News

Amid economic frustrations FG burns N5bn on Lagos VP’s residence

Published

4 months ago

November 9, 2024

Despite ravaging hunger and ongoing economic challenges and escalating inflation affecting millions of Nigerians, the Federal Government has come under scrutiny for allocating a significant N5 billion towards the renovation of the Vice President’s official residence in Lagos.

In November 2023, the Federal Government outlined a supplementary budget of N2.17 trillion, which included N3 billion specifically allocated for refurbishing the Vice President’s Lagos residence and an additional N2.5 billion for his official quarters at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja. These expenditures were part of an effort to upgrade government infrastructure, yet they have sparked widespread concern among citizens facing economic hardships.

According to findings from GovSpend, a civic technology platform that monitors federal expenditures, the actual amount spent on the Vice President’s Lagos residence renovations in 2024 totaled N5,034,077,063.

This sum, spent between May and September, exceeded the initial budgetary estimates, raising questions about the use of public funds amid broader financial constraints.

A closer look at the spending details shows that on May 31, 2024, the State House disbursed N2,827,119,051 to Denderi Investment Limited, an engineering firm, to undertake renovations on the Vice President’s Lagos residence.

Later, on September 5, 2024, additional payments were made for further work on the property, including N726,748,686 from the Office of the Chief of Staff for additional renovations, and N1,480,209,326 for a second phase of the project.

The substantial scale of these allocations has drawn attention from both the public and civil society organizations advocating for fiscal responsibility.

In addition to the Lagos renovation costs, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) announced in November 2023 a plan to construct a new residence for the Vice President in Abuja, at an estimated cost of N15 billion. FCT Minister Nyesom Wike presented this plan during a House of Representatives committee session to justify the FCTA’s supplementary budget of N61.5 billion.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a prominent civil rights organization, criticized these expenditures, labeling them as misaligned with the nation’s current financial challenges and a violation of constitutional principles. SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, highlighted the strain that debt servicing places on the country’s budget, with an estimated 30 percent (N8.25 trillion) of the 2024 budget of N27.5 trillion earmarked for debt payments. Oluwadare argued that allocating billions for a new vice-presidential residence in such times represents a breach of public trust.

Other advocates have voiced similar concerns. Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, questioned the sincerity of the government’s commitment to reducing governance costs, pointing out that budget allocations for executive expenses have seen minimal cuts in the past 16 months. Likewise, Debo Adeniran, Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, emphasized the need for a constitutional framework to control government spending, suggesting that a new, more restrictive constitution could help curb excessive financial allocations in the future.

These calls for restraint underscore the pressing need for policy decisions that prioritize public welfare, particularly as citizens face economic pressures on a daily basis.

News

Nigeria Debunk Allegations of Targeted Killings of Christians

Published

2 minutes ago

March 15, 2025

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The Nigerian government has strongly refuted claims suggesting that Christians are being deliberately targeted in the country, describing such reports as misleading and aimed at influencing foreign governments, particularly the United States, to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC).

In a statement issued by the Acting Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, emphasised that while Nigeria faces significant security challenges, these issues are not motivated by religious bias.

He clarified that incidents of insurgency and banditry, particularly in northern Nigeria, are not directed at any specific religious group.

The statement reaffirmed Nigeria’s status as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation, with the government committed to protecting all citizens, regardless of faith, ethnicity, or gender. The ministry stressed that the country’s security issues stem from criminal activities, terrorism, and communal clashes—including farmer-herder disputes—rather than religious persecution.

The statement reads: “The government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has taken significant steps to address these security concerns, including the deployment of security forces, intelligence gathering and community engagement initiatives. Indeed, the military has recorded substantial gains in curtailing the activities of bandits and insurgents. To bring an end to such security challenges, both the Federal and State authorities have embarked on kinetic and non-kinetic methods and expedited the implementation of the national livestock plan.

