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Reps Threaten To Recommend Scrapping Agencies Over Unused Funds

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…as SHESTCO DG Attributes Uncompleted Projects to Envelope Budgeting

By Gloria Ikibah

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Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Science and Engineering, Rep. Inuwa Garba, has criticized some government agencies for failing to fulfill their mandates since their establishment. He warned that the Committee might recommend their scrapping.

This warning came during the 2024 budget defense and 2025 budget proposal session on Tuesday in Abuja, where the Committee took the Director-General of Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), Paul Onyenekwe, and other officials to task over uncompleted projects and questionable contract awards in Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, and Gombe states.

Rep. Garba highlighted discrepancies in the budget presentations of some agencies, stating that these irregularities raise concerns about their effectiveness, and  noted that if such agencies continue to fall short of their responsibilities, the Committee would push for their closure, in line with recommendations from the Steve Oronsaye Report on public sector reforms.

The DG of SHESTCO attributed the challenges faced by the agency to the envelope budgeting system, which he said hampers the completion of critical projects. However, the Committee was unimpressed, insisting on greater accountability and proper utilization of allocated funds.

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He said: “Most of their budget is just reputation and to an extent, some don’t even want anybody to know what they are doing. The question you will ask, is different from the answer that you are supposed to get from some of the agencies.
“Though some agencies are very relevant and are up and doing and very effective and supportive to the government policies and programs. When we finish, we are coming out to say our stand as a committee and present our report to the appropriation committee.
“Subsequently, we can make our position and proposal to the House very soon in order to help the government and to help the country”.
Reacting to the agencies involved Inuwa said, “I will not say it now because we are yet to come to a final conclusion. But when we finish, we can call the agencies, call the head of the agencies and say why and how we are making that recommendation.
“If I now come out to call the agency, I’m not doing justice to myself, I’m not doing justice to the committee. I’m only the chairman of the committee. I have other members that are members of the committee.
“A lot of abnormalities is happening in most of the agencies. You can see one budget is repeated 5, 6, 7 years. The money is increasing, some they will say it’s completed and before, in another way they say completion.
“Another year, completion. And they are putting in money. If you go in the same position, the same project, the same agency, only the amount that differs, the same contractor.
“So, honestly, I can’t say I’m comfortable for now. But what we have seen, a lot needs to be done in the budget and procurement process in our agencies, ministries and parastatals, so that we can be able to come up with something that will help the government and the people of this country.
However, Director-General of the Sheda Science and Technology Complex, Onyenekwe blamed the envelope system of budget by the federal government on the non completion of on-going projects in the northern states of the country by the agency.
The DG said that the envelope system of budgeting is to be blamed for non-completion of key projects by the agency.
He informed the Committee that the 2024 budget of the agency was N1.2 billion and that what he did the funds were operationalization of these centres and payment of staff emoluments.
The DG also said that the agency embarked on construction of staff quarters for it’s staff when it discovered that many of them were coming to work in the agency from  very remote areas from the office.
“On the 2024 budget review, he said that the agency got N69,569,607,924 00 as capital, N1,007,665.,803 00 as personnel and N382,552.074.00 as overhead cost.
He also stated that they had embarked on construction of drainages and culverts in four northern states of the country namely Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi and Gombe states.
speaking also at the budget session, a member of the  committee Hon.Chinedu Ogar (Ebonyi,APC) accused the agency of repeatedly breaching the Act of National Assembly by refusing to remit untilized funds to the federal government.

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Sad! Ex-NFF Chairman is dead

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Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), died on Saturday after a prolonged illness.

His death was confirmed by former Secretary-General of the NFA, Sani Ahmed Toro.

Galadima was a prominent figure in Nigerian sports administration, having led the NFA before it was restructured into the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
He also served as Chairman of the Kano State Sports Council between 1981 and 1983.

Born in 1951 in Fagge, Kano, Galadima had a long-standing career in sports governance.

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He was a member of the National Sports Commission and was elected Vice President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee in 1985, a position he held until 1987.

He was later reappointed as Chairman of the Kano State Sports Council and continued to play key roles at both state and national levels.

Galadima also served on the Presidential Monitoring Committee on the development of sports facilities for the 1995 FIFA World Youth Championship, which was initially scheduled to be hosted in Nigeria but later relocated due to health-related challenges.

