The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s government of ignoring transparency issues.

Naija News reports that the former Vice President made the assertion while reacting to the controversial unresolved $3.3 billion NNPCL loan repayment scandal.

In a post via X, Atiku noted that the silence on the NNPCL loan attests to the corrupt issues with Tinubu’s administration.

According to him, Tinubu’s government ignores due process issues in public administration.

Atiku wrote, “The current federal government has a disgraceful track record of ignoring issues of transparency and due process in public administration.

“The unresolved $3.3 billion NNPCL loan repayment scandal, with Nigeria now expected to repay $12 billion, remains a glaring example.

“The Tinubu administration must address these high-profile corruption cases transparently.

“The National Assembly, as the elected representatives of the people, are constitutionally obligated to legislate for the peace, order, and good governance of our nation, without colluding with corrupt elements.

“Failure to do so and persisting in denial will only confirm the government’s complicity in official malpractice.”

The overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, can’t end corruption in Nigeria.

Bakare spoke at the men’s symposium in honour of Pastor Chinedu Ezekwesili’s 70th birthday in Abuja on Friday.

He disclosed that the antidote to corruption in Nigeria is when the sons of God start manifesting righteousness.

According to Bakare: “There are many theories about how to end corruption in Nigeria, EFCC can’t do it; ICPC can’t fix it.

“The antidote to corruption is only one thing, the manifestation of the sons of God under righteous authority.

“Setting up committees to investigate corruption by corrupt individuals, who cannot execute it, is a waste of time.”

Bakare called for a return to God’s original purpose across various spheres of influence, including family, businesses, and national governance.

Ahead of the April 2024 deadline by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the registration for Bank Verification Number, BVN, increased to 61.16 million on March 15, 2024.

The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) disclosed this in its latest BVN database.

The figure represents an increase from the 59.9 million recorded on January 26, 2024.

Accordingly, this shows that 674,280 new registrations for BVN were recorded between late January and mid-March this year.

Recall that in December last year, the apex bank also directed commercial, merchant, non-interest, payment service banks, other financial institutions, and mobile money operators through a circular that the BVN or National Identification Number, NIN, attached to all accounts/wallets must be electronically revalidated by January 31, 2024.

The apex had ordered banks to freeze Tier-1 accounts without a BVN or National Identification Number, NIN, from April 2024.

City FM is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Programme: CITY TALKS WITH REUBEN ABATI

Time: 12:00pm

Guest: Omoyele Sowore
(Nigerian Human Rights Activist)

Topic: "Home, Diaspora and the Challenges of Activism"

Date: 16th March, 2024
                         
Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/92877141732?pwd=VEJWb29OL2VVekZUTHRpdWYxK0xxZz09

Meeting ID: 928 7714 1732

Passcode: 600206

As Nigeria continues to seek solutions to the rising crisis of insecurity, Daniel Bwala, former spokesperson of the Atiku presidential campaign, has said the real perpetrators of the kidnappings and insecurity crisis in Nigeria are individuals in white collars, government agencies and other financial and business interests.

Bwala in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday, said the kidnappers are mercenaries working for these perpetrators.

“The notion or narrative that this insecurity is a ploy to offset the Tinubu’s administration in my view is a decoy narrative peddled by either some security narratives or politicians in a bid to give president Tinubu the impression that it is a case of us against them.

“We have seen it seriously, he didn’t commission the law enforcement agency to be brutal about it. This is the same movie as before. In president Buhari’s time, it was the same thing.

“You remember when he started the war against corruption, the minute information started coming out about public officers under his employ and appointment are involved in corruption, they immediately built a narrative to him that it is corruption fighting back and the minute he accepted that notion, everything you said about public affairs under his administration, he didn’t take serious.

“That is why I like what president Tinubu said. he refused to buy that idea, when he said I don’t have that luxury of time; you have to go and deal with this or I take a decision. This problem that is confronting us is local and the solution is local.

“This emerging issue of kidnapping is a crisis economy and the kidnappers in the bush are mere mercenaries. The real perpetrators are in towns, in white collars, in government agencies, some in financial and other business interests.”

The legal practitioner also advised the federal government to be cautious in accepting the offer of foreign partners who are offering to help as that could be a ‘ploy to negotiate their interest’.

“Even the notion that some international partners are opting to help us, I advised the federal government a few days ago on twitter that we should accept that help with a long spoon. These foreign governments oftentimes use that as a ploy to negotiate their interest. They never mean and will never mean well for our problem.

“To juxtapose my point, when a missionary was abducted; an American citizen, you see the swiftness with which the American forces came and rescued the person. If they really wanted to help us, from when Boko Haram started till today, we would have been able to deal decisively with Boko haram. So, let us treat their offer with caution.”

