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Hardship: No free beer parlour anymore, Tinubu tells Nigerians

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Hardship: No free beer parlour anymore, Tinubu tells Nigerians

President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to remain patient despite the high cost of living, stating that the country can no longer expect “a free bowl” without addressing its economic challenges.

The President made this remark during a visit from former Nigerian lawmakers at the State House in Abuja on Friday.

Tinubu acknowledged the hunger in the country but emphasized that there is no “free beer parlour,” using the metaphor to highlight that real development requires time and effort.

He further stressed the need for the government to stay focused on nation-building and restructuring the country’s financial system.

“Look at us. Agriculture that is the main thing. People say we are hungry.  

“Yes, I understand that. But we cannot just take a free bowl. We must work hard. We’ve sustained twenty-five years of democracy this year, we don’t want to keep the people hungry and angry. But we say be patient. 

“There is no free beer parlour anymore. We will retool and rebuild or nation through your cooperation,” Tinubu said.

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Speaking further, the President also bemoaned the fact that the country missed past opportunities to develop its infrastructure, education and other social amenities.

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According to him, while Nigeria was experiencing a boom in economic growth, the leadership at that time failed to develop critical sectors in the country, leading to infrastructure deficit, dilapidated school facilities, among others.

Tinubu mentioned that this the major reason the country now struggles with its current economic challenges, leaving millions to battle with high cost of living as well as the crisis of out of school children.

“No one will do it better than us. Having travelled the world and see developed countries donate themselves to collaboration, inclusiveness and financial structure.  

“Yes, there is hardship. But how did we get here? What did we do when we had very high production? We neglected our communities. We neglected the geese that lay the golden eggs. We forget to even give them common decent standard of living. We forget to educate our children.  

“Go and look at the schools, they are all ramshackle.  Education environment must be decent enough for pupils to want to learn.  

“We can continue to complain from now till eternity that the school enrollment is low. Did we even do anything to encourage that education progresses. We must ask ourselves. It’s a matter of conscience,” Tinubu added.

What you should know

Food inflation has become an increasingly worrisome issue in the country as many Nigerians battle with the rising price of food items in the marketplace.

According to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s food inflation stands at a staggering 37.52%.

Meanwhile, while the government has declared a state of emergency on food security in the country, the prices of food items continue on an upward trajectory.

In addition, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), projected that around 26.5 million Nigerians will be at risk of hunger in 2024.

Hardship: No free beer parlour anymore, Tinubu tells Nigerians

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Yahaya Bello reports to EFCC office with lawyers

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Yahaya Bello reports to EFCC office with lawyers

 

A former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on Tuesday visited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to honour another invitation extended to him over alleged misappropriation of funds.

Bello went to the anti-graft office with his lawyers in the morning.

The ex-Kogi governor reportedly drove himself to the EFCC’s office in a black Toyota Hilux van with some lawyers.

He was said to have been taken by some operatives of the agency and are currently being grilled.

This is  coming after the Supreme Court judgment which dismissed a suit brought by some state governments challenging the constitutionality of the agency.

The EFCC at the last hearing on November 14, sought the adjournment till November 27 in the fresh case it instituted against Bello.

It stated that the 30-day window was still running for the summons earlier issued.

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Just in: Ebonyi governor suspends two commissioners, Perm Sec for misconduct 

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Just in: Ebonyi governor suspends two commissioners, Perm Sec for misconduct 

 

Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru has announced the immediate suspension of two commissioners with a permanent secretary among others for gross misconduct.

Those suspended are the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development Francis Ori, and the Commissioner for Health, Moses Ekuma, with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health.

The suspension followed an incident on Saturday night, when the governor reportedly visited the Ministry of Health’s premises and was said to have found six officials diverting government materials.

Others suspended for three months are the Executive Secretaries of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency and the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency

The suspension order was announced by the state Commissioner for Information, Jude Okpor, who cited alleged misconduct and dereliction of duties as the reasons for the disciplinary actions.

Okpor made the disclosure on Tuesday during a press briefing on the outcomes of the State Executive Council meeting held on Monday at the New Government House in Abakaliki, the state capital.

“Following cases of gross misconduct and dereliction of duties by some government officials and matters related thereto, the Chairman of Council directed the indefinite suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development and three months suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Health, respectively

“In view of the development, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Primary Health was directed to take charge of the ministry in the absence of the suspended commissioner.

Governor Nwifuru directed the suspended government officials to hand over all government properties in their possession including vehicles to the Secretary to the State Government.

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Why we’re borrowing despite surplus revenues – FG

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Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun

Why we’re borrowing despite surplus revenues – FG

The Federal Government has defended its decision to borrow to address budget deficits, despite surpassing revenue targets in 2024.

Finance Minister Wale Edun and Budget Minister Atiku Bagudu clarified this position during a session with the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Finance, Budget, and National Planning. The meeting focused on the 2025–2027 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).

Last week, the National Assembly approved President Bola Tinubu’s $2.2 billion loan request to fund the N9.7 trillion deficit in the 2024 budget partially.

During the session, key agency heads, including Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) CEO Mele Kyari, Customs Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi, and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Chairman Zacch Adedeji, presented their revenue reports.

The agencies reported exceeding their 2024 targets.

  • Customs Service: Generated ₦5.352 trillion by September 30, surpassing its ₦5.09 trillion target for the year. For 2025, the agency projects ₦6.3 trillion, with a 10% increase planned for 2026.
  • NNPCL: Achieved ₦13.1 trillion in revenue, exceeding the ₦12.3 trillion projection for 2024. Kyari announced a ₦23.7 trillion revenue target for 2025.

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  • FIRS: Surpassed multiple tax collection goals, including ₦5.7 trillion from company income tax against a ₦4 trillion target. Education tax collections also exceeded expectations, reaching ₦1.5 trillion compared to a ₦70 billion target.

Overall, ₦18.5 trillion of the ₦19.4 trillion 2024 revenue target had been achieved by September, indicating the goal will be exceeded by year-end.

Despite these surpluses, the government insists borrowing remains essential to cover budget gaps and support vulnerable populations.

Bagudu explained, “Even with agencies exceeding revenue targets, borrowing is necessary to address deficits and boost productivity, particularly for the poorest. This aligns with Agenda 2050, which aims for a GDP per capita of $33,000.”

Edun also reiterated that loans were critical for adequately funding the budget.

The committee, led by Senator Sani Musa, questioned the rationale behind the borrowing and demanded further transparency. The Immigration Service was specifically asked to provide documents regarding an “unacceptable PPP arrangement” before the end of the week.

The session underscored the government’s balancing act between increased revenues and fiscal challenges requiring external borrowing.

Why we’re borrowing despite surplus revenues – FG

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