Lifestyle
Makinde Kicks Off Oyo At 50 Celebration, Alaafin, Soun Absent
Two prominent monarchs in Oyo State, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, and the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Olaoye Ghandi, were conspicuously absent at the official flag-off of the state’s 50th anniversary celebration held on Monday.
The event, hosted at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, was attended by family members of former governors, traditional rulers, political leaders, religious figures, and top government officials.
However, the empty seats reserved for the two monarchs stirred fresh reactions, especially in light of the ongoing debate over the rotational leadership of the Oyo State Council of Obas.
Governor Seyi Makinde, while recently inaugurating Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, as chairman of the council, announced a new rotational structure for the leadership of the traditional council, which had previously been chaired permanently by the Alaafin.
While Makinde claimed the new arrangement had the backing of the Alaafin and Soun, the Alaafin quickly issued a rebuttal, saying he was never part of such discussions. Monday’s ceremony marked the first major state event since that controversy.
Makinde Cuts Anniversary Cake, Reflects On Legacy
Despite the absence of the two monarchs, the event proceeded with Governor Makinde delivering a keynote address and cutting the state’s golden jubilee cake.
He reiterated his administration’s focus on economic transformation, job creation, investment attraction, and inclusive development.
“The next 50 years must bring greater prosperity, fairness, dignity, and hope for all our citizens,” Makinde declared.
He paid tribute to former Governor Bola Ige, praising his focus on free education and equal opportunity, which he said shaped Oyo’s values and governance philosophy.
The governor also introduced a digital tribute platform where residents had submitted stories of opportunity, resilience, and enterprise as part of the celebration.
“These stories are not just tributes; they are evidence of opportunity, enterprise, hope, and belonging,” he said, citing one example of a youth corps member who invested his allowance in fashion design training during his NYSC year.
Earlier, the chairman of the anniversary planning committee and former House of Reps member, Saheed Fijabi, underscored the importance of the celebration as both a reflection of the past and a commitment to the future.
In his remarks, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, the Olubadan of Ibadan and new chairman of the Obas council, urged the government to remember unsung heroes and political leaders who played foundational roles in building the state. He named Chief Kolapo Ishola, Ahmed Gbadamosi, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, and others whose legacies still resonate in the state’s development.
Daily voice understands that the absence of both the Alaafin and Soun, particularly during such a landmark celebration, may point to deepening tensions within the traditional council, possibly linked to Makinde’s decision to restructure its leadership
Lifestyle
FULL LIST: Breakdown of Nigerian Ambassadors’ Salaries, Allowances Revealed
BREAKDOWN EMERGES

Nigerian ambassadors’ pay packages have come under renewed attention. Fresh figures revealed that while basic salaries remained modest, allowances significantly boosted overall compensation for diplomats posted abroad
Reports showed that total monthly take-home pay often reached several million naira, reflecting the high costs of overseas postings
According to Salary.com, as of December 2025, the average annual salary for employees at the Nigerian Embassy in the United States stood at $93,909. This translated to an approximate hourly wage of $45.
Salaries at the embassy typically ranged from $82,124 to $107,453 annually, reflecting the diverse roles and levels of experience within the organisation. Reports indicated that pay was influenced by factors such as job role, department, years of service, and location.
Nigerian Ambassador Salary Structure
Rufai Oseni of Arise TV reported that the salary of Nigerian ambassadors was governed by the Consolidated Diplomatic, Consular and Foreign Service Cadre Salary Structure (CONPSS) in the Nigerian public service. Ambassadors usually fell into the highest grade levels, GL 17 or equivalent, with additional allowances for overseas postings.
Based on government budget allocations, salary surveys, and reports on foreign service personnel costs, the basic salary was described as modest by international standards but supplemented by substantial allowances.
Basic Salary of Nigerian Ambassadors Monthly Basic Pay:
Approximately ₦800,000 to ₦1,200,000 (about $485–$727 USD).
Annual Basic Salary: ₦9.6 million to ₦14.4 million (about $5,818–$8,727 USD).
