NEWS
Osun Workers Celebrate Adeleke, As ‘Most Humane Governor’
. . . Governor Issues N2.9 Billion Naira Pension Bond
It was a carnival show at the Governor’s office as the entire Osun public workers gathered to confer award of the ‘Most Humane Governor of the Year’ on Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Spokesperson to the State Governor, Olawale Rasheed, communicated this in a statement on Thursday in Osogbo.
He stated that workers in their hundreds led by Comrade Lasun Oladele, the Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Council, presented the award of the “Most Humane Governor of the Year” to the Governor with top ratings and ranking for the Governor across the sectors of the state economy and governance.
Rasheed noted that all public service union leaders took turns to reel out justification for the award.
Head of Service, Elder Ayanleye Aina, highlighted that the event was not just an award but the governor giving out of another Two Billion, Nine Hundred Million naira, pension bond made the gathering a unique one.
“Your Excellency, the entire workforce of Osun State and retirees have a lot to celebrate today as we rejoice with you on the conferment of this well-deserved award by the Labour Leaders in the State on you.
“Experience has shown very clearly that there is a wide gap between campaign promises and the actual delivery of dividends of democracy. The case of our amiable Governor is a radical departure from this position as workers and retirees have continued to benefit from the kindness of the Governor. You indeed displayed great character and integrity by fulfilling your campaign promises to the workers and pensioners in the State in many areas:
“Prior to the advent of your Administration in the State, senior workers were owed several months of unpaid half salaries, a situation that came to the national limelight. Believing that governance is a continuum, your administration has been consistently offsetting these backlog of salary and pension arrears.
“As we speak, four months’ arrears have been paid to date
“Your administration cash-backed arrears of promotions from the previous Administrations which were in millions of naira
“You broke the age long jinx of aberration of Coordinating Directors as career heads of MDAs by appointing qualified civil servants as Permanent Secretaries, an action that brought life back to the entire Civil Service. You have said this is a continuous exercise.
“You have consistently approved release of fund for officers to embark on professional training to enhance their performances at work.
“You have ensured regular and consistent payment of full salaries and pension without hindrance.
“You recently granted approval for conduct of year 2023 promotion for all categories of qualified workers across the entire gamut of the public service. As we speak, the enabling circular has been issued by the Civil Service Commission.
“You increased the monthly release of fund for the payment of gratuities for retirees at the State level by 100%, that is, from N50m to N100m.
“You increased the monthly release of fund for the new pension scheme from N175m to N350m, that is, by 100%. At the local government level, it was increased to N400m.
“Recently, you graciously approved the payment of #15,000 palliative to each worker and #10,000 to each retiree beginning from this month to cushion the effect of petroleum subsidy removal”, the Head of Service noted
Speaking further, Elder Aina, said, “There is no further testimony to your benevolence, sir, as today your Excellency is set to release bonds worth billions of naira to retirees under the new pension scheme to make life more bearable for them.
“All of these have been achieved through prudent fiscal policy that have not in any way affected the capital expenditure of government.
“Given all these, I wish to remind all public servants of the popular adage that ‘to whom much is given, much is expected’. I encourage us to re-dedicate ourselves to the ideals of the Service so as to enhance our productivity, efficiency and capacity in the discharge of our official duties. This is the only way we can really appreciate the kind gestures of our Governor towards us”, he concluded.
Osun will soon Become Singapore of Nigeria– Governor Adeleke
Delivering his speech, Governor Adeleke assured Osun people of sustained pursuit of the progress of the state, saying he will continue to give priority to the welfare of workers in the state.
“Today, I am again deeply overwhelmed by the show of love and support from great Osun workers and retirees. The outpouring of affection for me and my team has further rekindled my faith in our five-point agenda for which workers’ welfare is number one.
“Some months ago, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners conferred on me the award of the most workers’ friendly governor. I was told that was the first time the union would grant such honor to a serving Governor. Here we are today again with the entire workforce of the public service acknowledging our modest contributions to the development of our dear state.
“The positive testimonies from the various unions and labour leaders attested to the correctness of our original thinking when running for the state governorship. We had analyzed the political space and concluded then that the smartest way to grow Osun is workers’ welfare. We accept and adopt the reality that human capital is a strong foundation for integrated development of the state.
“We had also spotted the nexus between formal and informal workers in the state. Easing the challenges of the public service has the tendency to uplift the economic well-being of the informal sector. These analyses were responsible for placing workers’ welfare as number one priority in our governance agenda.
