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Governors received N30bn to cushion hardship – Akpabio

Published

3 years ago

February 21, 2024

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Senate President, Godswill Akpabio

Governors received N30bn to cushion hardship – Akpabio

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, stated that an “unverified report” revealed that state governors received N30 billion apiece from the Federation Account to alleviate inflation and high food prices in their respective states.

Last September, the federal government announced that N2 billion had been released to governors from the N5 billion loan it gave to each state to cushion the impact of the cessation of fuel subsidies.

During the plenary on Tuesday, Akpabio stated that information available to him suggests that, in addition to the initial tranche of monies, the governors received an additional N30 billion through the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

“I must say that an unverified report has it that each of the state governments in the last few months has received additional N30 billion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service outside their normal allocations from the Federation Account to assist them in ameliorating the food situation,” Akpabio said.

Akpabio advised the governors to use the funds judiciously to reduce the high cost of food items and other challenges facing the country.

“We believed that every state government should utilise the funds received towards ensuring that food is available in the country.

“So, the state governments have a lot to do. They are closer to the people, and I do not want to mention local government because most of the local governments are controlled by the state governors.

“My belief is that if the state government does what is needed, then the local government will be involved in sharing to make sure that these things get to the people. But we must not overlook the fact that Nigerians are not going to be interested in stories.

“Nigerians want to see action. Nigerians want to eat, and we will provide food for them; there is no excuse. Despite what we met on the ground,” Akpabio added.

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However, Akpabio alleged that many of the protests were organised by an organisation opposed to the federal administration.

Akpabio claimed that the demonstrators and their supporters refused to appreciate the Senate and the federal government’s efforts to combat inflation in the country.

“The situation is revolving daily. You can see a lot of protests here and there, but those people are not aware. Most of those sponsored protests are not aware of the kind of efforts being made by this Senate to tackle the situation together with the joint management team of the Federation Government of Nigeria.

“There is no father who will want to see his child sleep in the night without food with the stomach grumbling, so we must provide. That is why I said we must not limit our discussion to We will not import food; wherever we can find food to put on the table of Nigerians, we shall do so,” Akpabio said.

Akpabio added that the worsening economic situation was driven by COVID-19, insecurity, and the N30 trillion Ways and Means Advance acquired by the Muhammadu Buhari administration from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“It is an uncommon situation that has been execrated by many factors, from COVID-19 to insecurity to inflation to even the ways and means of N30 trillion that put so much pressure on the Central Bank of Nigeria and left a very big gap in the financial situation such that if this government inherited this situation, it tried to feel the gap. It means that people will not eat, salaries will not be paid, and nothing will be done until the gap is filled. We have taken it, and we must move on,” Akpabio said.

In his speech, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin stated that the high cost of living and deteriorating economic situation are not unique to Nigeria.

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Mr. Jibrin stated that other developed countries, such as the United Kingdom and the United States of America, are also experiencing difficult economic times.

“What is happening presently in Nigeria is not something that is happening in isolation. It is not only Nigeria that is facing this economic challenge. It is something that has an international dimension.

“The world economy is not in its best shape as we speak. As we speak, the United Kingdom’s economy is in recession. They are in recession as we speak. The price of goods and commodities in the whole world has risen everywhere—in the U.S., name it. So, it is not peculiar to Nigeria.

“The Russia-Ukraine war and the Middle East crisis have created a situation where prices of goods and commodities all over the world have gone up. So what is left for us here is to look at our own problems and try to summon these problems, and that is exactly what we are doing. We should stop thinking that it is only Nigeria,” he added.

The Deputy Senate President stated that the federal government is doing all possible to address the economy’s deterioration.

“Yes, we are facing challenges occasioned by what is happening internationally. We have to look at the problems and how we deal with them, and this is exactly what we are doing.

“Of course, our security situation is not what we want it to be. We understand that the CinC (Commander-in-Chief) is doing his best in collaboration with service chiefs and other security agencies. They are doing their best.

“The government is doing its best, and the president is doing his best. What we need to do is have everybody come together, a full collaboration of everyone,” he said.

Governors received N30bn to cushion hardship – Akpabio

Related Topics:Akpabio Featured governors hardship

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Missing Billions: Lawmakers Summon NNPCL and 146 Marketers Over ₦432bn Downstream Debt

Published

55 minutes ago

September 9, 2026

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Nigeria’s federal lawmakers are putting the downstream energy sector under the microscope after audit records revealed that state oil firm NNPCL and private fuel marketers have piled up at least ₦432 billion in unpaid regulatory obligations.

The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) confirmed the formal probe this week, following persistent warnings raised in the Auditor-General’s 2023 and 2024 annual reports.

Regulatory Levies Left Unpaid

The mountain of debt has accumulated over a six-year period from 2017 to 2023, remaining largely uncollected despite the country’s tight fiscal squeeze.

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The liabilities consist of statutory fees meant to fund national energy infrastructure, including the 1% Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, National Transport Average fees, Balancing Allowances, and lingering credit balances from import and coastal operations.

Audit records track a steep rise in default:

The 2023 audit initially captured ₦392 billion in total arrears, with NNPCL carrying over ₦162 billion and commercial marketers responsible for ₦230 billion.
The 2024 report revealed that private marketer debt alone had swelled to ₦432 billion, separate from state-owned NNPCL liabilities.
Regulatory data from the NMDPRA confirms that 146 companies affiliated with DAPPMAN and MEMAN owed ₦327 billion by 2025.