He also supported the president’s statement that no ransom will be paid to the kidnappers, adding that the bandits opted for school children because they understand that it will gain the attention of the United Nations.

“I agree with President Bola Tinubu that no ransom be paid because he must have been briefed based on intelligence that the individuals involved in this ransom thing are white collar people and so, continuing to discuss and paying ransom is feeding off of the crisis economy, thereby financing them and in turn they procure more arms and build that economy to be much more stronger than the oil and gas industry and these bandits know that once you abduct school children, it takes an international dimension because it falls under the convention of the united nations.

“If the President wants these guys back in 15 days, Mr. President can call all the security chiefs and say in 15 days and I don’t see these children back, I am relieving you all and I am getting a new set of securities and I guarantee you that in 15 days, these kids are going to be back. We all know the states in Nigeria where you have large expanse of land and where this possible carnage is going on. What happened to our law enforcement securities.

“Also, we put so much pressure on the Nigerian Army to deal with internal security matters and so they are so overwhelmed and fatigued. These guys are trained to fight conventional war. When you bring them into the internal mechanism of security checks, you are to expect collateral damage

“The president has to be decisive because from Buhari to this president, I have not heard where a demand is made for money and they refuse to release it.”

Meanwhile, the former aide to the PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate also stated that President Tinubu made him realize that it was time to focus on nation building rather than politicking, adding that “there must be a Nigeria before there is politics.”

“I have no regrets that I went to PDP nor supported Atiku. At every given time, I do what I do based on my convictions and if at the end of the day, I execute what I want to execute and it doesn’t work out, I accept the realities of fact. The reality I have accepted now is that this politicking is gone and because of the crisis in Nigeria, the only way we can have an election in 2027 is if Nigeria is safe and secure.

“When I saw this president whom I had supported when I was in APC and saw the good intention he has to right the wrong that he past administration has committed, and when he said he wants all other people from other opposition to come together for a nation building, I felt it was the right time for me to look at nation building rather than politicking because after all is said and done, there must be a Nigeria before there is politics.”

The Niger State goverment on Friday announced that it will be spending N976 million for Ramadan feeding in the eight emirate councils of the state.

Making this disclosure in a statement on Friday, the state Commissioner for Information, Binta Mamman, disclosed that grains have been procured to be distributed to all the 25 local government areas, emirate councils, religious leaders, security agencies, and political parties in the state.

Naija News reports that Mamman detailed that each local government will receive 7,079 bags of assorted grains.

He said, “Each of the LGA will receive 1,000 bags of 10kg rice, 184 bags of 25kg rice, 2,000 bags of 10 kg maize, 490 bags of 25kg of maize, 1,200 bags of 10kg millet, as well as 1,200 bags of sorghum and 775 bags of beans.

“Bida, Kontagora and Suleja LGAs will receive a total of 14,000 bags of assorted grains each, with Chanchaga LGA receiving the highest number of 21,000 bags of grains. Others to benefit from this gesture are traditional and religious institutions, security agencies, Niger State House of Assembly, political party (APC), IDPs and the organised labour.

“A total sum of N976 million would be expended for Ramadan feeding across the eight emirate councils in the state.”

The state government further urged those that will be responsible for the distribution and coordination of the palliatives and Ramadan feeding to be fair in carrying out the task.

A former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, has declared that the date for the coronation of the next Olubadan of Ibadanland has not been fixed.

Ladoja made this declaration on Friday while addressing journalists shortly after a meeting of the Olubadan-In-Council.

The meeting was held at the Alalubosa residence of the current Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Akinloye Olakulehin.

DAILY POST gathered that the meeting followed the demise of the 42th Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Mahood Olalekan Balogun.

Oba Balogun passed on at the age of 81 on Thursday.

Ladoja, who is the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, while addressing journalists on behalf of other members of the Council, said that the date would be announced as soon as the burial rite for the deceased is completed

He maintained that the Council already know the next person to ascend the throne.

Ladoja said, “The departed monarch (Oba Balogun) came from the Otun line, the next monarch will be from Balogun line, so, the head of Balogun line is the Balogun of Ibadanland, who has become the Olubadan designate.

“We all know that Ibadan does things accordingly. If a king dies, we already know who is next, we refer to him as designate.

“We are here to formalize what next, after the burial rite of the deceased would have been completed. We also discussed how to give a befitting burial to the deceased.

“Since the deceased is a Muslim, he has to be buried in an Islamic way, and the Islamic way is that he has to be buried today, so, it has been decided that he will be buried today at Aliwo, which is his ancestral home, by 4:00 pm today.

“There will be a lying-in-state at Mapo Hall from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm before they move to Aliwo for burial. After that, there will be prayer for the monarch.

“There is no date yet for the coronation of the new Olubadan, but the date shall be announced as soon as the burial rites for the deceased are completed.”

