By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Nigeria’s largest power generation company, Egbin Power Plc, has rewarded the stellar contributions of its exceptional employees in the past year.

The company recently held its prestigious Employee Recognition Awards (ERA) 2026, which brought together the management team and staff to honour outstanding performers in the business and top talents across different departments, reinforcing the company’s culture of excellence.

The highlight of this year’s ceremony was the recognition of the Top Performance Award winners. Amos Oshanugo of the Instrumentation & Control Department emerged as the Top Performer, driving home a brand-new Chery Tiggo 2 Pro SUV, while Chidima Celestine of the Operations Department and Endurance Otaru of the Business Operations Department were recognised as first and second runners-up, respectively, each receiving cash rewards.

“At Egbin Power, we believe excellence is not an accident. It’s built through hard work, teamwork, and the courage to go beyond expectations. That’s why we are passionate about celebrating excellence, commitment, teamwork, and the people whose efforts continue to power Egbin forward every single day,” the company’s chief executive, Mr Mokhtar Bounour, said.

“The initiative spotlights those who go above and beyond, those who quietly make extraordinary contributions, and those who consistently raise the standard across our organisation.

“These efforts are seen, valued, and rewarded. When we celebrate results, we create a ripple effect. It motivates teams to raise the bar, strengthens accountability, and deepens our shared commitment to powering Nigeria. Our people are our greatest asset, and their growth and success will always be a priority for us,” Mr Bounour added.

Oshanugo, who won the grand prize, said: “First, I give all glory to God for this incredible blessing and the grace to excel. I am deeply grateful to the Chairman of the Board, the management of Egbin Power, and our leadership for this profound recognition and reward. My heartfelt thanks go to the Instrumentation & Control Department and the entire Egbin Power staff. This milestone belongs to all of us because at Egbin, we work as a team, and teamwork is truly the key to our success.”

Celestine expressed: “This recognition motivates me to work even harder, uphold excellence, and contribute more to our collective success. I remain committed to the values of safety, reliability, and teamwork that drive our plant forward. Thank you for believing in me.”

Also commenting on the award, Otaru appreciated the Chairman, Board of Directors, and management of Egbin Power for fostering a culture that values excellence, dedication, and teamwork.

“Receiving this recognition inspires me to continue raising the bar, embracing new challenges, and contributing to the achievement of Egbin Power’s strategic objectives. This award is particularly meaningful because it reflects not only individual effort but also the support, collaboration, and encouragement of my colleagues and my Head of Department. I am grateful to everyone who has contributed to my professional growth and success,” she noted.

Other employees across different departments were recognised as top talents for the year 2025. The annual awards ceremony symbolises Egbin Power’s commitment to rewarding exceptional contributions, dedication, and excellence that impact the growth and success of the organisation.

As Egbin Power continues to lead Nigeria’s power sector, the ERA remains a cornerstone of its people strategy, reinforcing the philosophy that a strong recognition culture fuels performance. By celebrating commitment and innovation, the company creates an environment where employees are inspired to exceed goals, embrace responsibility, and pursue continuous improvement.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday disclosed that it has commenced an investigation into the alleged misuse of authorised access credentials and unauthorised disclosure of information from its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database.

A few days ago, Mr Lere Olayinka, the media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, posted the voter registration details of a popular actor turned politician, Mr Emeka Ike.

The URL on the slip showed that the information was harvested from the admin page of the electoral umpire, triggering calls for an investigation into the unauthorised access to citizens’ data.

Apparently worried by the controversies generated by this, INEC today, via a statement signed by its National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mr Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said it’s looking into the matter.

It also disclosed that the Department of State Services (DSS) has shown interest in the case by conducting “an independent investigation.”

INEC explained that as part of the ongoing CVR exercise nationwide, authorised INEC Registration Officers were granted controlled access to specific components of the CVR system to enable them to register new applicants, process requests for transfer of registration and update voter records where necessary.

“Such access is restricted to official duties only and is withdrawn at the conclusion of the exercise,” it noted.

“The audit trail from the preliminary investigation has enabled the commission to identify the user account through which the information was accessed.  Accordingly, relevant personnel have been questioned, and all units connected with the incident are cooperating fully with the investigation,” it stated.

The electoral body stated that it “is also examining all technical, administrative and operational factors associated with the matter in order to establish individual responsibility and determine the circumstances surrounding the use of those credentials and identify any breach of internal access-control protocols before taking appropriate action against anyone involved.”

“Preliminary findings from the commission’s audit trail so far, however, indicate that there was no external breach of the CVR database, no hacking incident, and no unauthorised external access to the Commission’s ICT infrastructure.

“Rather, the information in question was accessed through valid user credentials assigned to personnel participating in the ongoing CVR exercise but released without authority,” it added.

INEC disclosed that, “The incident under investigation relates to the retrieval of a specific voter record and does not indicate any compromise of the commission’s broader voter registration infrastructure or the personal data of over 90 million registered voters.”

It emphasised that security, confidentiality and integrity of voter data are taken with the utmost seriousness and remains committed to transparency, institutional integrity, and the protection of voters’ personal information.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Nigerian-born attorney, Mr Ope Banwo, who has run the Banwo Law Office in Omaha, Nebraska, where he has served clients for 29 years, has opened a new office in Arlington, Texas.

The Arlington office is located at 420 E. Lamar Boulevard. It is expected to serve clients seeking immigration-related legal assistance from across the country as the firm begins the next phase of its national expansion.

The firm, in a statement, said it plans to establish additional offices in major US markets within the next 24 months.

The Texas office was described by Mr Banwo as the beginning of a broader national growth strategy aimed at extending legal services to more communities across the United States.

“When I restarted my legal career in America in 1997, my mission was simple: help ordinary people navigate extraordinary legal challenges,” the respected legal practitioner stated.

“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter. This new office is more than an expansion—it is an opportunity to serve more families, protect more dreams, and impact more lives,” he added.

For its first year of operation in Texas, Banwo Law will focus exclusively on US immigration law, offering services in family-based immigration, asylum applications, deportation defence, employment-based immigration, green card processing, citizenship and naturalisation, as well as humanitarian relief cases.

Mr Banwo said the firm’s commitment to helping immigrants navigate the complexities of the American immigration system remains unchanged.

“Our mission remains to help immigrants achieve the American dream without the nightmares,” he stated.

As part of activities marking the expansion, Mr Banwo also announced the launch of the Immigrant Survival Marathon, a 30-day programme of free immigration education, legal updates, and live question-and-answer sessions through his platform, The Immigrant Survival Show.

He expressed appreciation to clients, colleagues, referral partners, and supporters who have contributed to the growth of the firm over the years, noting that Nebraska provided the foundation upon which the practice was built and pledged to continue delivering quality legal services while expanding its reach across America.