay in payment on the prolonged approval of the “2025 budget.”

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