Former Super Eagles midfielder, John Obi Mikel, has tipped Manchester City and Arsenal to reach the final of the Champions League this year.

Obi Mikel appeared as a guest for the quarter-final draw held on Friday and picked out the balls.

The draw is the last ever for the current format.

From next season, the Champions League will be played in a 36-team format.

Arsenal will face Bayern Munich, while Manchester City will take on Real Madrid in the last eight.

When asked before the draw which teams would make it to the final, Mikel replied “The final will be held in Wembley, England so I would like an English club to make it into the final.

“I hope Manchester City or Arsenal make it.”

Mikel Obi is one of the few Nigerian footballers to have had the Champions League trophy, alongside Finidi George and Kanu Nwankwo.

The draw for this year’s Champions League quarter-final have been conducted on Friday.

Former Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel, was tasked with picking the balls.

Arsenal will take on Bayern Munich, while Atletico Madrid play Borussia Dortmund.

Holders Manchester City have been drawn against Real Madrid for the third year running.

Paris Saint-Germain will play Barcelona

The first legs of the quarter-final fixtures will be played on April 9 and 10, with the second-leg fixtures on April 16 and 17.

FULL FIXTURES

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich

Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund

Real Madrid vs Manchester City

PSG vs Barcelona

The federal government has persisted in its trend of lopsided financial allocations in the annual budget, contrary to the intended purpose of even wealth distribution.

Investigations by this newspaper reveal that certain institutions and senatorial districts, with influential representatives in both the National Assembly and executive arms of government, manipulate the national budget to their advantage.

An analysis of the 2024 national budget has exposed disparities, with some senatorial districts receiving as low as N6-7 billion, while others, such as Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, home to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, received a substantial N21 billion allocation from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs alone.

This figure excludes allocations from other ministries to the same zone.

The former Akwa-Ibom State governor, serving his first term as Senate President, allegedly influenced various committees to secure his preferences in the N28.7 trillion budget.

Within the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and Women Affairs, over 20 new project items were introduced, ostensibly to serve specific interests.

Under the Ministry of Agriculture, peculiar budget items such as the construction of rural roads and markets in Akwa-Ibom North-West, totalling N18.5 billion, were proposed in the budget.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Women Affairs introduced four new items to empower women in the Senate President’s constituency.

Notably, N2.5 billion is allocated for women’s empowerment initiatives, including provisions of deep freezers and generators across ten local governments, with N250 million earmarked for each local government.

Detailed allocations also include N1 billion for the construction of rural farm roads in various local governments within the senatorial district, alongside N500 million for the installation of solar street lights in towns.

In addition, there are plans for the rehabilitation of roads, installation of transformers, and erosion control measures, amounting to billions of naira, aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and infrastructure development in the region.

Items on the list of the Ministry of Agriculture include the proposed construction of rural farm roads in Ikono & Abak of Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial which will cost the government a total of N1 billion.

Another N1 billion is budgeted for the construction of rural farm roads in Essien & Etim expo of Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district at N500m per LGA to make a total of N1 billion.

The proposed construction of new rural farm roads in Ika & Ikot Ekpene of the same constituency at N500 million per LGA will cost another N1 billion, with the construction of rural farm roads in Ini & Obot of the senatorial district at N500 million to cost a total of N1 billion.

Aside from that, the construction of rural farm roads in Orun Anam & Ukanafun of Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district costs N500 million per LGA, bringing it to a total of N1 billion.

In a different provision, the government has planned to spend N500 million for the fabrication and lighting up of all rural farm roads with one new standard solar street light in all the towns in Ikono & Abak LGA of Akwa Ibom State, besides the N500 million that has been earmarked for the fabrication and lighting of all rural farm roads with one new standard solar street light in towns in Essien & Etim Ekpo LGA of the state.

The ministry of agriculture will also spend N500 million for the fabrication and lighting of all rural farm roads with one new standard solar street light in towns in Ika & Ikot Ekpene LGA of Akwa Ibom State that was governed by Akpabio for eight years.

In that same regard, the fabrication and lighting of all rural farm roads with all-in-one new standard solar street lights in towns in Orun Anam & Ukanafun LGA of the state is to cost the government another N500 million.

If Senator Akpabio can lobby the relevant financial departments of government to do his bidding, he will get the agric ministry to implement the rehabilitation of “selected roads and installation of new transformers and cables in different towns” in Ikono & Abak local government of North-West senatorial district of Akwa Ibom at the cost of N1 billion.

The ministry has also voted N1 billion for the rehabilitation of selected roads and installation of new transformers and cables in different towns in Essien & Etim ekpo local government of the senatorial zone at the cost of N1 billion.

Unlike other senators, Akpabio’s constituency has got the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to budget for the rehabilitation of selected roads and installation of new transformers and cables in different towns in Ika & Ikot Ekpene local government of North West senatorial district of Akwa Ibom. That would cost N1 billion.