“We are vindicated today as the workforce has validated our approach to governance. This vindication has challenged our team to remain focused and engaged in our relentless drive for new life for our people. I long to expand our capacity to meet the needs of the people, to deploy human development as a tool for societal transformation. We will further innovate as a government to meet workers at the point of their needs.
“I, therefore, humbly accept this award as ‘The Most Humane Governor of the Year’. Dear workers and stakeholders, I cherish this honour done to me and my team. You have further fired our existing strong interest in welfare issues for both serving and retired members of the workforce.
“It is in this direction that I have further approved the release of another tranche of bonds totaling Two Billion, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Five Million, Three Hundred and Thirty-Two Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty-Five kobo (N2,925,332,835.75).
“The breakdown is as follows:
“State Retirees – One Billion, Three Hundred Million Naira (N1,300,000,000.00);
“LG/Primary School Retirees- One Billion, Six Hundred and Twenty-Five Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty-Five Thousand Naira (1,625,332,835,75);
“Permit me to list the government commitment on Pension and Gratuities from inception to November, 2023 as follows:
“(A) STATE LEVEL (Civil Servants, Parastatals, Tertiary Institutions, UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital) Retirees;
“Contributory Pension Scheme (Seven Billion, Four Hundred and Forty-Four Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty-One Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighteen Kobo (7,444,851,618.16);
“Gratuities- One Billion, Two Hundred Million Naira Only (1,200.000.000.00);
“Monthly Pension – Five Billion, Nine Hundred and Ninety-Six Million, Thirty-Five Thousand Naira, Seven Hundred and Eleven Kobo (5,996,035,711.00);
“This bring state’s total to Fourteen Billion, Six Hundred and Forty Million, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Seven Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty Kobo (14,640,887,330.15).
“(B) LOCAL GOVERNMENTS (Local Governments and Primary Schools’ Retirees)
“Contributory Pension Scheme is Seven Billion, Three Hundred and Eighty-Four Million, One Hundred and Seventy-Eight Thousand, Sixteen kobo (7,384,178,016.83);
“Gratuities – One Billion, Nine Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (1,950,000,000.00);
“Pension – Four Billion, One Hundred and Sixty-Six Million, Six Hundred and Nine Thousand, One Hundred and Eighty-Two kobo (4,166,609,182.61);
“Total for Local Government is Thirteen Billion, Five Hundred Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty-Seven Thousand, One Hundred and Ninety Kobo (13,500,787,199.44).
“Permit me to use this opportunity to commend the Head of Service, Elder Ayanleye Aina. You have been a wonderful leader of the civil service with laudable delivery in public service management. I thank you for your great service
“I extend the same commendation to top management of the service as well as middle and lower level officers. I appreciate your commitment to duty and loyalty to our common agenda for societal prosperity.
“We remain strongly pro-people, pro-workers and pro-development. We will continue to combine welfare of the people and workers with state of the art infra upgrades of our dear state. Osun is targeted to be a Singapore of Nigeria, the Governor noted.”
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has explained why it directed capital market operators to immediately refund funds collected from investors in connection with a purported Initial Public Offering (IPO) by Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE.
In a public notice issued on Tuesday, the Commission revealed that it had observed the circulation of advertisements, flyers, digital banners, and electronic messages across social media and investment platforms inviting members of the public to invest in the refinery through an alleged IPO.
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According to the SEC, the purported offer has not received regulatory approval, as the Commission has neither received nor approved any application from Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE for a public offering.
The regulator expressed concern that some registered capital market operators were actively promoting the unapproved offer and soliciting subscriptions from prospective investors.
Explaining the reason for its directive, the SEC stated that the campaign was misleading and amounted to market manipulation capable of creating false expectations among investors and undermining confidence in Nigeria’s capital market.
The Commission noted that invitations encouraging members of the public to open accounts, pre-fund investments, or reserve guaranteed share allocations for the alleged IPO violate provisions of the Investments and Securities Act as well as existing market regulations.
As a result, the SEC ordered all registered operators, including stockbrokers and promoters of digital investment platforms, to immediately cease all advertising and promotional activities relating to the purported offer.
The Commission further directed operators to remove all related promotional materials from their websites, social media pages, and other communication channels within 24 hours.
In addition, firms were instructed to stop accepting deposits, investment commitments, account registrations, or expressions of interest linked to the alleged public offering.
To protect investors from potential losses, the SEC ordered any operator that had already collected funds in connection with the purported IPO to refund such monies within 24 hours.
