NEWS
Adeleke’s Spokesman Tackles Omokri
The row between Dele Momodu and Reno Omokri has begun spreading, with Osun State throwing her hat into the ring.
Osun has put out a statement asserting that Omokri’s tale was not factual, and ‘laced with inaccuracies’.
Spokesperson to Governor Adeleke,
Mallam Olawale Rasheed, made a strong response to Omokri in a statement share on the verified handle on X, on Friday, July 19, 2024.
Rasheed encouraged Omokri to research well, so that he would not be feeding his followers with “lie from the pit of hell”.
ALSO READ: Message To Tinubu: Momodu Bombs Busybody Reno
Recall that Omokri rose in defence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after Momodu penned an arousing open letter to the president.
Omokri had devoted portion of his to counselling Momodu to advise his friend, Gov Adeleke.
Rasheed wrote, “Dear Reno Omokri (@renoomokri)
“I read your post on Aree Dele Momodu and his writings on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State. Your piece is, however, laced with inaccuracies especially with respect to the state of staff salary and pension in Osun state.
“Extracts from your post that verges on fake news read as follows: “However, in Osun State, we read reports of half salaries, workers being owed, and other incidents of hardship on the state workers. This is despite the fact that federal allocation to Osun State has increased by at least 45% under the current administration”
“Above is a lie from the pit of hell
“A little research would have assisted you to know the true state of pensions and half salaries that were inherited by Governor Adeleke. For your information, the Government of Governor Adeleke inherited about Fifty Six Billion Naira (N56 Billion) in pension debt and almost Thirty Billion naira (N30 Billion) in half salary debt from the previous APC state government.
“From November 2022 till today, Governor Adeleke embarked on systematic payment of the inherited half salary debt with six months already paid.
“For the pension debt, Governor Adeleke has paid about Twelve Billion and Five Hundred Million Naira (N12.5 billion) in the last one and half year compared to Eleven Billion Naira plus (N11.7 Billion) paid under the 12 years of APC government in Osun State.
“Aside from gradual payment of the inherited pension and half salary debt, Governor Adeleke has ensured regular and consistent payment of monthly salary and allowances of the state workers since he assumed office.
“The Governor’s records on workers’ welfare so excited the public service unions that they gave him an award for the most Humane Governor in Osun history in December 2023. You may want to know that the first item on Governor Adeleke’s Five Point Agenda is Workers’ Welfare.
“Where you got your concoction of workers being owed salaries under Governor Adeleke is therefore puzzling. As much as I don’t want to accuse you of peddling fake news, I believe you failed to properly plan your response to Aree Momodu, hence your allusion to a non-existing wage crisis in Osun state. You owe the public and even your followers the responsibility to post truths, not baseless accusations against a performing Governor.
“And if I may comment on why many media friends write so much about Osun, it is simply because they see with fact checks the rapid progress Osun is making under Governor Adeleke. The administration enjoys so much support from the media not because of the heavy purse but rather due to professional media coverage which clearly reflects the tireless efforts of the dancing performing Governor to take Osun to new heights.”
Oil marketers have warned that Nigerians may soon pay as much as ₦1,500 per litre for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, as global oil prices surge following the escalating conflict involving Iran in the Middle East.
The National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, issued the warning on Tuesday while speaking on a television programme on the impact of the global crisis on fuel prices.
According to him, the current volatility in the international oil market has already pushed petrol prices above ₦1,000 per litre at the depot level, with the ex-depot price from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery now standing at about ₦1,175 per litre.
He explained that once logistics, transportation, and other operational costs are added, the final pump price could rise significantly, possibly reaching ₦1,500 per litre in the near future.
Despite concerns about the rising cost of fuel, Gillis-Harry noted that steady availability of petroleum products from the Dangote Refinery remains a major relief for Nigeria, stressing that consistent supply is better than a nationwide fuel scarcity.
He added that the refinery’s production capacity is helping to stabilize supply across the country at a time when global markets remain highly unstable.
The latest price adjustment by the Dangote Refinery marks the fourth review within two weeks. Petrol prices increased from ₦995 per litre to ₦1,175 per litre, while diesel rose from ₦1,430 to about ₦1,620 per litre.
The development comes amid a sharp spike in international crude oil prices triggered by fears of supply disruptions due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Brent crude recently climbed above $102 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose to around $101 per barrel.
Industry analysts say the rising oil prices are already having a ripple effect on Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, forcing depot operators and fuel marketers to adjust their prices in response to the global market trend.
Meanwhile, the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has stated that although Nigeria introduced a crude-for-naira arrangement to support local refineries, the facility still purchases crude oil at international market prices, leaving it exposed to global price fluctuations.
The United Nations has raised the alarm over a dramatic surge in attacks on schools worldwide, reporting a 166% increase between 2021 and 2024.
The rise highlights the escalating dangers faced by children in conflict zones.
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, revealed the figures during the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on the rights of the child on Monday.
The session, themed “Mainstreaming the Rights of Children in Armed Conflict: Prevention and Protection,” focused on protecting children amid global conflicts.
Al-Nashif noted that the attacks were particularly concentrated in Sudan, Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Myanmar, and Ethiopia, where children remain among the most vulnerable victims.
“In 2024, armed conflict directly affected nearly one in six children globally—about 470 million children,” she said. “Years of lost education, trauma, and lasting mental scars shape societies for generations. Long after the fighting subsides, children continue to face deadly risks.”
She highlighted Gaza as having the world’s highest number of child amputees per capita, warning that the impact of war goes far beyond immediate violence.
In Lebanon, government figures show that more than 450,000 people were displaced in less than a week, with at least 394 fatalities, including 83 children, during the 2024 conflict with Israel.
Al-Nashif also stressed the disproportionate risks for displaced children, who are more likely to die from disease linked to unsafe water and sanitation than from direct violence.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a 2025 cholera outbreak killed 340 children, underscoring the long-term consequences of conflict.
She called on states to uphold their international obligations to protect children, insisting that protecting children is “both a legal obligation and a humanitarian moral imperative.”
Also speaking at the council, Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, warned that violence against children continued at extreme levels in 2025.
She urged mainstreaming child protection across peace, security, humanitarian, human rights, and development efforts, emphasizing that children should actively participate in shaping policies designed to safeguard them.
Frazier highlighted her office’s global campaign, “Prove It Matters,” aimed at amplifying children’s voices in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
The UN report underscores the urgent need for coordinated international action to protect children and ensure their safety in conflict zones worldwide.
Portugal officially inaugurated its new president, Antonio Jose Seguro, on Monday, pledging to bring stability to a nation shaken by political uncertainty and natural disasters.
Seguro, the centre-left candidate, won last month’s presidential run-off against far-right rival Andre Ventura, following weeks of catastrophic storms that killed at least seven people and caused approximately €4 billion ($4.6 billion) in damage.
Speaking at his swearing-in ceremony in Lisbon’s parliament, Seguro emphasized cooperation with the minority right-wing government and vowed to end the country’s “electoral frenzy.”
SEE MORE: Spain, Portugal Plunge Into Darkness Amid Widespread Power Outage
“I will do everything I can to put an end to this electoral frenzy,” he said, pointing to the inability of previous governments to complete their terms.
Amid global crises, including conflicts in the Middle East and a more isolationist US approach under President Donald Trump, Seguro stressed the importance of multilateralism.
“The force of law has been replaced by the power of the strongest,” he remarked.
Seguro succeeds Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a conservative who leaves office at 77 after serving two five-year terms.
While the Portuguese presidency is largely ceremonial, Seguro’s leadership signals a commitment to political stability and international engagement.
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