NEWS
Osun Govt Suspends Two Heads Of Agencies
Osun State Government has approved the immediate suspension of Dr Niyi Oginni, the Executive Secretary of Osun Health Insurance Agency (OHIS) and Dr. Adebukola Olujide, the Head of the Primary Healthcare Development Board.
This was contained in a statement signed by Hashim Abioye Esq., Secretary of Osun Committee on Contracts Review, on Friday.
According to Abioye, the directive came from Committee’s Chairman, Hon. Niyi Owolade, consequent upon the deliberations and resolutions of the Committee members.
“The directive followed revelations that a large chunk of fees accrued to the state government as tender fees for contracts awarded for infrastructures and supplies under the past administration was not paid to the treasury, noting that the illegitimate practice had resulted in loss of hundreds of millions of naira in revenue for Osun state on yearly basis.
“The Committee expressed shock when some Agencies of Government only rushed to pay tender fees of contracts already awarded in the past only after the Committee set up by the new administration in the State took them up on that. Examples abound in the Osun Health Insurance Agency where the Executive Secretary only rushed to pay the tender fees for the OHIS headquarters building contract two days after interrogation by the Committee when the contract is already reaching an advanced stage. It is even disheartening that as against the actual sum collected from each of three (3) contractors as tender fee for the contract which was not at all paid into the State’s treasury, Dr. Oginni only rushed to pay the sum of seven hundred and fifty thousand naira each to the State purse two days after the Committee interrogated him.
“The Committee condemned the unethical practices of the respective career heads of the OSHIA and the Primary Health Care Board as distasteful of Heads of Government Agencies given the rate at which contract awards were carried out without due process, non-remittance of actual tender fee collected from contractors to the State’s treasury, contracts without value for money like the PHCs, deliberate split awards of contracts resulting in outrageous inflation in contract sums, awards to cronies, blood relations, and many other anomalies.
“It is on record from the Committee’s findings that the OHIS Career Head gave contracts to the tune of several millions of Naira to his own biological daughter and his own private Hospital in the Agency he is heading, while the Acting Career Head in the Primary Health Care lied on oath when she falsely denied knowledge of all contracts of infrastructures and supplies in the PHCs, resorting to bulk-passing and blame trading.
“However, pending the final conclusion of the Committee’s sittings, it is expedient that all outstanding tender fees for supplies and infrastructures contracts in all Agencies of Government, which are in hundreds of millions of naira be immediately pursued and paid into the State’s purse without further delay.
“It is equally expedient that the respective Career Heads of OSHIA and the PHCDB be immediately suspended so as not to further put the health of Osun workers and citizens in avoidable risks due to incompetence and corruption”, the statement concluded.
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.”
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“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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