The regulator warned that any operator that fails to comply with the directive risks facing sanctions under the Investments and Securities Act 2025 and the SEC Rules and Regulations.
The Commission also advised Nigerians to rely only on information released through approved regulatory channels and to ignore unofficial promotional campaigns or investment solicitations concerning the refinery.
SEC added that if Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE eventually decides to proceed with a public offering and secures regulatory approval, an authorised prospectus will be published in line with the law.
The directive comes amid reports that the Dangote Group is considering listing a 10 per cent stake in its $20 billion refinery through a Pan-African IPO expected in 2026.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has strongly dismissed allegations that its petroleum products are exported to Lomé, Togo, and later re-imported into Nigeria, describing the claims as a “tissue of lies” and lacking both factual and commercial basis.
In a statement released by its management on June 23, 2026, the refinery said the allegations were not supported by available trade flows or commercial logic, insisting that reports suggesting its products are routed through Togo before returning to Nigeria are false.
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The company stated that although it typically avoids responding to what it described as baseless and unsubstantiated claims, it was compelled to address the issue to set the record straight and preserve the facts for posterity.
“As a matter of policy, we do not respond to baseless and unsubstantiated claims, given our current determination and focus in ensuring energy security in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. However, we have decided to clear the air on these ill-motivated web of falsehoods for posterity,” the statement read.
Dangote Refinery said one of its primary objectives is to maintain and strengthen its position as a leading supplier of refined petroleum products in Nigeria, noting that facilitating imports that directly compete with its own products would contradict its business goals.
According to the company, its sales contracts and tender agreements expressly prohibit buyers from reselling or re-importing products into Nigeria.
The refinery further argued that the economics of such a trade arrangement make no sense.
It explained that transporting petroleum products from the refinery to Lomé and subsequently back into Nigeria would cost between $82 and $90 per metric tonne, significantly reducing profitability and making such transactions commercially unattractive.
It added that it does not provide export discounts large enough to offset those logistics costs or create any viable arbitrage opportunity between export and domestic markets.
“Simply put, there is no evident commercial incentive for a producer to incur additional shipping, storage, financing and handling costs only for the product to return and compete in its largest and closest market,” the company said.
Dangote Refinery also highlighted its strict product traceability and compliance measures, revealing that it maintains detailed records of all product sales, including lifting locations, nominated vessels, counterparties and destination declarations where applicable.
The company maintained that any suggestion it knowingly facilitates the re-importation of its products is inconsistent with its contractual restrictions and established compliance procedures.
Reaffirming its commitment to Nigeria’s energy independence, the refinery said it has consistently advocated for reducing the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products, warning that increased imports undermine local refining efforts, place pressure on foreign exchange reserves and weaken domestic industrial development.
“It would therefore be inconsistent with both the refinery’s commercial interests and its publicly stated position to support or encourage practices that increase imports into Nigeria,” the statement added.
The refinery concluded that there is neither a strategic rationale nor a commercial incentive for it to export products to neighbouring countries for subsequent re-importation into Nigeria, stressing that the allegations are not supported by the economics of the trade, contractual arrangements, product traceability records or its long-standing commitment to strengthening domestic refining capacity.
France has confirmed its first-ever case of Ebola virus disease, triggering concern across Europe as health authorities move swiftly to contain the deadly infection.
The French Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that a doctor returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is currently battling a major Ebola outbreak, tested positive for the virus after arriving in France.
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According to officials, the patient was immediately isolated upon arrival, even before laboratory tests confirmed the diagnosis, helping to reduce the risk of transmission.
In a statement, the ministry confirmed the identification of “a first positive case of Ebola virus disease on national territory,” marking the first time the virus has been detected in France.
The development also represents the first confirmed Ebola case recorded outside Africa during the current outbreak, which has affected both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
French authorities disclosed that the case was detected in mainland France, while Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is closely monitoring the situation as health agencies intensify surveillance and response measures.
The current outbreak in the DRC was officially declared on May 15 following a series of unexplained deaths in the eastern Ituri Province.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
Despite growing concerns, public health experts have stressed that the risk of widespread global transmission remains low because Ebola is less contagious than many airborne infectious diseases.
The virus spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids and contaminated materials.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal haemorrhagic fever that can cause symptoms including high fever, weakness, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, and in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
French health authorities have assured the public that all necessary precautions are being taken to contain the case and prevent any further spread of the disease.
The announcement has nevertheless sparked anxiety across Europe, given the deadly nature of the virus and its emergence outside the African continent during the ongoing outbreak.
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