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Senate passes ₦288bn supplementary budget for FCTA

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6 months ago

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Senate President, Godswill Akpabio

Senate passes ₦288bn supplementary budget for FCTA

The Nigerian Senate has passed the second reading of a ₦288 billion supplementary budget for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

The House of Representatives’ Committee on FCT has also adopted the bill, moving it closer to full approval.

During the Senate plenary session, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele presented the bill, highlighting the importance of passing the appropriation.

Bamidele emphasized that the supplementary budget was necessary to account for additional inflows from Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) and other revenue sources, ensuring the FCTA has the funds required to address ongoing and emerging needs within the capital territory.

He said, “The Bill for an Act to issue from the Federal Capital Territory Administration Account the total sum of N288,000,000,000.00 only arising from a need to accommodate additional inflows from Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) and other revenues in the sums of N8,000,000,000.00 only and N280,000,000,000.00 only respectively; and for other related matters, 2024.”

The passage of the budget followed a correspondence from President Bola Tinubu dated September 19, 2024, which was addressed to the National Assembly.

Tinubu in the letter had stated that the supplementary budget for the FCTA was pursuant to the provision of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The letter read, “I write in accordance with the provisions of Section 121 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to forward herewith an additional supplementary budget proposal for the FCTA for consideration and passage by the House of the Representatives.

“This supplementary budget proposal has been prepared based on the FCTA’s reviewed revenue and expenditure forecasts and is aligned with the fiscal and developmental policies of the federal government and the Renewed Hope Agenda.

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“With it, the FCTA continues to prioritise the improvement of human capital and infrastructure within the Federal Capital Territory.”

This fresh supplementary budget comes after the Senate had passed the sum of N98.5 billion Supplementary budget for the FCT in June.

In the same vein, the House of Representatives Committee on FCT also adopted the bill seeking the approval of a N288 billion Supplementary budget for FCTA.

Chairman of House Committee on FCT, Hon. Aliyu Muktar Betara, who spoke during the budget defence meeting with members, explained that the need for accelerated consideration and passage of the Appropriation bill was for the implementation of critical developmental projects across the nation’s capital city.

Betara, while noting most of the projects captured in the Statutory budget observed that the Senate Committee on FCT was also working on the proposed Supplementary budget.

The lawmaker further explained that the Committee was mandated to lay the report on the Supplementary budget at today’s plenary because there are critical projects that needed to start by next week because of the timeframe.

“The consultation affirmed that most of the augmentation requested for in the proposed supplementary budget were captured in the 2024 statutory budget passed by the National Assembly. There are no new projects, the only new projects are just two line items,” he added.

Meanwhile, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has said his administration would renovate the abandoned Ministry of Agriculture building near the Bank of Industry in the Central Business District, for the use of the Ministry Livestock, created recently by President Bola Tinubu.

Wike disclosed this yesterday after an inspection of the building.

He said the directive to inspect and immediately refurbish the building for the new Ministry of Livestock was issued by Tinubu.

Wike, described the creation of the Ministry of Livestock as a welcome development, adding the FCTA would invite companies willing to renovate the building to look at the building and quote for it.

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“That is why we went there to see things for ourselves. We are going to get some companies to come and look at it and quote for it, as it is an emergency work. The creation of the Ministry of Livestock is a welcomed development you can see people are happy, waiting for it to start.

“And so now that that particular place has been identified, the President has ordered the FCT Administration, through the FCDA, to look at it and we have seen the integrity test, which is okay, and we will also rehabilitate and furnish it and then you would see the Ministry of Livestock take over,” Wike said.

Speaking on when the ministry would be relocated, Wike said at the end of ongoing emergency work, some companies would be invited to inspect the building, after which they will take the best and most responsive bidder that government can handle.

Also, the minister decried the encroachment of Kugbo International Market land.

He issued the outcry yesterday after inspecting the facility regarded as the biggest in West Africa.

Wike directed the Development Control to immediately demolish any structure that could constitute an impediment to the project particularly the road project.

The minister also asked the market investor, the Managing Director of Mesotho Group Limited, Jerry Joseph Damara, to ensure the funding of the market to enable its completion by January 2025.

“The first phase has been completed, we would therefore see what we can do, to see that we open, the first phase and some of these traders on the road have to come in here, and give the free traffic that we desire,” he added.

He expressed satisfaction with what he saw at the market, saying the FCTA would ensure that people move into the market, as quickly as possible, as the Kugbo Market will create employment for many people and decongest roads.

Senate passes ₦288bn supplementary budget for FCTA

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Investigation of wanted businesswoman Achimugu not linked with Atiku, Sanwo-Olu – EFCC

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11 hours ago

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March 29, 2025

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Investigation of wanted businesswoman Achimugu not linked with Atiku, Sanwo-Olu – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has reacted to media reports linking its investigations of Ms. Aisha Achimugu with political undercurrents involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Lagos State Governor,  Babajide Sanwo-Olu

This is contained in a statement by the commission on Friday night.

The statement read, “We wish to state unequivocally that the investigations of Achimugu have no correlation of any kind with the two political actors.  She is being investigated for alleged criminal conspiracy and money laundering and has since been declared Wanted by the Commission”.

