News
Senate Approves N5.079trn 2024 Budget For Nigeria Customs Service

By Chukwuka Kanu
The Nigerian Senate has approved 2024 budget of N5.079 trillion for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
The approval followed the adoption of recommendations of report of Committee on Customs, Excise and Tarrifs on Thursday at plenary.
Presenting the report, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Jibrin Isah (APC-Kogi) said the total capital expenditure emarked for the fiscal year was N706.43 billion for the 2024 financial year.
He said personnel cost stood at N225.99 billion representing 31.99 percent of the budget, while overhead cost was N111.76billion representing 15.82 percent.
He said cost for on going capital projects stood at N148.42billion, while new projects was earmarked N220.26billion representing 52.19 percent.
According to him, the service hopes on timely roll out of the 2024 fiscal policy measures to enable it commence implementation promptly.
He said as part of its strategy, the National Single Window project that has lingered in past years was still being pursued for better process harmonisation, standardisation and enhanced revenue generation.
He said the service intends to provide flexible windows for the perfection of illegally imported vehicles.
This, he said was to ensure the collection of expected import duties and 25 percent penalty charge from such category of transactions.
He said the measure would enable the government to realise more revenue.
“There will be intensive revenue recovery drive, using number of mechanisms. This shall include the Systems Audit, real time auditing, post clearance auditing, institution of revenue recovery committee and other intelligence gathering tools.
“The revised penalties and charges in the new Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023 will improve the service’s revenue generation.
“The service is looking forward to the area of cargo tracking in collaboration with relevant Government agency ,Shippers Council for effective monitoring of cargo, vessel movement to diversion or theft”.
He also said decongestion of the nation’s ports was proposed towards efficient and effective port operation, adding that it was capable of yielding more revenue.
“The service anti smuggling campaign, using all required operational guide as provided within the confines of Customs laws, will be intensified. This is to ensure that illicit trade that creates sphere for revenue leakages as well as economic sabotage are reduced to the barest minimum” he said.
News
Tinubu nominates Melvin Ayogu to CBN board, requests Senate approval

President Bola Tinubu has nominated Melvin Ayogu to the board of the Central Bank of Nigeria and has sought Senate confirmation for the appointment.
The Special Adviser to Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made this in a statement on Wednesday.
Tinubu also sought Senate confirmation for Nwakuche Ndidi as controller-general of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
He said the requests, conveyed in letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, were read during Tuesday’s plenary.
Tinubu had previously nominated Robert Agbide, Ado Wanga, Murtala Sagaley, Urom Eke, and Olayinka Aliyu to the CBN board in February 2024.
However, on February 29, 2024, the senate confirmed four people as members of the board of the CBN after Eke rejected the offer, citing “conflict of interest”.
Tinubu replaced Eke with Ruby Onwudiwe on March 13, 2024; however, a day after, reports circulated that the president withdrew her nomination over political affiliation with the Labour Party, an opposition of the All Progressives Congress.
The decision reportedly followed pressure mounted on the president by members of the APC, as Onwudiwe publicly supported Peter Obi, who contested on the LP platform against Tinubu, at the 2023 presidential elections.
News
LSHA crisis: Tinubu meets Obasa, Meranda at Presidential Villa

Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have arrived the State House, Abuja, to meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The legislators who arrived in two coaster buses had been allowed into the President’s office area to wait for the meeting.
Both the reinstated Speaker of the Assembly, Hon Mudashiru Obasa, and the ousted one, Hon Mojisola Miranda, were also sighted in the team.
While Meranda arrived with her colleagues at some minutes past 2pm, Obasa arrived separately at about 2:50pm.
The meeting may not be unconnected with the recent leadership crisis in the State House of Assembly.
It would be recalled that Hon. Obasa was impeached as Speaker by a majority of his colleagues, but he was latter reinstated after the intervention of the political leaders especially the Governor’s Advisory Council, (GAC)
Despite the Speaker’s reinstatement, it was gathered that the bad blood as a result of his impeachment is yet to be over.
The Nation
News
Fubara’s Letter To Rivers Assembly Over S’Court Verdict Is ‘Useless’-Wike declares

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has discribed as “useless” the letter sent by Governor Siminalayi Fubara to the Rivers State House of Assembly, requesting a meeting regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling on the state’s political matters.
During a conversation with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike, the former governor of Rivers State, voiced his disapproval, emphasizing that Speaker Martins Amaewhule and other members of the Rivers Assembly are independent individuals who deserve respect.
Wike argued that instead of issuing a public letter to invite the lawmakers, Fubara should have contacted Amaewhule and his team directly by phone to schedule a private meeting at a convenient time.
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