News

Tinubu Gives Jonathan’s Aide New Appointment

Published

6 months ago

June 14, 2024

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr. Tanimu Yakubu as the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, following the expiration of the tenure of Mr. Ben Akabueze.

Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement said Yabuku is an accomplished economist and was Chief Economic Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan from 2007 to 2010; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria from 2003 to 2007, and Commissioner of Finance, Budget, and Economic Planning in Katsina State from 1999 to 2003.

According to Ngelale, the new Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation holds a Master’s of Business Administration degree in Finance from Wagner College, Staten Island, New York, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the same institution.

Tinubu thanked the outgoing Director-General, Mr. Akabueze, for his services and wished him success in his future endeavours.

He said President expects the new Director-General of this pivotal agency to further enhance the provision of efficient and qualitative budget functions, with a view to promoting fiscal sustainability, transparency, and accountability in public finance management for national development.

News

Zamfara Gov Lawal Signs ₦546bn 2025 Budget Into Law

Published

4 minutes ago

December 20, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has signed the 2025 appropriation bill of Zamfara Gov Lawal Signs ₦546bn 2025 budget into law.

The 2025 budget, titled “Rescue Budget 2.0,” was presented to the governor by the Zamfara State House of Assembly Speaker on Thursday at the Council Chamber, government house, Gusau.

During the signing of the 2025 appropriation bill, Governor Lawal committed to completing all ongoing legacy projects and building on the successes achieved in his administration’s past 18 months.

The governor highlighted the importance of the 2025 budget, saying that “we must not only look at where we are or where we are going, but where we’ve been.”

“The situation last year was concerning. A decade of poor governance led to economic collapse, unpaid wages for civil servants, and liabilities that hindered children’s education. Infrastructure was damaged, hospitals were abandoned, and public services became bloated,” he said.

“Additionally, there was a lack of accountability, ongoing electricity bill issues, inadequate water supply, insecurity, and the rise of communicable diseases like cholera, along with declining internal revenue.

“If we had not acted swiftly to all the challenges, Zamfara State would not be a place we all could live in today.

“The 2025 Rescue Budget 2.0 is driven by our commitment to continue the work we’ve started for our people, reflecting strong policies and enthusiasm. This budget also accounts for the increase in the minimum wage for civil servants, rising from N30,000 to N70,000.

“The 2025 budget upholds the best practice of allocating 28% of recurrent expenditure compared to 72% for capital expenditure. The rescue agenda also focuses on key areas for the 2025 budget, including security, education, health, infrastructure, and agriculture.”

Governor Lawal revealed that it is time for Zamfara State to overcome its infrastructure decay and commit to quality architectural development.

The 2025 budget allocated resources to fund the ongoing projects at Gusau International Airport and the construction of the Gusau-Magami to Dansadau Road.

News

‘Abuja Almost Looking Like London,’ Akpabio Hails Tinubu’s Infrastructure Drive

Published

4 minutes ago

December 20, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has hailed President Bola Tinubu’s infrastructure drive which he says has transformed the nation’s capital and other cities in the country.

Akpabio said this on Wednesday during the president’s 2025 budget presentation to a joint session of the National Assembly.

The lawmaker listed the Coastal Road which runs from Lagos State to Calabar in Cross Rivers as part of the Federal Government’s projects which he said has increased connectivity in Nigeria.

“Notably, your infrastructure renaissance has paved the way for many roads, including the Coastal Road and crucial arteries in Abuja Capital City – imagine Abuja now looking almost like London — and other parts of our country,” the Senate president said.

“These developments are not merely about concrete and asphalt; they represent the lifeblood of our economy, connecting our people and fostering growth.”

Akpabio also raised concerns about ministers and other government appointees shunning the invitation of the National Assembly when summoned.

He said such a behavior is uncalled for.

“Those who disregard invitation by the National Assembly are not democratic and therefore have no place in your government,” Akpabio told Tinubu before a full house of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Akpabio re-echoed the need for the ministers and other government appointees to promptly honour invitations of the National Assembly to give an account of their stewardship.

