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Governor Sanwo-Olu Commend Lagosians for being calm at Ounje Eko Market on Sunday

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2 years ago

March 25, 2024

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Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has commended Lagos residents for staying calm at the Ounjè Eko Sunday markets yesterday.

For the second Sunday, residents trooped out to buy various items at 25% less than the usual market prices. Many praised the government for the initiative, which they suggested should go on.

Mr. Sanwo-Olu received reports of calmness and orderliness at the markets despite the huge turnout of residents.

He said, “It is all about assuring Lagosians that our administration will continue to stand by them. We will continue to find and deploy creative ways of easing their burden.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu praised the Special Dispensation Advisory Committee on Social Interventions (SPEDAC), an eleven-man, non-partisan body set up to advise the government on various interventions, for its support on all the initiatives, which will soon be fully rolled out.

The “Ounje Eko” Market pilot scheme, which opened on Sunday, March 17th in 57 centres across the five divisions of the State, is part of multi-sectoral measures rolled out by Governor Sanwo-Olu to cushion the effects of the economic hardship on Lagosians.

All the measures come under the umbrella of EKO CARES. The others are in the health, transportation, and education sectors.

The market at its debut last week had some hitches, but most of the identified inadequacies have since been corrected.

Today, the situation was calm as prospective buyers were orderly. Payment points ran smoothly at the cashless markets.

Reports gathered at various markets show that sales started earlier than last week, as local food vendors arrived early – to the delight of customers.

Although the prices of the products varied according to areas, residents were full of praises for the idea.

To prevent reselling, double-buying and ensure that all buyers were served, children who came with their parents were not allowed to purchase food items while preference was given to the aged, expectant women and people living with disabilities.

On sale were rice, beans, pepper, bread , eggs, gari and others.

A resident, Mr. Babalola Onitire, who visited Ounje Eko Grammar school market in Ikorodu , said he could not access any product last week due to the rowdiness that characterised the process, but “I have come back today and I have had what I wanted for my family at low prices.”

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Emmanuel Fatai Audu, who engaged market leaders at some of the markets, appreciated the vendors and buyers for their peaceful conduct.

The initiative continues next Sunday.

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Police confirm Kogi APC Chairman’s Murder by Bandits

Yunusa’s vehicle was reportedly intercepted by the suspected bandits during a kidnapping operation along the Itobe–Ochadamu Expressway, around Ojuwo Olijo in Ofu Local Government Area of the state, on Thursday, August 27, 2026.

Published

4 hours ago

August 28, 2026

OCHEFA

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•Ishaq Yunusa

Kogi State Police Command on Friday confirmed the murder of the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, Ishaq Yunusa.

Yunusa was killed in an attack by suspected bandits.

His death has thrown family members, friends and APC supporters into mourning, with calls for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

The Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Friday.

She said the attack occurred at about 5 p.m. on Thursday when armed assailants emerged from the surrounding bush and opened sporadic fire on motorists.

According to the police, security agencies are intensifying operations in the area, while personnel are combing the surrounding forests in a bid to rescue any abducted victims and track down those responsible for the attack.

The command says efforts are ongoing to restore security along the affected route.

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President Tinubu Orders Comprehensive Forensic Audits of MDAs, IPPIS

The exercise will establish the nature and extent of weaknesses in Government’s control system, and determine how such weaknesses have been exploited.

Published

4 hours ago

August 28, 2026

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, to oversee and coordinate a comprehensive forensic audit of Federal Government systems.

The audit will include a review of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), Federal Government agencies, and their administration and internal controls.

Bayo Onanuga,Special Adviser to the President(Information & Strategy), in a press release on Friday, said that President Tinubu’s directive follows the Federal Executive Council’s resolution on August 19, 2026, in response to findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on “fake agencies”, ghost workers, and other control failures.

The exercise will establish the nature and extent of weaknesses in Government’s control system, and determine how such weaknesses have been exploited.

The review will comprise two interconnected components. The first will focus on a forensic audit of Government systems, particularly IPPIS and related payroll, personnel, pension and financial-management platforms.

It will examine reported cases of ghost workers and payroll fraud, reconcile the figures identified by the ICPC, trace how fictitious or ineligible persons were enrolled, and review access, identity, biometric and bank-account controls.

The exercise will also examine the interfaces between IPPIS and other government platforms, including GIFMIS, Remita, the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and Sub-TSA, to determine whether fraud resulted from system defects, process failures, inadequate segregation of duties or deliberate circumvention.

The second component of the audit will cover all Federal Government agencies, departments, commissions, councils, parastatals and other government bodies.

It will establish a definitive inventory of such bodies and verify their legal basis, while examining how entities obtain official recognition, budgetary consideration, correspondence privileges, office facilities and access to government systems.

The exercise will assess governance, procurement, internal-audit, and oversight controls across Government to close systemic weaknesses that could allow irregular entities or persons to access public resources.

President Tinubu directed that the exercise be conducted with the highest standards of independence, professionalism and forensic integrity.

The audit team will have access to relevant government systems and records. It will collaborate with the ICPC to ensure that the review complements all ongoing investigations, prosecutions and recoveries.

President Tinubu expects the exercise to go beyond identifying individual cases of fraud or administrative failure by strengthening the architecture of Government, closing systemic loopholes, improving data verification and reconciliation, reinforcing accountability, and ensuring that only duly constituted entities and eligible personnel have access to Government resources.

The exercise underscores the President’s commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability, fiscal governance and institutional integrity across the Federal Government.