No Hiding Place for Defaulters

PAC Chairman, Rep. Bamidele Salam, made it clear that parliament expects compliance from corporate leaders, issuing a firm directive against corporate stonewalling.

Salam emphasized that the committee will scrutinize why statutory revenues were permitted to sit idle without vigorous enforcement from the NMDPRA. Defaulters will be forced to present audit trails detailing every transaction, outstanding balances, and proof of any remittances made to date.

For lawmakers, the objective is unambiguous: plug commercial leakages, enforce fiscal discipline, and recover every outstanding naira owed to the federation.

News

Fresh Blackout Hits Abuja as Apo Substation Transformer Trips

Published

1 hour ago

September 9, 2026

Hamdalat Bisiriyu

Parts of the nation’s capital have once again been plunged into darkness following an early-morning equipment failure at the Apo Transmission Substation on Wednesday.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) confirmed the outage, attributing the disruption to the tripping of a 100MVA TR4 power transformer at its 132kV/33kV facility. Preliminary findings trace the failure to an oil spillage on the transformer’s red-phase High Voltage (HV) bushing, which forced four critical 33kV feeders, H31, H33, H35, and H37 offline.

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In an official public notice, the transmission utility stated that technical teams are already mobilized on-site:

“The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, hereby informs the public that the 100MVA TR4 transformer at the 132/33kV Apo Transmission Substation tripped in the early hours of today. Our maintenance crew are already carrying out a detailed investigation on the transformer to ascertain the exact cause of the tripping, to enable us effect repairs and restore the transformer.”

Following the grid disruption, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) confirmed power losses across several major districts, including the Apo Legislative Quarters, Lokogoma, and Apo Resettlement.

The latest breakdown adds to a pattern of recurring supply interruptions across Abuja, coming just days after scheduled maintenance works left residents grappling with low generation and prolonged blackouts.

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Yamal Fires Back at Mbappé: “I’m Not Going to Beg” for Ballon d’Or

Published

22 hours ago

September 8, 2026

Trends Admin

Kylian Mbappé and Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal

Yamal Fires Back at Mbappé: “I’m Not Going to Beg” for Ballon d’Or

The 19-year-old Spain international insists his World Cup and La Liga triumphs speak for themselves, while also being named one of Barcelona’s vice-captains ahead of the October 26 ceremony.

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has made it clear that he will not campaign or “beg” for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, stating that his achievements on the pitch for club and country should speak for themselves. Speaking ahead of Barcelona’s Champions League opener against Feyenoord, the 19-year-old responded to comments from rival Kylian Mbappé, who had previously made his case for the award by highlighting his World Cup Golden Boot win, which also saw him become the competition’s all-time top goalscorer.

“I don’t think I need to campaign for the Ballon d’Or. I’m not thinking about what I deserve, everyone can think what they like,” Yamal told reporters. “I’m proud of everything I’ve done this year with my club and with the national team. We’ve become world champions, we’ve won the league again. I can’t ask for anything more. I think I’ve shown an incredible level, it’s your job and I will not beg for anything.”

The Spanish international, who finished second in last year’s voting behind PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé, is among the leading contenders for the prize alongside Mbappé, Harry Kane, Dembélé, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The ceremony is scheduled for October 26 in London. Yamal was officially named among the 30 nominees for the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or when France Football unveiled the list on Tuesday, marking his third nomination.

When asked about Dembélé’s recent comments naming Kvaratskhelia, Kane, and Mbappé as his top three, Yamal joked: “He’s a friend of Kylian, right? Honestly, I don’t care. I’m very happy with the year I had. Whenever I’ve faced both of them, I’ve won. They must have taken a dislike to me for some reason.” Spain knocked France out of the World Cup semi-finals with a convincing 2-0 victory.

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Yamal, who suffered a hamstring injury in April, has returned to form with two goals in his last two outings against Rayo Vallecano and Valencia, and appeared far more cheerful after a difficult start to the season. “In the end, I’m 19, coming off winning a World Cup, having had the best holidays of my life. I’ve never been happier at any point in my life than I am now,” he said.

Beyond individual honours, Yamal emphasised that Barcelona’s primary target this season is the Champions League trophy, a title that has eluded the Catalan giants since 2015. “There’s no greater motivation than the Champions League, which is the one I still have to win. We will give our all to win it,” Yamal said ahead of Wednesday’s opener against Feyenoord. “Good players have arrived, like Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Rodri.”

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised the young star, saying: “Lamine is a player who can decide games on his own, fantastic quality. It’s great, you can see it every day how he is enjoying playing football. For me the best thing is that he enjoys this game and then he’s on a top level.”

Yamal is also the favourite to win a third consecutive best young player award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, having been one of 10 players nominated on Tuesday, including Johan Manzambi, Yan Diomande, and Ayyoub Bouaddi, who all impressed at the World Cup and were then the subject of big-money summer transfers.

Interestingly, during the press conference, neither Yamal nor Flick mentioned Feyenoord by name, instead focusing entirely on Barcelona’s mission to win the Champions League. Yamal was recently elected one of three vice-captains by his teammates, alongside Eric Garcia and Frenkie de Jong, with coach Hansi Flick selecting Raphinha and Pedri as the other members of the five-man captaincy group. “It’s something to be proud of at 19 years old. I’m very grateful to my teammates. It’s a position that comes with responsibilities, even if I’m only 19, but I’m very happy,” he said.