He threatened to use the legislators’ “Constitutional powers to take further actions” against ministers, and others who fail to honour NASS invitations.

Tinubu presented a ₦49.7tn Budget Proposal presented before a joint session of the National Assembly.

Security and defence, infrastructure, health, and education were some of the sectors with high allocations in the budget proposal.

The President listed some of the highlights of the budget as defence and security – N4.91tn, infrastructure – N4.06tn, health – N2.4tn, and education – N3.5tn, among others.

News

Civil Society Groups Urge FG To Halt Oil Asset Divestments in Niger Delta

Published

5 hours ago

December 19, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to stop all ongoing and planned divestments of oil assets in the Niger Delta region by oil companies.

This demand was outlined in a petition titled “Urgent Call to Halt All Divestment in the Niger Delta, Including Shell’s Refused Sale of SPDC Shares”, addressed to President Tinubu on December 16, 2024, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas on December 18, 2024.

During a press briefing in Abuja, Mr. Isaac Botti, Programmes Coordinator of Social Action Nigeria, and Reverend Nnimmo Bassey, Founder of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), highlighted the severe environmental and social impacts of oil exploration in the Niger Delta. They stated:

“We are here as representatives of Nigerian society organizations, community leaders, and concerned citizens to address a grave and urgent issue that threatens not only the people of the Niger Delta but the environmental and economic interests of Nigeria and the social future of all Nigerians”, he said.

The Coalition expressed concern over the divestment process by International Oil Companies (IOCs), particularly Shell’s proposed sale of its remaining shares in the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to the Renaissance consortium, as well as similar moves by companies like TotalEnergies.

They warned that these actions could undermine national interests and exacerbate environmental damage in the region.

The Coalition detailed extensive damage caused by decades of oil exploration, including:

Water Contamination: High levels of hydrocarbons in water sources have rendered them unsafe for drinking.
Soil Degradation: Continuous oil spills have destroyed farmlands, threatening food security.
Biodiversity Loss: Entire ecosystems have been decimated by oil spills.

Citing reports by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission (BSOEC), the Coalition provided alarming statistics. UNEP revealed benzene levels 900 times above safe limits in Ogoniland, while chromium levels in Bayelsa were over 1,000 times higher than World Health Organization (WHO) standards.

The BSOEC estimated it would cost at least $12 billion to remediate Bayelsa over 12 years, with a broader cleanup across the Niger Delta requiring $100 billion. Comparatively, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the U.S. saw BP pay $60 billion for damages from a single incident.

The Coalition emphasized that past divestments by Shell, ENI/AGIP, and ExxonMobil have left unresolved environmental liabilities:

Shell’s sale to Aiteo in Nembe resulted in worsening pollution without proper cleanup efforts.
ExxonMobil and ENI/AGIP similarly failed to ensure adequate environmental management post-divestment.

These cases have set a troubling precedent of IOCs avoiding accountability for environmental degradation.

The Coalition urged the federal government and the National Assembly to take immediate action by:

Halting all IOC divestments until historical environmental liabilities are addressed.
Ensuring inclusive consultations with host communities before divestments.
Mandating that Shell, TotalEnergies, and other IOCs fund cleanup and remediation efforts.
Upholding the regulatory independence of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Creating an Environmental Restoration Fund to support long-term remediation.

They also demanded profit-sharing opportunities for host communities and the inclusion of gas flaring cessation in divestment agreements.

The Coalition stressed that approving Shell’s SPDC share sale without addressing environmental and social liabilities would undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty and well-being.

“Approving Shell’s or TotalEnergies’ divestment in its current form without addressing the profound environmental and social costs would be a grave injustice to the people of the Niger Delta and could lead to significant unrest in the region.”, it stated.

The Coalition reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring environmental justice and called on President Tinubu and the National Assembly to prioritize the welfare of Nigerians over corporate interests.