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  • Okpebholo Grants Full Scholarships to Three Children of Late Edo Officer Braimah

    Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has approved full educational scholarships for the three children of the late Oseni Omoh Braimah, a fallen security officer, in a move aimed at securing their academic future from their current levels up to university.

    What happened

    The Edo State Government confirmed the approval in a statement issued on Thursday by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Patrick Akhere Ebojele.

    The beneficiaries are Farida Hussain-Braimah, 18, a 100-level Software Engineering student at Nile University, Abuja; Amir Hussain-Braimah, 16, an SS3 student at Olumawu Senior School; and Yasmeen Hussain-Braimah, 12, a JSS2 pupil at Olumawu Junior Secondary School.

    The government said their education will be fully funded without interruption.

    Governor’s decision

    Governor Okpebholo described the gesture as both a moral responsibility and a commitment to honouring those who die in service to the nation.

    “Brigadier General Braimah paid the ultimate price in service to this country. It is only right that we stand by the family he left behind,” he said.

    He added that the initiative is designed to ensure the children are not denied access to quality education due to the loss of their father.

    What the scholarship covers

    The state government said the support will cover the children’s education from their current academic levels through to university, fully funded by the Edo State Government.

    Officials added that the policy reflects the administration’s focus on human capital development under its SHINE Agenda, which prioritises education and social welfare.

    Honouring a fallen officer

    The late Braimah was described by the governor as a symbol of discipline, courage, and patriotism.

    He died during security operations and was later buried with full military honours at the Maimalari Cantonment Cemetery.

    Wider call for support

    The Edo State Government also called on other states and private sector actors to adopt similar initiatives to support families of fallen military personnel.

    It stressed the need for structured interventions, especially in education, to prevent children of deceased officers from being left behind.

    The move adds to growing conversations around long-term welfare systems for families of security personnel who die in active service.

  • Eedris Recalls Obasanjo’s “Jagajaga” Outburst, Says Ex-President Walked Out After Hearing Song

    Veteran Nigerian rapper Eedris Abdulkareem has opened up on his controversial encounter with former president Olusegun Obasanjo over his hit song “Jagajaga,” revealing how the ex-leader first blasted him publicly before later walking out of an event after hearing the same track.

    How it started

    Eedris said the drama began when he received a call alerting him that Obasanjo was speaking about him on television.

    “I was sleeping one day and received a call… ‘Put on your TV, Obasanjo is talking about you,’” he recalled.

    According to him, the former president criticised the song harshly while praising other tracks.

    “He said he loves songs like ‘He go better’, but there is one stupid boy that sang ‘Nigeria Jagajaga’. It’s his father and his mother that are Jagajaga,” Eedris recounted.

    His reaction

    Rather than feel insulted, the rapper said he was pleased that his message had reached the highest level of leadership.

    He explained that the criticism only confirmed that the song had made the impact he intended.

    Unexpected reunion in Europe

    Months later, Eedris said he was invited to perform at an international event in Europe attended by Obasanjo and other dignitaries.

    He revealed that the situation took an unexpected turn just before his performance.

    “My friend, the German ambassador, reached out… When it was my turn, the DJ started playing ‘Jagajaga’,” he said.

    What happened next

    According to Eedris, Obasanjo initially danced along, unaware of the song playing.

    “At that moment, he didn’t know the song. He was dancing,” he said.

    However, the mood quickly changed once the former president realised it was the same track he had earlier criticised.

    “A few minutes later, it dawned on him… He got upset immediately, stood up and travelled back to Nigeria,” Eedris added.

    Background

    “Jagajaga” remains one of the most politically charged songs in Nigeria’s music history, widely known for its criticism of governance and social conditions at the time.

    Eedris’ latest revelation has reignited conversations around the song’s impact and its place in Nigeria’s political and cultural landscape.

  • Abiodun Approves Weekly Day Off, ₦10,000 Transport Allowance for Ogun Workers

    Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has approved a weekly day off and a ₦10,000 monthly transport allowance for civil servants, a move aimed at easing the impact of rising fuel prices and cost of living, with the measures set to run for three months from April 2026.

    Relief measures announced

    The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the Head of Service, Kehinde Onasanya, who said the decision was designed to provide immediate relief to workers facing increased transportation costs.

    According to him, the weekly day off will apply across the state workforce, while the ₦10,000 allowance will serve as a temporary palliative within the three-month period.

    “This is in addition to the payment of ₦10,000 special transport allowance as palliatives for three months commencing from April 2026,” Onasanya said.

    Who is affected

    Onasanya clarified that not all categories of workers will benefit from the weekly day-off arrangement.

    He explained that essential workers, including medical personnel, judicial staff, teachers, security operatives, and heads of departments, will be exempted from the one-day break.

    However, they will still receive the ₦10,000 transport allowance.

    Implementation plan

    The Head of Service said accounting officers across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies will determine the specific day off for eligible staff.

    This, he noted, is to ensure that government operations and service delivery are not disrupted.

    He added that the intervention is expected to not only cushion economic pressure but also improve worker productivity.

    Why the decision was taken

    The state government said the move is a direct response to the recent hike in fuel prices and the ripple effect on transportation and living costs.

    Onasanya described the approval as a timely intervention, urging workers to reciprocate the gesture with improved commitment and efficiency.

    Similar move in Oyo

    The development mirrors a similar policy in Oyo State, where Governor Seyi Makinde approved a ₦10,000 monthly transport allowance for civil servants.

    Makinde said the support, which began in March, will also run for an initial period of three months as part of efforts to ease economic hardship.

  • APC Denies Fixing ₦200m Price for 2027 Presidential Nomination Forms

    The ruling All Progressives Congress has denied reports circulating widely on social media that it has fixed the price of nomination forms for the 2027 general elections, describing the claims as false, misleading, and not originating from the party.

    The clarification was issued on Saturday in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, in response to online speculation that the APC had pegged its presidential nomination form at ₦200 million.

    What the APC said

    In the statement, Morka was unequivocal in denying the party. “The report is FAKE and did not emanate from the party. To be clear, no decision or announcement has been made on the sale or pricing of forms for the 2027 elections. The report is a mere figment of the writer’s mischievous imagination,” he said.

    The party urged its members, the media, and the general public to disregard the unverified report and to rely only on official communications from the APC for accurate information regarding its 2027 electoral preparations.

    What the viral report claimed

    The denial follows the spread of unconfirmed claims on social media that the APC had officially fixed ₦200 million as the cost of its presidential expression of interest and nomination forms — an amount that, if true, would represent one of the most expensive nomination form prices in Nigerian political history. The APC did not name the source of the report or the specific publication it was attributed to.

    The pricing of political party nomination forms has been a recurring source of controversy in Nigerian politics. At the 2022 APC presidential primary, the party fixed its presidential nomination form at ₦100 million — a sum widely criticised as prohibitive and a barrier to genuine democratic participation. The figure eventually attracted 28 presidential aspirants, including President Tinubu, who went on to win both the primary and the general election.

    With the 2027 campaign cycle not yet formally begun, the APC has said no internal decisions on form pricing have been reached. The party’s National Working Committee is expected to convene formal deliberations on 2027 electoral preparations later in the year.

    No APC official has confirmed the ₦200 million figure, and no credible media outlet has traced the claim to a verified party source.