Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Peter Omopo  Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed deep shock and sadness over the death of former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, describing him as a peace-loving patriot and committed democrat. Ogbeh, who also served as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), died on Saturday. Obasanjo, currently in Uganda, said in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, that the late politician’s career spanned from the military era into the present democratic dispensation. “He was Deputy Speaker of the Plateau House of Assembly in the 1970s, Minister of Communications…

By Peter Omopo  Lagos, August 9, 2025 — Aviation workers under the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) have suspended their planned indefinite strike, citing significant progress in negotiations over improved remuneration. The coalition of aviation unions had earlier directed NAMA staff to halt services from Monday, August 11, following stalled talks on better pay. However, in a joint statement on Friday, union leaders announced that the industrial action had been deferred after fresh commitments from the agency and government officials. According to the statement signed by AbdulRasaq Saidu, Secretary General of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals; Odinaka Igbokwe, Deputy…

By Peter Omopo  Makurdi, August 9, 2025 — The Benue State House of Assembly has halted the screening of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s commissioner nominees, insisting that the executive must first implement its earlier resolutions. The decision, taken during Friday’s plenary in Makurdi, came moments after Speaker Hyacinth Dajoh read the governor’s letter forwarding the proposed cabinet list. Lawmakers across party lines cited unmet welfare, operational, and procedural demands as reasons for the standoff. Thomas Dugeri (APC/Kwande West) stressed that while screening nominees was a constitutional duty, the Assembly could not proceed until outstanding issues were addressed. Simon Gabo (APC/Mata) lamented…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja, August 9, 2025 — Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has died at the age of 78. A statement issued by the Ogbeh family on Saturday confirmed that the elder statesman passed away peacefully on August 9, describing him as a man who “departed peacefully, leaving behind a legacy of integrity, service, and dedication to our nation and community.” “We are comforted by the many lives he touched and the example he set,” the family said, adding that funeral arrangements would be announced later and requesting privacy during the mourning period. Born…

By Peter Omopo  Benin City, August 8, 2025 — The Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Registration Board of Nigeria on Friday inducted 105 fresh graduates of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) into the optometry profession. The oath-taking and induction ceremony, held at the Akin Deko Auditorium, was presided over by the Board’s Registrar, Dr. Obinna Awiaka, who urged the new optometrists to embrace hard work, sacrifice, and professional ethics as they begin their one-year internship. “As you step out, be aware that the journey ahead will be tougher than what you experienced in school,” Awiaka said. “Always uphold the tenets you…

By Peter Omopo  Osogbo, Osun State — August 8, 2025 — Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has pledged to address lapses within the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove and carry out renovations ahead of the 2026 edition of the world-renowned festival. Speaking at the grand finale of the 2025 Osun-Osogbo Festival on Friday, Adeleke, represented by his deputy, Kola Adewusi, assured stakeholders of his administration’s commitment to preserving and enhancing the historic site. “The festival is not strange to us, as it has been recognised globally, and my administration will work on all lapses identified with the grove,” the governor said.…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja, August 8, 2025 — Fuji music icon, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, has apologised over an incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on August 5, while firmly denying claims that he was caught with alcohol. In a personally signed statement on Friday, the veteran musician described the incident as “unfortunate” and explained that the flask in question contained only water, in line with medical advice to combat his chronic dehydration. “Contrary to the negative narrative in some quarters, the flask contained only water — not alcohol,” he stated. “During two…

By Peter Omopo  The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, was on Friday laid to rest with full military honours at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Aremo, Ibadan, Oyo State. Governor Seyi Makinde, top military officers, traditional rulers, political leaders, and dignitaries from across the country gathered to pay their last respects to the 43rd Olubadan, who died on July 7, 2025. Representing the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Olufemi Oluyede, the General Officer Commanding 2 Mechanised Division, Maj Gen Obina Onubogwu, led the military rites in honour of the late monarch, a retired Nigerian Army Major. The ceremony included the…

By Peter Omopo  Makurdi, August 8, 2025 — Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has celebrated Super Falcons star Francesca Ordega with a generous gift of ₦50 million and a three-bedroom apartment in Makurdi, the state capital, in recognition of her stellar performance at the just-concluded 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). The announcement was made during a special dinner held in her honour on Thursday night at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Makurdi. In a further show of appreciation, the governor also disclosed that a street in Makurdi would be named after the celebrated Benue-born footballer.…

By Peter Omopo  Pretoria, August 8, 2025 — A South African court has ruled that the remains of former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu must be repatriated to Zambia for a state burial, effectively rejecting his family’s demand to bury him in South Africa. Lungu, who died on June 5 while receiving specialized medical care in Pretoria, became the subject of a high-profile legal dispute between the Zambian government and his family over his final resting place. His widow and children had opposed returning his body to Zambia, citing Lungu’s alleged wish to avoid a funeral that would involve his…