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Left Behind: But Not Forgotten

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By Simon Kolawole One regular morning in 2024, Mrs Oluwatosin Adeniyi was standing in front of her make-shift school at Kpaduma Hills, Asokoro, Abuja, when a group of eight boys — all in their preteens — passed by, chatting away in Hausa. It was around 10am. The sight of so many young boys roaming the streets so early in the day gave her some concern and she found herself issuing them a query on the spot. “Why are you guys not in school?” she asked, motherly. It turned out that they could not speak English. Only one of them could communicate with her — but in a lower version of Pidgin English. The rest simply looked on. “No money for school,” the boy replied. “So where are you guys going this morning?” she fired the second query. The “head boy” said they were moving from one construction site to another to scavenge for disused cement bags. They would gather about 50 of the bags and sell them in order to raise money to buy their breakfast. How much would they sell those litt...
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Kwara RAAMP: Governor AbdulRahman commended for leadership

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By Ishola Gbenga  The Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) has reached another remarkable milestone with the completion of 273.33 kilometers of rural roads across participating states in Nigeria — a major stride toward improving rural connectivity, enhancing agricultural productivity, and boosting economic opportunities for farming communities. This landmark achievement was disclosed by the National Coordinator of RAAMP, Engr. Aminu Mohammed Bodinga, during the 9th Implementation Support Mission (ISM) held at the Golfview Suites and Conference Center, Lagos. The mission brought together representatives of the World Bank, French Development Agency (AFD), and State Project Implementation Units (SPIUs) to assess progress, share experiences, and realign strategies for greater impact. Engr. Bodinga noted that the 273km milestone reflects the project’s steady advancement across the 19 participating states, describing it as “a demonst...
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OPINION | Saka Laaro, Can You Write for Me One Last Time?

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By Nicholas Uwerunonye He probably knew the end was near. Saka Laaro had survived two collapses—once at the University of Ilorin during a convocation ceremony, and another time at a law chamber in Ilorin while trying to mediate in the crisis plaguing the state’s NUJ Council. At 73, such episodes are more than just medical events; they are ominous signals, whispers from the edge. So when he called me aside at the NUJ Secretariat in Ilorin one afternoon to share a story—his story—I listened carefully. It felt like a man tidying up the last lines of a long, well-written article. But before that, let me say something that used to unsettle me. Laaro, old enough to be my father, would always greet me with a warm, “Oga mi o!”—Yoruba for “my boss.” I would plead with him not to call me that. It made me uncomfortable, especially given our cultural norms around age and respect. He would just laugh in that unforgettable, affectionate way of his. That day at the NUJ, he finally told me...
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OPEN LETTER To Former Governor Rauf Aregbesola: A Tale Of Betrayer And Broken Loyalty

By Olushola Matthew May 24, 2025 Adesoji Omosebi Dear Ogbeni RAUF AREGBESOLA, I write to you not in anger, but in sheer disappointment. Disappointment born from watching a man once draped in loyalty and respect gradually unravels into a symbol of betrayal and ingratitude. *This letter is not to destroy you—it is to remind you. To awaken the sleeping conscience that once dwelt in you. If there’s anything left of it.* Let’s be unequivocally clear: your rise in Nigerian politics was not self-made. You did not climb the ladder alone. The story of your political relevance cannot be told without one name— Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu , the man you now undermine with calculated silence and tacit approval of those who publicly mock him. *You were not just another Commissioner in Lagos. Tinubu made you the most powerful Commissioner in his administration as The Lagos State Government —handing you a super portfolio that gave you influence far beyond your title. You were his political lieutenant, hi...
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Stop Rubbishing the Name of NIGERIA

BRF Tells Nigerians At City People Publisher’s 60th Birthday By Babatunde Raaji Fashola citypeoplemagazine.com May 02, 2025  *“WHY I REMAIN OPTIMISTIC ABOUT NIGERIA,” BEING THE TEXT OF THE SPEECH BY H.E BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA, SAN AT THE 60TH BIRTHDAY LECTURE OF THE PUBLISHER OF CITY PEOPLE MAGAZINE, MR SEYE KEHINDE AT ORANMIYAN HALL, AIRPORT HOTEL, LAGOS ON THURSDAY 24TH APRIL 2025.*  Ladies and Gentlemen, we gather today in honour of a symbol of the Nigerian dream; a dream about which enough is not said. A land where those from the humblest of beginnings have been transformed to national champions and icons. We gather in honour of Oluseye Olugbemiga Kehinde better known as Seye Kehinde, an accomplished Nigerian journalist and publisher, the founder of City People Magazine, Nigeria’s leading celebrity fashion and society publication. A son of civil servants who by his commitment and dedication to his chosen profession, after receiving an education in Nigeria has earned his pl...
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Spokespersons should not have street fighter mentality.. They should be governed by etiquette to uphold public morality.

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A spokesperson for any corporate organization not to talk of the presidency is a PR manager. That's why organizations don't recruit spokespersons from the motor parks or narcotic arena. . Their job is governed by decorum and ethical protocol of public engagement. Never take a job that will destroy your image and the credibility acquired for years based on certain ideals & principle except you are fake ab initio.  Don't take a job that will make you become a rascal except you are a potential rascal, and the opposite of all you stand for notwithstanding the benefits. Yoruba appreciate the need for decorum and ethical engagement in communication, that's why they say, "Ti a ba ran ni nise eru, a fi ti omo je".(if you are sent an errand as a slave, you deliver it with the etiquette of a free born). Please go and check how Mr. Tunji Oseni did his job moderately without engaging in street fighting as Obasanjo's spokesperson despite handling a...
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Human Trafficking: Emir of Yashikira commends Kwara State Government, as Taskforce trains 40 personnel of the security agencies and social workers.

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By Ishola Gbenga anipr The Kwara State Government has been commended for its proactiveness in safeguarding the lives and property of it citizens at all times irrespective of religion or political affiliations. The Emir of Yashikira, in Baruten local government area of the state, His Royal Highness Alhaji Umar Usman Sabi KPASSI II, stated this during a day training, organised for security personnel and other social workers by the Kwara State Taskforce on Human Trafficking.  The Emir who described the training as a timely intervention aimed at eradicating human trafficking in the state and it environ, also commended the taskforce team for deeming it fit to organising such a meaningful engagement that brought together concerned stakeholders.  With its theme, "Prevention, Protection and Assistance to Victims", relevant law enforcement officers and other social workers were engaged on a one-day training focusing on curbing the preval...
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