The EFCC started investigating Achimugu in 2022. Although she approached the court to obtain an injunction restraining the Commission from arresting, investigating, inviting or detaining her for any alleged criminal act,  the injunction was challenged and vacated on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

 The court ruled that “…no court has the power to stop the investigative powers of the Police or EFCC or any agency established under our laws to investigate crimes when there is reasonable suspicion of commission of a crime or ample evidence of commission of an offence by a suspect.”

“The court further upheld the interim order of forfeiture of assets of Achimugu suspected to be proceeds of crime, dismissing her suit against it as lacking  merit .

“The foregoing clearly establishes that the EFCC’s case against her has no immediate or remote nexus with any politician or any veiled or open reference to any political engagement or transaction.

“The EFCC is non-partisan and non-sectarian.  We enjoin the public to continue to keep faith with the professionalism of the Commission without imputing any extraneous consideration to its works.”

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Why governors’ forum is silent on Rivers emergency, by DG

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6 days ago

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March 23, 2025

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Why governors’ forum is silent on Rivers emergency, by DG

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) yesterday attributed its neutral position on the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State to the need to steer clear of taking positions that may alienate members with varying political interests.

Taking positions on contentious partisan issues, the NGF said, would not augur well for it, especially in view of its past experience in fundamental division.

Notwithstanding, the declaration of the state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu yesterday generated more kudos and knocks from across the country.

Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, Senator Basheer Lado, said the action of the president was meant to ensure protection of lives and restoration of law and order in the state, while the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said his principal  was required  to “avert needless harm and destruction .”

National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, said Tinubu, by his action, cleared what had manifested as a constitutional crisis in Rivers state.

But former President Goodluck Jonathan saw it from a different perspective.

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He described “abuse of office and power by the three arms of government in the country“ as a dent on Nigeria’s image.

The NGF, in a statement by its Director General Abdulateef Shittu, said it is essentially “an umbrella body for sub-national governments to promote unified policy positions and collaborate with relevant stakeholders in pursuit of sustainable socio-economic growth and the well-being of the people.”

It added: “As a technical and policy hub comprising governors elected on different platforms, the body elects to steer clear of taking positions that may alienate members with varying political interests.

“In whatever language it is written, taking positions on contentious partisan issues would mean a poor sense of history — just a few years after the forum survived a fundamental division following political differences among its members.

“Regardless, the Forum is reputed for its bold positions on governance and general policy matters of profound consequences, such as wages, taxes, education and universal healthcare, among others.”

It asked for “the understanding of the public and the media, confident that appropriate platforms and crisis management mechanisms would take care of any such issues.”

Why governors’ forum is silent on Rivers emergency, by DG

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Rivers: Tinubu acted to save state, economy, says Karimi

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1 week ago

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March 22, 2025

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Chairman of the Senate Services Sunday Karimi

Rivers: Tinubu acted to save state, economy, says Karimi

Chairman of the Senate Services Sunday Karimi has hailed President Bola Tinubu for the decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State.

 He told reporters on Friday in Abuja that the President acted in the best interest of the State and Nigeria, having taken his decision in compliance with the Constitution.

“No President or government worth a name, will fold its arms and watch a political situation deteriorate to what we saw unfolding in Rivers State.

“We saw that bombing of pipelines had begun, and the security situation was getting worse with the tension everywhere”, Karimi stated.

Karimi, who represents Kogi-West on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), recalled the “fatherly role” Tinubu had played in the crisis since 2023 in a bid to get the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara to reach an understanding, to no avail.

He explained: “We were all here in 2023 when Mr President called that truce meeting at the Aso Rock Villa. There was the eight-point agenda for settlement reached between the factions.

“When Nigerians expected that progress should be made to achieve peace, things started deteriorating considerably to a point where the governor demolished the House of Assembly building and administered the state with only three legislators.”

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Karimi observed that with the recent judgment of the Supreme Court, which gave the upper hand to the 27 lawmakers loyal to the camp of the FCT Minister, matters merely got worse in the State as the lawmakers were set to impeach the Governor.

“What did you expect would be the implications? There would have been more destruction, killings and economic losses for the country.

“With the bombings that had already started, it was a matter of time before the whole state would be engulfed in flames. No responsible President would sit, arms folded, and allow that to happen “ he added.

The senator further argued that it took “painstaking efforts” by the administration to raise daily crude oil production to around 1,800 barrels, noting that Nigeria’s economy was already “witnessing a rebound under the renewed hope projects of the government.”

“Allowing the situation in Rivers to get worse before he would act, wouldn’t have helped the state or Nigeria as a country in any way.

“Mr. President intervened at the right time, and his actions are covered by law,” he said.

Karimi also spoke on the emergency declaration  in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and a couple of other states by former President Goodluck Jonathan without removing the Governors from office or suspending the state assemblies.

According to him, the case with those States was not generated by political crises but rather security concerns.

“So, I will advise those comparing the two scenarios to remember that one was purely about security threats resulting from the insurgency caused by Boko Haram, while that of Rivers is clearly political.

“It was the proper thing to do to suspend the political actors in the two factions to allow for tensions to diffuse. Nigerians should appreciate the President for the action he has taken so far,” he stated.

Sen. Karimi also noted that there was no cause for alarm as the National Assembly had indicated that the emergency rule could be reviewed as soon as there were signs that things could quickly normalise in Rivers State.

 

Rivers: Tinubu acted to save state, economy, says Karimi

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