In a bid to bolster security across Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun has approved the recruitment of 500 additional operatives into the State Security Network, popularly known as the Amotekun Corps.

The recruitment drive, set to commence on Monday, March 10, 2025, follows the recent passing out parade of 690 newly trained Amotekun operatives, underscoring the state government’s commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property.

The Corps Commander, Brig. Gen. Alade Adedigba (rtd), disclosed this in a statement, emphasizing that the exercise aligns with the government’s continuous efforts to enhance security measures across the state.

He urged interested applicants to apply at no cost via the official Amotekun website: ogunstateamotekun.com.ng. The application portal will remain open until Friday, April 4, 2025.

“A comprehensive screening exercise is scheduled to take place from Tuesday, April 22, 2025, to Thursday, May 1, 2025. Prospective applicants are encouraged to adequately prepare and adhere strictly to the screening guidelines,” Adedigba stated.

Describing the recruitment as a crucial step towards strengthening the corps’ operational capacity, he noted that the initiative would ensure communities across Ogun State benefit from enhanced security coverage.

“This recruitment marks a significant advancement in our efforts to boost the effectiveness of the Amotekun Corps,” Adedigba added. “We urge eligible individuals to take advantage of this opportunity and contribute to the collective security of our state.”

The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has announced that deductions are currently being made from the salaries of federal workers who received excess payments in December 2024 due to a system error.

In a statement released on Friday by the OAGF’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Bawa Mokwa, the government explained that the deductions are necessary to recover the overpayments, which resulted from a payroll system malfunction.

The OAGF also clarified concerns about alleged salary shortfalls in January and February 2025, stating that workers’ earnings had returned to normal levels after the exhaustion of various arrears paid in the last quarter of 2024.

“There were no shortfalls in salaries paid to federal workers in January and February 2025,” the statement read. “The amounts received during this period reflected normal salaries after the exhaustion of various arrears paid in the last quarter of 2024.”

Federal workers had benefited from payments covering arrears for the national minimum wage, the 25% and 35% salary increases, and wage awards between October and December 2024. These additional payments temporarily boosted salaries, leading to misunderstandings when January and February 2025 salaries reverted to their actual amounts.

“Payment of normal salaries after exhausting the various arrears began in January 2025, which made some workers think they were shortchanged when, in actual sense, it was their real salaries. A glance at the current salary table will substantiate this further,” the OAGF added.

Barring any future salary adjustments, the statement emphasized that salaries paid in January and February 2025 would remain unchanged until reviewed by the Federal Government.

On the issue of December 2024 overpayments, the OAGF confirmed that the system error responsible for the miscalculations had been corrected, and deductions were ongoing to recover the excess funds.

“There were cases of overpayments in December 2024 due to a system error. That error has been corrected, and deductions from the salaries of affected workers are ongoing and will continue until full recovery,” the statement noted.

Regarding outstanding promotion arrears, the OAGF explained that payments are handled by a Standing Committee on Promotion and Salary Arrears within the Budget Office of the Federation. The committee compiles and verifies salary and promotion arrears from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies before forwarding them to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) for payment.

The statement further disclosed that batches 1 to 6 of promotion arrears payments have been fully processed, while additional payments are awaiting approval from the Budget Office.

The office of the President of the Senate has refuted claims circulating in some online media platforms that the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was a consequence of her alleged petition against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Special Assistant on Media to the Senate President, Jackson Udom, described the reports as “disinformation” and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public. He clarified that the decision to suspend the Kogi Central lawmaker was based on her conduct within the Senate, not any petition against the leadership.

“The truth of the matter is that she was disciplined by her colleagues because of her unruly behavior and flagrant disobedience to the laws of the Senate,” Udom stated.

He urged Nigerians to disregard the “slanted” reports being pushed by what he described as “highly compromised online media outfits engaging in yellow journalism.”

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension has sparked reactions across political and media circles, with supporters alleging political victimization while others within the Senate insist that due process was followed.

As of the time of filing this report, the suspended senator has yet to officially respond to the latest clarification from the Senate President’s media office.