Senate alarmed as agency spends N8.5bn, generates N410m, remits only N30m  – Newstrends
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Senate alarmed as agency spends N8.5bn, generates N410m, remits only N30m 

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2 years ago

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The National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) is alleged to have been spending N8.5 billion yearly for its 5,963 staff to conduct examination for students.

The board conducts examination for students of Arabic and Islamic studies and hopes to expand its operations nationwide.

But when the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriation met with the NBAIS leadership, it was discovered that the examinations may stand out as the most expensive in Nigerian history.

Following the discovery of heavy spending by the Board in the discharge of its duty, the Senators gave knocks to the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Board, Prof. Mohammed Shafiu Abdullahi, for spending so much money to achieve little.

The board was also accused of not remitting money generated to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).

In his explanation, Abdullahi said the institution paid N30 million into the CRF out of the N410 million generated from the conduct of the examination. But this did not go down well with the Senate committee prompting the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Solomon Adeola, to query why the institution conducted just one exam in a year and spent over N410 million.

Adeola said, “To conduct an exam in a year, they are saying they have spent over N380 something million and you are here to collect another budget from the Federal Government, having contributed just N35 million.

“And if they are asked for their budget, they will be telling me in the region of N10 billion to N20 billion.”

Senator Abiodun Olujimi, a member of the committee who also felt alarmed by the conduct of the Board said there was urgent need to investigate the activities of the agency.

She said, “5,963 members of staff arranging for one examination in a year and being paid N8.5 billion and now generating only N410 million out of which you remit only N35 million. There is a need to look deeper into what this is all about.”

The committee resolved to set up a sub-committee that will investigate the board.

Prof. Abdullahi recently hinted on the board’s plan to increase the number of schools attending its examinations across the country.

Abdullahi said this at a two-day workshop on Corporate Communication and Strategic Information Management for NBAIS officers in Abuja.

“Now we have not less than 1600 schools across the country sitting for our examinations and same time we achieved to convince the government to give us recognition, approval to operate nationally,’’ he said.

On the workshop, the registrar said it was very important to all the staff, adding that it was important because it was specifically information technology.

“We have workers on ICT, most of them are new, you know, the board started new recently. So, we need to educate our people on that area, that is why we planned the workshop and we will soon have similar workshop,’’ he said.

On the board’s achievements, Abdullahi said was to have a unique and national curriculum for Arabic and Islamic schools.

“Secondly, we are able to mobilise even government to establish such institutions,’’ he said.

 

 

 

 

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Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

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6 hours ago

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September 16, 2024

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

The Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has described President Bola Tinubu as an epitome of wealth with no interest to loot Nigeria’s resources.

Olawande stated this while speaking at the Joint Union Negotiating Council’s week of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development branch in Abuja.

The minister also appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the president, noting that in no distant time there will be positive changes.

He said, “I urge you to be patient with this administration. In no distant time, the country will take good shape and the lives of the citizens will be transformed.

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“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not a pauper; he is an acknowledged epitome of wealth and so it cannot be said of him that he desires to loot the treasury of Nigeria.”

Olawande continued, “He has seen money and as a result of this, he is not interested in looting the nation’s treasury.”

He emphasized that the administration is putting in efforts to transform the lives of Nigerians through various policies of the federal government.

Olawande thanked the staff of the ministry for being supportive of the government policies and assured them that their welfare will not be compromised.

Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

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BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

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September 16, 2024

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BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased to 32.15% in August 2024 down from the 33.40% recorded in July 2024, reflecting a decrease of 1.25 percentage points.

This represents the second consecutive monthly slowdown in inflation after easing in the previous month.

This is according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

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However, on a year-on-year basis, the August 2024 inflation rate was 6.35 percentage points higher than the 25.80% rate recorded in August 2023, indicating a significant increase over the past year.

On a month-on-month basis, the inflation rate in August 2024 stood at 2.22%, slightly lower than July’s rate of 2.28%, signaling a slower pace in the increase of the average price level compared to the previous month.

BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

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Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

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September 16, 2024

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Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested six young men in a hotel located in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Benin City with fake letterheads, stamps, and forged signatures belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its chieftains.

The young men, who were apprehended with incriminating materials such as printers, mobile phones, power banks, laptops, and a photocopy machine, are believed to have been involved in drafting and circulating fake PDP letters and statements.

Their objective was to paint the PDP as instigators of unrest ahead of the forthcoming Edo governorship election, scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2024.

The arrest, which was made following a tip-off, uncovered an elaborate scheme allegedly designed to discredit the PDP and its leaders by sending fabricated documents to unsuspecting journalists.

These fake letters and statements, according to police sources, were intended to portray the party as warmongers and troublemakers in the run-up to the critical election.

A police officer involved in the operation, who asked to remain anonymous, revealed that the suspects had been using the hotel as their base of operations for weeks.

“We found that these individuals were using forged PDP letterheads, stamps, and signatures to create fake documents.

“Their goal was to send out these documents to journalists in an attempt to misrepresent the PDP and create an atmosphere of tension ahead of the elections,” the officer said.

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In addition to the counterfeit materials, the police discovered that the young men had several technological devices, including laptops and printers, which they used to produce and disseminate the fraudulent documents.

“Their setup was sophisticated. They had everything they needed to make the documents appear legitimate, from forged letterheads to printers.

“We also found power banks, mobile phones, and a photocopy machine, which they used to mass-produce the fake letters,” the officer added.

Further investigation has revealed that the six young men were funded by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Meanwhile, another police source disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force, Edo State Command, has come under intense pressure from senior APC figures, who are reportedly pushing for the release of the arrested men.

“Since the arrest, there has been immense pressure on us from certain chieftains within the APC, urging the command to release these individuals.

“We believe that their involvement with these young men is being covered up, and they are worried about the potential fallout from this arrest,” the source noted.

A journalist with one of the prominent national newspapers, who had been unknowingly receiving fake statements from the group, expressed shock upon hearing about the arrests.

“It’s alarming to think that we’ve been receiving statements from people who were impersonating the PDP. This shows how low some people will go to try and sabotage the other party. The integrity of this election is now under serious question,” the journalist stated.

The Edo State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the matter, but sources within the command say investigations are ongoing, and the suspects remain in custody.

Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

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