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What Tinubu told service chiefs at security meeting – Egbetokun
What Tinubu told service chiefs at security meeting – Egbetokun
Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun announced that President Bola Tinubu is pleased with the efforts of security chiefs in combating crime across the country. Egbetokun made this statement following a routine security meeting with the president at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday.
The meeting included the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa; the Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi; the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar; and the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nanna Nandap, among others.
The gathering took place ahead of a planned nationwide protest against insecurity and the food crisis. Egbetokun assured that the security situation in the country has improved, noting a decline in crime rates due to effective strategies and synergy among security agencies.
The IGP stated, “It was a routine security meeting we had with Mr. President, during which we had the opportunity to give him security briefs. We’ve been doing this regularly. Mr. President is happy with what we are doing, satisfied with our reports, and challenged us to continue to work together and improve our synergy.”
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He emphasized that Nigeria’s crime rate is declining, as evidenced by reported crime records. “I can assure you that we’ll continue to do whatever we are doing to maintain the decline in the crime rate,” he added.
General Musa, the Chief of Defense Staff, also spoke at the meeting. He assured Nigerians that the military is taking steps to restore full oil production, targeting 2.1 million barrels per day. He warned criminals involved in infrastructure vandalism and crude oil theft to cease their activities or face military action.
The Defense Chief emphasized the need for collective efforts to achieve success and called on all stakeholders to collaborate in restoring full oil production. He acknowledged the challenges communities faced and assured President Tinubu would address their concerns to ensure uninterrupted oil production.
General Musa stated, “The president is fully aware of the cries and hues of the communities, and he’s not going to let them down. The communities should rest assured that steps will be taken to address their grievances so that production will continue. For the criminals, those ones that are hell-bent on destroying our infrastructure, stealing our crude for whatever reason, their days are numbered. They should be rest assured that we’re coming after them.”
He further stressed the importance of a united effort, saying, “I want to assure Nigerians that we all need to put hands together to achieve this success. Nobody can do it alone. No single service, no single individual can do this, we all need to work together, including the states. We understand that communities are going through so much and the president is going to address those issues to ensure that we have full production.”
What Tinubu told service chiefs at security meeting – Egbetokun
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Yahaya Bello reports to EFCC office with lawyers
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
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.
News
Why we’re borrowing despite surplus revenues – FG
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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