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JUST IN: Akpabio Swears In Lalong As Senator

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The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has administered the oath of office on the immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment Simon Bako Lalong for Plateau South.

Lalong of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who took the oath of office on Wednesday at 11.56 am, is replacing Senator Napoleon Binkap Bali of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who was sacked by the Appeal Court.

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The immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, before the swearing-in on Wednesday, was at the National Assembly on Tuesday to submit his Certificate of Return and relevant documents to the Clerk of the Senate.

READ ALSO: Court Jails Crime Alert Security Network Boss 75 Years For Fraud

During the visit, Lalong met with the Deputy Senate President, Sen. Barau Jibrin, former Senate President Ahmad Lawan, Senator representing Plateau Central District Diket Plang and some Senators.

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Speaking with Journalists after the oath of office, the new Senator, who assured his people that he would not disappoint them, as he had never done, even as a member, Plateau State House of Assembly and later as Speaker of the House, said that he decided to resign his appointment and come to the Senate as his first choice.

Lalong on Tuesday tendered his resignation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to enable him to take his seat at the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District.

READ ALSO: Theft: Mayorkun Vows Not To Perform In Calabar Again

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In a letter submitted to the President on Tuesday, 19th December 2023, the Minister reminded President Tinubu that, after exhaustive legal processes, the Court of Appeal declared him as the duly elected Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue him the Certificate of Return.

Lalong said the decision for his resignation was not made lightly, because of the trust and confidence that President Bola Tinubu placed in him as a Minister in his cabinet, having served as the Director General of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council, which delivered victory for the APC.

He explained: “However, after extensive consultations with Your Excellency, critical stakeholders and my constituents, it has become expedient for me to proceed and take my seat at the Red Chambers to continue to contribute to the Renewed Hope agenda of your Government and the growth of our democracy at large.“

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Immigration Officer Gets N5m For Arresting Fleeing Ritualist

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An immigration officer, Ugochukwu Orji, who arrested a fleeing Enugu State-based native doctor accused of killing and kidnapping people for rituals, has been rewarded with N5 million for his efforts by an industrialist, Ebuka Onunkwo.

Onunkwo, who is also a senatorial aspirant for the Anambra South senatorial by-election on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, hosted the immigration officer at his residence in Ihembosi, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, according to a press statement released by his media team on Tuesday.

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Orji was at his duty post along the Seme Border area last month when the fleeing native doctor, popularly known as “Ichie Billion” attempted to use a motorcycle to cross over to the Benin Republic from Nigeria at Seme Border, but having seen his face on the internet, he quickly intercepted him.

READ ALSO: Our Country A Home, Not Hotel, Badenoch Decries UK Immigration Crisis

Recall that “Ichie Billion”, who hails from Umuojor village in the Isiagu Community of Enugu State, had been on the run after being declared wanted by the Nigerian Police Force in connection with the kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl and alleged multiple ritual killings.

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The native doctor was thereafter intercepted by the Nigerian Immigration Service and subsequently handed over to the Lagos State Police Command following his arrest at the border by the immigration officers.

Onunkwo, an industrialist, while presenting a cheque of ₦5 million to the immigration officer at his residence, said the gesture was part of his company’s Corporate Social Responsibility and encouragement for moral renaissance in the society.

 

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Tariff Hikes Won’t Solve Nigeria’s Power Crisis, Expert Tells Tinubu

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Attempts by the current administration to rely on increased electricity tariffs to resolve Nigeria’s chronic power supply issues are unlikely to succeed, according to energy expert Nick Agu.

Speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday, Agu argued for a fundamental restructuring of the power sector, prioritising infrastructure over tariff hikes.

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Responding to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu’s optimism and recent celebration of Nigeria reaching a new peak generation of over 5,000 megawatts, Agu acknowledged the incremental increase as “a good thing, is good news.”

However, he quickly added, “But should we celebrate? The answer is probably not.”

READ ALSO: Investors Gain N1.93trn In 2 Days As Stock Market Hits 15-year High

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Agu underscored Nigeria’s severe “energy poverty” by drawing comparisons with other nations.

He noted that while Nigeria, with over 200 million people, struggles with around 5,000 megawatts, South Africa (65 million people) boasts 55,000 megawatts, Brazil (200 million people) supplies 150,000 megawatts, and even Qatar (3 million people) provides 8,000 megawatts.

So, you can see that three million people are enjoying more electricity than Nigeria, which has 200 million people,” he highlighted.

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READ ALSO: Tinubu Hosts Gov Adeleke, Deji Adeleke, Davido In Lagos

Agu underscored Nigeria’s severe “energy poverty” by drawing comparisons with other nations.

He noted that while Nigeria, with over 200 million people, struggles with around 5,000 megawatts, South Africa (65 million people) boasts 55,000 megawatts, Brazil (200 million people) supplies 150,000 megawatts, and even Qatar (3 million people) provides 8,000 megawatts.

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“So, you can see that three million people are enjoying more electricity than Nigeria, which has 200 million people,” he highlighted.

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From 158 To 351: Lagos Teen Excels In UTME After Initial Glitch

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A 16-year-old student, Oyindamola Apampa, has achieved a remarkable aggregate score of 351 in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, with 65 in English Language, 98 in Mathematics, 98 in Physics, and 90 in Chemistry.

Apampa, a student of Lagoon Secondary School in Lagos, described the feat as the result of determination, strategic preparation, and divine favour.

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A statement on Tuesday revealed that it was her second attempt at the UTME, explaining that her initial score of 158 was later invalidated due to technical issues experienced at her exam centre.

She said, “In my first UTME attempt, I scored 158. However, the results were widely criticised and later acknowledged by the authorities as inaccurate due to technical glitches affecting several examination centres, including mine.

READ ALSO: Mass Failure: UTME Candidates To Sue JAMB Over Technical Glitches

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“Consequently, the examination body authorised a resit to address these irregularities. In the resit, I achieved a score of 351.”

She added that her parents played a crucial role in supporting her academic journey by fostering a learning-friendly environment at home.

“My parents made our home a positive place for studying. We have a full library in the family living room, in addition to a separate multimedia study room where the whole family often gets together to talk about different topics and help each other learn,” she shared.

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Apampa also credited a learning centre in Lekki, Lagos, for providing her with additional academic support through UTME preparation classes and frequent mock examinations.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: JAMB Admits To Errors In 2025 UTME

The frequent mock exams at our learning centre were a great help in my preparation for UTME,” she said.

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In his reaction to the learning centre head, Osayi Izedonmwen, stellar 98 per cent pass rate in the 2025 UTME, attributed the achievement to its hybrid learning approach.

“At Teesas, we are fully IT-equipped to seamlessly support both online and physical learning within a convenient and friendly environment. This has played a key role in helping our students excel,” Izedonmwen stated.

Apampa is no stranger to academic excellence. She was placed on her school’s Honours list after securing 10 As and one B in her Junior WAEC.

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She has also represented her school in international competitions, such as the Conrad Challenge, where her team reached the final stage and earned a special mention.

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