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I’m not a thief, Kalu Cries Out at Senate valedictory session

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It was a moment of Solemnity at the ninth Senate as Orji Kalu, burst into tears while giving his valedictory speech on the floor on Saturday.

Kalu, while weeping, stated that he was labelled a thief by some entities who conspired against him.

He said, “Before I came into politics, I could buy anything money could buy. I’m not a thief. Those who put me in prison know the reason. They took over my businesses and wanted to kill me, yet I survived it, and I’m in the Senate with you.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arraigned the former Abia governor and Ude Jones Udeogu, a former director of finance and accountant, on 36 counts of money laundering to the tune of N7.1 billion.

On December 5, 2019, Kalu was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, while Udeogu got a 10-year sentence.

The Supreme Court later nullified the trial of Kalu and his co-convicts.

The apex court held that Mohammed Idris, the trial judge who had been elevated to the court of appeal at the time of the case, ought not to have presided over the matter while he was an appeal court judge.

No fresh charges have been filed against him.

The chief whip said before he ventured into politics, he was wealthy and played a critical role financially in the formation of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Senator Kalu stated, “I have never lacked, while I was in the Peoples Democratic Party where I served for two terms as governor, I brought the money they used to form that party, every penny, in 1997 and 1998, and I later became a thief.

“People I gave transport money from my house in Victoria Island became agents. This is what Nigeria represents.”

Senator Kalu, who is also a frontline contender for the leadership of the 10th Assembly, said that the country was not fair.

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Lagos to launch own driver’s license

The driver’s license project, which would be implemented in collaboration with the federal government, is optional for motorists to obtain the Federal license or the new state driver’s license aimed at enhancing safety, sanity, among others, on the roads.

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Photo: Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu

The Lagos State Government is coming out with its owned driver’s license in as part of efforts to ensure sanity and safety on roads across the metropolis.

Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, disclosed this on Monday, at the 2025 annual ministerial briefing, commemorating the seventh year in the second term in office of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Dr. Obafemi, held at Alausa, Ikeja.

According to Osiyemi, the driver’s license project, which would be implemented in collaboration with the federal government, is optional for motorists to obtain the Federal license or the new state driver’s license aimed at enhancing safety, sanity, among others, on the roads.

Osiyemi added that it would ensure prompt issuance, as opposed to the usual delays being experienced with the existing process.

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INEC needs1.4m corps members for 2027 election manpower

The INEC chairman broke down the 2027 deployment figures, saying 707,384 corps members would be required for the Presidential and National Assembly election scheduled for January 16, 2027, and the same number for the Governorship and Houses of Assembly election on February 6, 2027 — bringing the combined total to 1,414,768.

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Photo:INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan and NYSC Director-General Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu. Photo: INEC|X

INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan said on Monday that the Commission needs more than 1.4 million national youth corps members for the 2027 general election.

Amupitan made the disclosure when he paid a courtesy visit to the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu at the corps’ headquarters, Yakubu Gowon House, in Abuja.

” You provide the heartbeat of our field operations. When we speak of election manpower, we are essentially speaking of your corps members.

They are the most dedicated, educated, and patriotic election duty staff we have, and their presence at the polling units brings a level of neutrality and public confidence that is irreplaceable,” Amupitan told the NYSC management team.

The INEC chairman broke down the 2027 deployment figures, saying 707,384 corps members would be required for the Presidential and National Assembly election scheduled for January 16, 2027, and the same number for the Governorship and Houses of Assembly election on February 6, 2027 — bringing the combined total to 1,414,768.

An additional 52,446 corps members would be needed for the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections and bye-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi, and Kano states.

The figures represent a substantial jump from the 2023 general election, where INEC deployed approximately 1.2 million ad hoc staff in total, with over 70 percent — nearly 850,000 individuals — drawn from NYSC ranks and student volunteers.

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FG introduces compulsory drug tests for secondary school students

The guideline outlines a comprehensive framework aimed at reducing the growing prevalence of substance abuse among students and creating safer learning environments across schools nationwide.

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The federal government is introducing mandatory drug tests for students in secondary schools nationwide.

According to the new policy, all newly enrolled secondary school students will be subject to mandatory drug integrity testing at the moment of entry.

The directive is contained in the National Implementation Guidelines Against Drug and Substance Use in Schools in Nigeria for secondary schools.

The guideline outlines a comprehensive framework aimed at reducing the growing prevalence of substance abuse among students and creating safer learning environments across schools nationwide.

According to the document, the policy is designed to “create a conducive environment for teaching and learning in the institutions by reducing the negative effect substance abuse has on the mental health and academic performance of students/learners.”

The guideline states that “all new students/learners shall be subjected to drug tests and other measures approved by the schools/learning centres at the point of entry,” adding that the process must be carried out “in collaboration with approved federal/state health facilities and procedures.”

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