These figures were drawn from the CONPSS scale for top-tier diplomatic officers. Entry-level foreign service officers reportedly earned around ₦300,000–₦500,000 monthly, but ambassadors, being at the top of the career ladder, commanded the upper end.
The figures also aligned with general public sector pay for Grade Level 17 officers, adjusted for inflation and the 2025 minimum wage increase to ₦70,000.
Allowances and Total Compensation
Reports highlighted that basic pay alone did not reflect the full compensation package.
Nigerian ambassadors posted overseas received allowances designed to offset high living expenses, hardship, and representational duties.
Total monthly take-home pay often exceeded ₦2–5 million ($1,212–$3,030 USD), depending on the host country.
The release of estimated salaries shed light on the financial structure of Nigeria’s foreign service. While the basic salary remained modest compared to international standards, allowances ensured that ambassadors were adequately supported in their overseas postings.
Lifestyle
Public Holiday Notice: FG to Declare Work-Free Day in Third Quarter of 2026
Breaks are the perfect time to have quality time with one’s loved ones and knowing holiday time ahead is crucial for planning holidays, family visits, and experiencing exciting activities.
Holidays, both religious and secular, are declared for a variety of reasons, including celebrating shared history and values, fostering community connections, and providing work-life balance by taking a day off from work.
Many holidays also commemorate important people or historic events. To this end, Legit has noted the forthcoming public holiday, assisting readers in planning effectively.
In Nigeria, there is only one public holiday in the third quarter (July 1 – September 30) of 2026: Eid ul-Mawlid. Eid ul-Mawlid 2026 may be observed on Wednesday, August 26 (tentative date).
Full List of Public Holidays Federal Govt of Nigeria Will Declare in 2026

Lifestyle
Rampaging soldier pinned me to bathroom door, assaulted me — UNIOSUN female student
A student of Osun State University, identified simply as Ademola, has narrated how she was assaulted after some some soldiers from the Army Depot, Osogbo invaded the halls of residence of students of the university.
Ademola, in a video shared by OsunDefenderNG, said the incident occurred while she was alone in her room preparing a meal.
According to her, she initially noticed the presence of soldiers around the area, but believed the situation had calmed down before the officers allegedly returned.
Recall that on Monday evening, some soldiers from the Army Depot, Osogbo, invaded halls of residence occupied by students of Osun State University, assaulted several students and carted away more than 60 mobile phones and other electronic gadgets.
Some female students were also reportedly stripped naked and forced to dance unclad by the soldiers, who were said to be among personnel that participated in the Army Depot’s passing-out parade held last Saturday.
Recounting the incident, she said, “My name is Ademola…, a student of Osun State University. I was in my hostel room cooking when I noticed they (soldiers) were around. After a while everything died down. However, later, we started hearing noise again.
“They started pointing their touch to my room and asked who was there and what were they doing this for. The next thing, they asked me to open my door and I opened the door.
“So, one of them asked how many of us was inside the room and I told him two. I also told him my roommate wasn’t around.”
While her emotions betrayed her, Ademola alleged that one of the soldiers then became physically aggressive.
“Then, he pinned me to my bathroom door, told me I would like it. He also told me not to shout. So, I begged him.
“I had to look for a way to get out of his hold and moved to the door. On moving to the door, I told him to move out. He asked if I wanted him to move out,” she added.
She further alleged that another soldier entered the room and attempted to restrain her.
She narrated, “While on that, his colleague came in and also told me to calm down, that I would love it and that I shouldn’t shout.
“So, when they started moving, I shouted and screamed. After shouting, they both moved out and I had to use force to close the door.”
According to the student, one of her hostel mates later came to check on her after hearing the commotion.
“After closing the door, one of my hostel mates that was there came to knock on my door to check up on me and he left,” she said.
Following the incident, the Depot Nigerian Army, Osogbo, on Tuesday, announced that it had commenced an investigation into allegations of misconduct involving some of its personnel after receiving a complaint from the National Association of Nigerian Students, Southwest Zone D.
The Army said the investigation was intended to establish the facts surrounding the incident and assured that anyone found culpable would be brought to justice.
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