Governor, Monday Okpebholo of Edo State today presented a 2025 budget proposal of N605 billion to the State House of Assembly. Tagged the ‘Budget of Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo’, the proposal marks a 25 per cent increase from the 2024 budget under Godwin Obaseki’s administration. Governor Okpebholo disclosed that N223 billion, representing 37 per cent of the total budget, is allocated for recurrent expenditure, while N381 billion, accounting…

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has joined a growing number of Nigerians in condemning the detention of human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi. Farotimi is being remanded in an Ekiti prison over allegations of defaming the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Afe Babalola. Farotimi’s legal ordeal began with his arrest in Lagos and subsequent transfer to Ekiti, where he was arraigned before a magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti. The court, presided…

Members of the House of Representatives from the 17 states in Southern Nigeria have thrown their weight behind President Bola Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills. Rising from a meeting at the National Assembly complex on Tuesday, the lawmakers however, urged the executive arm to consult further and seek input from more stakeholders. Coming under the aegis of the Southern Reps Caucus, they hinted at possible amendment to some provisions of the…

Security operatives have arrested a notorious kidnapper, Terry Tinate Augustus, popularly called “Black” in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. Augustus, a self-acclaimed pastor from Ajapa community in Ese Odo LGA of Ondo State, was arrested by the Amotekun Corps in collaboration with the Special Assistant to the Ondo State Governor on Pipeline Surveillance and Waterways Security, Engr. Alore Omosuyi. The suspect was arrested on December 8, 2024 following…

Police in Kano have arrested three notorious fraudsters, recovering the sum of N129,542,823,000 billion fake currencies from them. Nura Ibrahim (26) of Sharada Quarters, Kano, Mohammed Muktar (35) of Hotoro Quarters, Kano, and Ahmad Abdullahi (30) of Kaga Local Government Area of Borno state, were arrested at different times and locations, following a tip off by a good Samaritan on the nefarious activities of the suspected criminals. The arrest of…

The Bank of Industry (BOI) has announced that it has disbursed N22.89 billion of the N75 billion manufacturing sector intervention fund to 29 manufacturers.Its Managing Director, Dr Olasupo Olusi, made this known on Monday at the first BOI interactive session with the Organised Private Sector (OPS) in Abuja, which was monitored virtually.Olusi said that out of the N75 billion manufacturing sector fund, other 20 projects valued at N6.3 billion were…

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Babatunde Ogala has dismissed allegations that legal luminary Chief Afe Babalola is being used to target activist and lawyer Dele Farotimi for his anti-Tinubu stance during the 2023 general elections.Speaking on the matter during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Ogala described the claims as “ridiculous and insulting” to the 95-year-old Babalola, a revered figure in Nigeria’s legal and educational circles.Afe Babalola, at 95,…

Popular rights activist Bisi Alimi has raised concerns about a recent photograph of Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), in which he was wearing an outfit resembling military camouflage.The photo, which quickly went viral, has sparked heated debate, with Alimi questioning why the pastor was allowed to wear such attire while ordinary Nigerians face sanction for similar acts.In a series of posts…

Governor of Ondo State,Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has presented a budget estimate of ₦655.23 billion for the 2025 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly. In a statement posted on his Footbook page today, Ebenezer Adeniyan, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, said the budget tagged “Budget of Recovery,” aims to address key socio-economic challenges and foster development across critical sectors. During the plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Olamide Oladiji,…

The chairperson of the Better Life Programme for the African Rural Woman (BLPARW), Aisha Babangida, has donated funds for life-changing surgeries for over 50 children living with poor health conditions. BLPARW is a non-profit organisation (NGO)with the mandate to empower and enhance lives through healthcare, fostering economic empowerment, and promoting education.The fund was provided during the 19th annual Christmas/End-of-Year party organised by Global Initiative for Peace, Love, and Care (GIPLC)…

Six months after President Bola Tinubu approved an increase in the minimum wage for Nigerian workers from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000, the implementation has seen varying responses across states. While some governors have adopted the new wage, others are yet to comply.Although the implementation of new pay across states has been gradual, however, a few governors have pledged to meet the ₦70,000 minimum wage, while others have gone beyond the federal…

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has disbursed N140 million in cheques to young farmers engaged in commercial agriculture under the “Bring Back the Youth in Agriculture” initiative. In a statement on the state government’s Facebook page today, the programme, executed in collaboration with YSJ Farms Limited, targets boosting food production and youth engagement in farming across six farm clusters in the state. Presenting the cheques at the Osuntokun Pavilion, Government…