Susan Lorincz, a white Florida woman, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for fatally shooting her Black Nigerian neighbor, Ajike “AJ” Owens, through a closed door in June 2023.

Lorincz was found guilty of manslaughter in August. The shooting occurred after a dispute over children playing near her home in Ocala, Florida. Owens, a 35-year-old mother of four, was unarmed and knocking on Lorincz’s door when she was shot.

Judge Robert Hodges called the shooting unnecessary, noting Lorincz was behind a locked door and had already called 911. Instead of remaining safe, she retrieved a gun and fired.

Neighbors accused Lorincz of frequently harassing local children and using racial slurs, which she denied. Owens’ family expressed their lasting grief, with her mother stating, “Our pain and suffering will last a lifetime.”

Though the maximum sentence was 30 years, the court deemed 25 years appropriate for the crime.

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has disclosed that his administration has disbursed over N47 billion in gratuities to retirees since taking office in November 2022.

This figure significantly exceeds the combined N34.4 billion paid by his predecessors, Rauf Aregbesola and Adegboyega Oyetola, over a 12-year period.

Governor Adeleke made this announcement on Monday in Osogbo during the presentation of bond certificates worth N1.9 billion to contributory pensioners from state and local government services.

He used the event to underscore his administration’s unwavering commitment to the welfare of retirees and its prioritization of social justice.

The governor pointed out that his administration’s achievements in less than two years reflect a clear focus on addressing the plight of pensioners, a group that has often faced neglect in the past.

“As of 2018, the total gratuity payments made by former Governor Aregbesola stood at N17.15 billion, while former Governor Oyetola’s payments as of 2022 amounted to N17.25 billion.

Together, the two administrations paid N34.4 billion over a span of 12 years,” Adeleke noted.

He added, “In contrast, my administration has paid N22.67 billion for state pensions and N25 billion for local government pensions, bringing our total payments to over N47 billion in just two years.

This means we have paid almost 70 percent of what the previous APC administrations managed to pay in over a decade.”

Governor Adeleke reiterated his administration’s resolve to reform the pension system, ensure timely disbursements, and address grievances among retirees.

He emphasized that his government views the welfare of senior citizens as a moral obligation and central to its policies.

“The well-being of our retirees is at the heart of our administration’s goals.

We are determined to ensure that pensioners are treated with dignity and receive their entitlements without delay,” he said.

President Bola Tinubu has expressed confidence that Nigeria’s economy is on the path to improvement following the release of the National Bureau of Statistics’ third-quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) report.

The data revealed that Nigeria’s GDP grew by 3.46%, an increase from the 3.19% recorded in the previous quarter, signaling a positive trend in the country’s economic recovery.

In his remarks, President Tinubu reiterated his commitment to achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2030, a promise he remains resolute in fulfilling.

He assured Nigerians that by early 2025, when the economy is rebased to reflect its evolving sectors and greater dynamism, significant improvements will be visible.

This, he said, will pave the way for the country to experience shared prosperity and economic stability.

The GDP growth of 3.46% is largely attributed to the performance of critical sectors, including Agriculture, Transport, Education, Health, Real Estate, Finance and Insurance, ICT, Trade, and Manufacturing.

These sectors played a vital role in driving the economy forward, demonstrating the positive impact of the reforms that have been implemented under President Tinubu’s administration.

The administration’s fiscal policies, including proposed tax reforms, are also expected to contribute to the economy’s growth.

The new tax regime aims to alleviate the financial burdens on small businesses and promote equity by ensuring a more even distribution of resources across regions.

This will help address the so-called “headquarters effect,” where states with corporate headquarters receive more benefits from taxes remitted nationwide.

President Tinubu mentioned the significance of the third-quarter GDP growth, noting that it exceeded expectations and is a testament to the positive direction in which the economy is headed.

However, he acknowledged that there is still much work to be done.

“While we welcome this development, the latest figures also remind us of the work that remains.

We won’t rest until Nigerians feel the positive impacts in their pockets and experience a better living standard,” he said.

The sectors that made the most significant contributions to GDP in the third quarter of 2024 include Agriculture, which accounted for 28.65%, ICT at 16.35%, Trade at 14.78%, Manufacturing at 8.21%, Crude Oil at 5.57%, Finance and Insurance at 5.51%, and Real Estate at 5.43%.

These figures show the diverse sources of economic growth and the importance of each sector in supporting Nigeria’s overall economic performance.