Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, has nominated Cyril Oshiomhole, a medical doctor, as the commissioner of health.

Cyril is the son of Adams Oshiomhole, the former governor of Edo, now a serving senator.

The commissioner nominee earned his bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery (MBBS) at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

He has a master’s degree in public health and majors in environmental health, toxicology, and disaster management.

Fred Itua, Okpebholo’s spokesperson, said in a statement on Tuesday that the governor also nominated Samson Osagie, a former member of the national assembly, as the attorney-general and commissioner for justice.

“On the new state attorney-general, Dr. Samson Osagie is a private legal practitioner having been called to the Nigerian Bar on March 22nd, 1995,” the statement reads.

He is also the current vice president of the African Bar Association (West African Region),” the statement reads.

“He was a two-term member of the Edo state house of assembly and also the house of representatives, where he rose to the position of the minority whip.

Itua said the Osagie and Oshiomhole’s names would be forwarded to the Edo state house of assembly for confirmation.

He added that Okpebholo also announced the appointment of Musa Ikhilor as the secretary to the state government (SGG).

“Barrister Ikhilor has over 11 years of experience in legislative drafting, parliamentary administration, lawmaking procedure and processes, constitutional drafting and amendment, and general legislative governance issues working in various capacities at the national assembly,” Itua said.

“Barr. Ikhilor is active in business, corporate legal practice, and social works, where he serves as the managing partner of Springfield Legal Consult and as the executive director and board of trustees member of the Amana Legacy Foundation.”

Monday Okpebholo has been sworn in as the governor of Edo State after months he was elected to take over from Godwin Obaseki, who has completed his second term in office.

The Chief Justice of the state, Daniel Okungbowa, administered the oath to the governor and deputy governor at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, where they pledged to uphold the constitution and work for the well-being of the people of Edo State.”

Dignitaries including vice president Kashim Shettima, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, Philip Shaibu, the reinstated deputy governor of Edo, and other governors from the APC were in attendance as Okpebholo took the oath of office.

The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) has officially opened online applications for the 77th Regular Course, providing opportunities for both male and female Nigerian candidates to enroll in military and academic training programs.

The application window, which began on November 6, 2024, will remain open until April 30, 2025 and successful applicants will undergo both academic and military training as Officer Cadets at the NDA for a period of five years.

Upon completion, cadets will be awarded a Bachelor’s degree in their field of study and will also receive a Presidential Commission into the Nigerian Armed Forces.

NDA is partnering with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for the admissions process hence applicants must also register for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by JAMB, selecting the NDA as their first-choice institution.

“Candidates applying for admission into NDA must also apply to the year 2025 Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board and select NDA as their first choice institution,” they said.

Only candidates who meet the required UTME scores will be considered for further assessment. A score of 180 for Arts, Social Sciences, and Science programs, and 210 for Engineering courses.

Screening test 

The NDA screening test serves as the first phase of the Post-UTME assessment, will be conducted on Saturday, May 24, 2025. Eligible candidates are expected to bring the following documents to the test center:

• Acknowledgment form
• Screening Test Admission Card
• JAMB result slip
• Two passport-sized photographs (3.5 x 5 inches), showing only the chest upwards with essential candidate information written at the back

Candidates can begin the application process by visiting the NDA application portal at ndaapplications.net and selecting the “Purchase Access Code” option. For more enquiries visit the website here.