Another list of items in the budget for his constituency is the proposed rehabilitation of selected roads and installation of new transformers and cables in different towns in Ini & Obot local governments of the state at an estimated cost of N500 million.

There is a new plan for the rehabilitation of selected roads and installation of new transformers and cables in different towns in Orun Anam & Ukanafun local government of North West Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom at N1 billion.

The long list also includes the planned construction of Ibiakpan-Not Akan road to boost agricultural output in Akwa Ibom State at the rate of N1billion, with the “construction of Ikot Uko road and Ikot Ebak at N500m each to aid the movement of fishery produce in Akwa Ibom State” for a total of N1 billion.

There is also the provision of N1.5 billion for erosion control in some parts of Abiakpo, Ikot Essien aci-aikono to ease movement of farm produce which is a new item on the budget, with the construction of internal roads at various communities in the senatorial district to take N1.5 billion.

The ministry has also planned the construction of markets in various communities in Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district at the cost of N1 billion.

In detail, the Ministry of Women Affairs budget showed that Essien & Etim Ekpo got N500 million; Ikono & Abak, N500 million; Ika & Ikot Ekpene, N500 million, while Ini & Obot will also get N500 million for women empowerment. Another N500 million was earmarked for the empowerment of women with deep freezers, generators and other empowerment items to boost their daily earnings in the two local governments of Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district at N250 million each (Orun Anam & Ukanafun).

Call For Akpabio’s Resignation Morally Reprehensible – Senate

However, the Senate has described the call for the resignation of Senate President Godswill Akpabio as morally reprehensible.

By his position, Senator Akpabio is the chairman of the National Assembly.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, berated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for calling for the resignation of Senator Akpabio over the unfounded claim of N3.7trn budget padding allegations by the suspended Senator representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi.

Adaramodu said the PDP had elevated chicanery to statecraft and fatally failed in their sordid attempt to hoodwink the unsuspecting public, on the ineffectual but spurious allegations of budget padding.

“The party’s ludicrous call for the resignation of Senator Godswill Akpabio as the Senate President is unthinkable and shows the party as a massaging balm for falsehood and immoral Legislative outbursts,” he stated, adding “that Akpabio will not resign and has no intention to resign at any time because he has not committed any wrong doing to warrant a resignation”.

According to him, it is shocking that the PDP leadership could not comprehend what transpired at Tuesday’s plenary where the allegations were debated and Senator Abdul Ningi, who was given the ample opportunity to defend himself and prove the budget padding allegations, was suspended after he failed to substantiate his claims in the full glare of the public.

He said, “Contrary to the contention by the PDP that N3.7 trillion was discreetly inserted into the 2024 budget for alleged non-existent projects, and what transpired on the floor of the Chamber, it is open knowledge that no such absurdity is found in the budget passed by the National Assembly and signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which is being implemented judiciously by the federal government. Perhaps, the N3.7trn being mentioned in the PDP’s shocking statement exists only in the fickle minds of its purveyors and serves as a dubious version of the budget generated by PDP’s unidentified political flying objects.”

Budget: Atiku Insists On Investigation Into Ningi’s Allegations

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for an immediate and thorough investigation into the allegations raised by Senator Abdul Ningi.

The former vice president also criticised the senate for the sudden suspension of the whistle-blower without adequate explanation, saying the action has fueled the crisis and raised more questions than answers.

Atiku, who reacted on the matter on his X handle, said, “Over the past few days, allegations have rocked the Senate, questioning the very integrity of the 2024 Appropriation Act, the cornerstone of our nation’s annual planning and development.

“A fiscal policy analytics and advocacy organisation has unequivocally confirmed a disturbing lack of transparency within the 2024 Appropriation Act.

“I demand an immediate and thorough investigation into these allegations. Appropriation lies at the heart of governance, and any deviation from serving the people’s interests will be met with fierce opposition.”

Atiku said denials are unacceptable, and the suspension of one senator cannot silence accusations of corruption and illegal fiscal spending by the federal government.

“Without a clear explanation to the people of Nigeria, we must treat these allegations for what they are: outright fraud.

“The accusation of budget padding totaling N3 trillion cannot be dismissed lightly by the government. Given the current hardships facing our nation, a padded budget is already translating to a padded hunger, padded poverty, padded insecurity, padded energy crises, padded forex instability, and the soaring cost of living.”

He said the Nigerians cannot afford to ignore allegations that worsen our already dire economic situation.

“The current federal government has a disgraceful track record of ignoring issues of transparency and due process in public administration.

“The unresolved $3.3 billion NNPCL loan repayment scandal, with Nigeria now expected to repay $12 billion, remains a glaring example.

“The Tinubu administration must address these high-profile corruption cases transparently,” he said.