In addition, he was a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Youth Championship Organising Committee.

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In 2002, he was elected Chairman of the then Nigeria Football Association, further cementing his legacy as one of the country’s influential sports administrators.
Burial arrangements will be announced later according to family sources.

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11 die, 32 injured in Bauchi tanker crash

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Tragedy struck the Panshanu Hill stretch of the Bauchi-Jos federal highway on Friday evening as a horrific multi-vehicle collision claimed the lives of eleven persons, leaving thirty-two others with life-threatening injuries.

The victims, including women and children, were reportedly burnt beyond recognition when the vehicles involved in the crash erupted into a massive fireball upon impact.

According to a crash report released by the RS12.14
Toro Unit Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps
(FRSC), the accident occurred at approximately 6:40
PM. FRSC personnel, who arrived at the scene within ten minutes of the report, battled to rescue survivors from the mangled, smoking wreckage.

The crash involved a white MAN mini-tanker, identified as part of the Nigerian Police fleet, and a white FIAT J5 Boxer commercial bus with registration number KTU624XY.
Preliminary investigations by the FRSC identified
“dangerous driving” and the use of “worn-out tyres” as the probable causes of the carnage. The impact, which occurred on a single, unpaved carriageway, sent both vehicles off the road and triggered an immediate inferno.

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A breakdown of the casualties paints a heart-wrenching picture of the disaster. Out of the 43 persons involved in the accident, 11 fatalities were recorded, comprising one male adult, three male children, five female adults, and two female children.
The 32 injured survivors, including five male children, 19 female adults, seven female children, and one male adult, were rushed to a nearby general hospital for emergency treatment.

The Bauchi State Command of the FRSC has reiterated its warning to motorists to avoid overspeeding and ensure their vehicles are in roadworthy condition, especially when navigating the treacherous bends of the Panshanu Hill.

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JAMB: See How To Check, Print 2026 UTME Result Slip

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The 2026 UTME, which began on April 16, is expected to continue until April 22 across examination centres nationwide.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Friday announced that it had released the results of 632,788 candidates who sat for the first day of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

A statement by the JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin noted that the results of candidates who sat the 2026 UTME on Thursday, 16 April 2026, have been released and are now available for viewing.
To check their results, he advised candidates to send UTMERESULT via SMS to 55019 or 66019, using the same phone number (SIM) used during registration.
He, however, said that at this stage, candidates may view their results only; printing is not yet available.
The 2026 UTME, which began on April 16, is expected to continue until April 22 across examination centres nationwide.

How To Print Your Official Result Slip
The result slip carries the candidate’s passport photograph, full scores, and details required for admission processing.
It will be made available for printing on JAMB’s e-Facility portal at efacility.jamb.gov.ng and attracts a fee of N1,500.
Once activated, candidates should follow the steps below.

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– Visit efacility.jamb.gov.ng.
– Log in with your registered email address and password.
– On your dashboard, click Print Result Slip.
– Click Continue with Payment and pay the N1,500 fee.

– Select 2026 as the examination year and enter your JAMB registration number.
– Download and print the result slip.

Check Your Score Via SMS
– Make sure you have at least N50 airtime on the phone number linked to your JAMB registration.
– Send UTMERESULT to 55019.
– Your score will be delivered to you via SMS.

Other Tips
– If you have forgotten your password or email address, use the Forgot Password option on the portal or visit a JAMB office with your registration details.
– Keep multiple printed copies of your result slip, as institutions typically request it during screening and admission.
– Use only JAMB’s official websites — efacility.jamb.gov.ng or portal.jamb.gov.ng to avoid scams.

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JAMB Cautioned Against Manipulation
Candidates were strongly cautioned against manipulating the SMS received from the official platform (55019/66019) to fabricate or alter scores with the intent to mislead others, including parents.
“Such actions constitute a serious criminal offence. The Board treats such misconduct with the utmost gravity.”
“Currently, two candidates and one parent are in custody for engaging in result falsification using AI and other electronic means. Any candidate found culpable will face the full consequences of the law”, JAMB warned.
The examination is ongoing, and results will continue to be released as they become available.

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