“To this end, a Ministry of Livestock Development has been established while a Special Adviser and Coordinator of Livestock Reforms, has been appointed to find sustainable solutions to pastoral farming, with a view to end contestations over land, between farmers and pastoral herders.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, therefore, urges the international community to exercise caution and verify information before drawing conclusions or making statements that could exacerbate tensions within Nigeria. We call on all stakeholders, including the media, civil society organizations and foreign partners, to refrain from spreading unverified claims that could undermine national unity and stability.

“Nigeria remains a beacon of religious tolerance and coexistence in Africa and is committed to preserving this heritage. We welcome constructive dialogue and support from the international community in addressing our security challenges. However, we strongly reject any attempts to wrongly designate the country, distort the narrative, or sow seeds of discord among our people”.

News

Tinubu will be removed from office in 2027, SDP’s Adebayo boasts

Published

3 hours ago

March 14, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Adewole Adebayo, has said President Bola Tinubu will be defeated in the 2027 elections.

The SDP chieftain also claimed that his party will produce the next Nigerian President.

Adewale stated this on Friday while appearing on Arise Television’s The Morning Show.

“Tinubu is going to be removed from power, that one is sure, and there would be an SDP president,” he said.

Speaking further, Adebayo vowed to run for the number seat in the country in the 2027 elections.

He expressed confidence that he would be the party’s presidential candidate in 2027 regardless of the political stature of politicians defecting to the party.

The politician said he is not afraid or threatened by the defectors, adding that every party member knows he will contest again.

He said, “Let us understand something. I don’t worry about that; everybody who is coming in knows I will run in 2027.

“Any coward who will feel threatened by people coming to his party can not be president.”

Adewole’s comment follows the defection of the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, to the party on Monday.

Following his defection, El-Rufai has been making political moves to woo some politicians to the SDP.

Adebayo also described El-Rufai as a hard-working and patriotic Nigerian, adding that the ex-governor is very effective in an area where there are no effective people in government.

He said, “The reason why I welcome El-Rufai to my party is that I see him as a patriotic Nigerian, hard working, very effective in an area where we don’t have effective people in government, that’s all.”

News

Natasha : Pro-Akpabio Protesters Storm UN complex

Published

5 hours ago

March 14, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Protesters under the platform of Women for Change Vanguard took the lingering face-off between Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Kogi lawmaker, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, to the United Nations office in Abuja on Friday.

Chanting solidarity songs and displaying several banners that read ‘We believe in actual victims of sexual harassment, not people who weaponise it’ and ‘The burden of proof lies with the accuser”, the protesters challenged Akpoti-Uduaghan to provide evidence of the alleged sexual harassment she accused Akpabio of

The protest comes barely 24 hours after the Kogi Central senator filed a contempt charge against Akpabio and others over her six-month suspension without pay from the Senate.

Recall that Akpoti-Uduaghan had escalated her dispute with Akpabio, presenting her case at a United Nations forum, International Parliamentary Union, alleging political victimisation.

She was suspended on March 6 after a heated confrontation with the Senate leadership over a new seating arrangement, which she claimed was designed to undermine her.

Tensions intensified when Akpoti-Uduaghan, on national television, accused Akpabio of punishing her for rejecting his alleged s3xual advances.

Addressing the representatives of the United Nations in Abuja, the leader of the protesters, Irene Umoh, explained that the women’s group decided to petition the UN on Friday following the manner in which Akpoti-Uduaghan has been trying to play the victim on the international stage.

Umoh also charged the global organisation to ask the suspended legislator to provide the world with credible evidence of the alleged s3xual harassment.

She said, “This is not the first time Senator Natasha has made serious allegations against a prominent figure. Such actions risk becoming a weapon she wields against men in power, undermining the core principles of our fight against sexual violence.

“As mothers and members of the Women for Change Vanguard, we are acutely aware of the implications of false accusations. Such claims not only harm the accused but also diminish the experiences of genuine survivors.

Umoh also charged the global organisation to ask the suspended legislator to provide the world with credible evidence of the alleged s3xual harassment.