Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has vowed to sack any appointee in his administration who gets involved in bribery and corruption.

This comes two weeks after the Abia State government sacked six officials of the Ministry of Justice for allegedly padding their salaries.

It was reports that Governor Otti, while worshipping at Abayi District of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Aba Conference, said bribery and corruption are not involved in his administration.

He said that his participation in Abia politics was to restore the dignity of the state, in line with the honesty Igbos were known for.

Otti warned his appointees that they would lose their jobs if they indulged in corruption.

He said, “If anybody tells you to bring money for anything, tell him it is a lie. He is a dupe, because he will collect the money from you and still not do anything for you.

“That is why you will never see bribery and corruption in this government. If you get involved, I will fire you.

“We are intolerant of corruption and nobody can plead for you. If you get involved in bribery and corruption, you are gone.”

Governor Otti said that the recent employment of 5,394 teachers in the state was based on merit, without any of the employees paying a dime.

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The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, has paid a visit to the Olubadan-designate, Rashidi Ladoja.
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It was reports that the paramount rulers met on Sunday at Ladoja’s Bodija private residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Oba Ladoja will be installed as the 44th Olubadan on Friday, September 26, 2025, following the demise of the 43rd Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, who joined his ancestors on Monday, July 7, 2025, at the age of 90 years.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu will be in Ibadan on Friday to attend the coronation of Oba Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.

The ceremony will take place at the historic Mapo Hall grounds, attracting Yoruba monarchs, state governors, political leaders, business figures, and thousands of Ibadan indigenes at home and abroad.

The coronation is the peak of a weeklong celebration that begins on Monday, September 22.

According to the planning committee, the events will start with an interdenominational service at the Olubadan Palace, followed by a cultural fiesta on Tuesday at Olubadan Stadium.

A lecture will hold on Wednesday at the University of Ibadan, while Thursday will feature a praise and worship concert tied to Oba Ladoja’s 81st birthday.

The grand ceremony comes up on Friday, and a thanksgiving service on Sunday at Oke Padre Cathedral, with a Jumat service on October 3, will close the programme.

Security has been placed at the center of the preparations, with more than 2,000 operatives from the Police, Civil Defence, DSS, Amotekun Corps, and OYRTMA expected to maintain order during the celebrations.

The Oyo State Government also confirmed that the event will be broadcast live on television, radio, and online platforms for Nigerians in the diaspora.

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U.S. President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Friday, September 19, adding a $100,000 fee to all H1-B visa applications, a White House official said.

The move marks the latest crackdown by the administration on migrants coming into the US for job opportunities, and is likely intended to limit visa applicants to those from higher financial brackets.

The new order restricts entry under the H-1B visa program unless the application fee is paid, the official said.

The administration views the current H1-B visa program — which admits hundreds of thousands of workers into the US each year — as a way for companies to exploit lower-wage employees, ultimately impacting US salaries.

The new application fee potentially deals a big blow to the technology sector that relies heavily on skilled workers from India and China.

Adding new fees “creates disincentive to attract the world’s smartest talent to the U.S.,” said Deedy Das, partner at venture capital firm Menlo Ventures, on X. “If the U.S. ceases to attract the best talent, it drastically reduces its ability to innovate and grow the economy.”

The $100,000 fee could significantly push up costs for companies. While the new fees may not deter Big Tech, which routinely spends heavily to secure top talent, it could squeeze smaller tech firms and start-ups.

Roughly two-thirds of jobs secured through the program are computer-related, government figures show, but employers also use the visa to bring in engineers, educators and healthcare workers.

India was the largest beneficiary of H-1B visas last year, accounting for 71% of approved beneficiaries, while China was a distant second at 11.7%, according to government data.

In the first half of 2025, Amazon.com (AMZN.O), opens new tab had more than 10,000 H-1B visas approved, while Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab and Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab had over 5,000 H-1B visa approvals each.

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