The Sokoto State, Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto has approved a monthly maintenance allowance of N200,000 for principals of each secondary school across the state.

This announcement was made during the Sokoto State 2025 Citizens Budget Discussion, where former Deputy Governor Chiso Abdullahi appealed for funds to cover immediate maintenance needs.

The approved allowance will enable school principals to repair minor damages to infrastructure and other items without waiting for lengthy government approvals.

This will facilitate the mobilization of carpenters, masons, and other workers to carry out necessary repairs whenever needed.

According to Abubakar Bawa, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, the N200,000 monthly allowance will be paid to each school principal across the 23 local government areas, starting January 2025.

“Before I call the next speaker, let me inform this honourable gathering that the governor, in line with the appeal made by the former deputy, has approved N200,000 for each school principal every month. The payment will commence in January 2025 and will cover all secondary schools across the 23 local government areas of the state.” Bawa said.

Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto has also directed the state commissioner for local government affairs, Dadi Adare, to review the allowances of traditional rulers in the state and make necessary adjustments to reflect current economic realities.

A 19-year-old student, Miss Ifeoluwa Adeyemi, has shared how staying focused and avoiding distractions helped her emerge as the best graduate in the 2023/2024 academic session at Wesley University, Ondo State.

Adeyemi, who graduated with a degree in microbiology, achieved a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.97.

Speaking to PUNCH Online after the university’s 13th convocation ceremony on Saturday, Adeyemi explained that having a boyfriend during her undergraduate studies would have distracted her.

She said, “Well, I had discussed this with several people, and they told me that it depends on your perspective. But for me, I see it as a distraction because I cannot divide my attention. A boyfriend might demand my time, and I wouldn’t be able to put my full effort into my studies.”

She also mentioned that her core motivation throughout her academic journey was the desire to make her parents proud.

“First, I have parents I cannot disappoint. That was always on my mind. Whenever I felt distracted, I reminded myself that my parents were out there, and I needed to make them proud,” she said.

Additionally, Adeyemi’s goal of making a positive impact in the health sector drove her to dedicate herself to microbiology, a field that studies microorganisms related to diseases and health.

“I needed to focus on my course. Microbiology is one of the areas that deals with health, and I knew I had to put more effort into understanding it,” she said.

Adeyemi also revealed her ambition to further her education by pursuing a Master’s degree and a PhD in the future.

“The next step is to further my education — a Master’s and then a Ph.D. I want to become a researcher,” she said.

In his address, the Vice Chancellor of Wesley University, Professor Sunday Obeka, highlighted the institution’s commitment to holistic education rooted in the Wesleyan tradition. He encouraged the graduates to uphold the values of excellence, integrity, and service in their future endeavours.

PUNCH

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has said the Nigerian government needs more borrowings to fund its budget even though some Ministries, Departments and Agencies have surpassed their revenue target.

Edun said this during an interactive session of the Senate Joint Committees on Finance and National Planning and Economic Affairs on the 2025-2027 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework/Fiscal Strategy Paper.

According to him, the borrowing needs to be done productively and efficiently based on the Senate’s approval for proper funding of the budget.

“The revenue effort has been good, but we still need to do better, and in the meantime, we still need to borrow productively, effectively and sustainably all in the name to invest in a Nigerian economy.

“Not just infrastructure but also social services, health services, education and intervention in terms of social safety net to help the poorest and most vulnerable,” Edun said.

Giving a similar reason, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu reminded the lawmakers that the borrowing plans contained in the N35.5 trillion 2024 budget, were primarily meant to fund the N9.7 trillion deficit.

“Despite revenue targets surpassing by some of the revenue generating agencies , government still needs to borrow for proper funding of the budget , particularly in the area of deficit and productivity for the poorest and most vulnerable .

“We a long term development perspective plan agenda 2050 aiming at GDP per capital of $33,000,” Bagudu explained.

Giving a similar reason, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu reminded the lawmakers that the borrowing plans contained in the N35.5 trillion 2024 budget, were primarily meant to fund the N9.7 trillion deficit.

“Despite revenue targets surpassing by some of the revenue generating agencies , government still needs to borrow for proper funding of the budget , particularly in the area of deficit and productivity for the poorest and most vulnerable .

“We a long term development perspective plan agenda 2050 aiming at GDP per capital of $33,000,” Bagudu explained.