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Tinubu’s budget: Don’t come to us with fresh requests – Senate *Set for December target
Baring any hiccups, the Federal Government budget presented last week Wednesday, by President Bola Tinubu, would be passed before the end of December as the National Assembly is said to be working strenuously to achieve that goal.
Tinubu, while presenting the bill, had pleaded with the lawmakers at the joint meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives members, to give it speedy passage to ensure the continuation of the January to December financial cycle.
To meet the target, Ministers, Heads of Departments and Agencies, security chiefs and chief executive officers of institutions to which funding is appropriated have been summoned by the lawmakers for a parley on Monday on how to achieve the target, where the template for the process to pass the N27.6 trillion Budget of Renewed Hope, would be set.
The Nation, quoted Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, Chairman of the Senate Appropriation, as saying on Sunday night that a no-nonsense approach would be adopted in dealing with the document, warning heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) who fail to defend their votes would run on zero allocation next year.
Adeola, while stressing that the plan for speedy passage of the budget would be threatened should the executive introduce a fresh request, added: “We are sitting as a joint committee (Senate and House of Representatives) and what this means is that only one report will come from the Appropriation Committee.
“Unlike in the past when we had to sit together for harmonisation and concurrence, what we will have from the joint committees is the harmonised report. This will save considerable time. What we don’t expect from the Executive is the introduction of a new item that had not been accommodated in the budget that is already with us for consideration.
“The strategies we have adopted will make the deadline achievable. President Tinubu himself is aware of the exigency of time and he has warned his ministers and heads of MDAs to cooperate with us. We believe that nobody from the executive arm of government will flout the directive on this.
“If any agency fails to defend its vote, nothing will be appropriated for such agency for next year. We need maximum cooperation from the heads of the MDAs to achieve the set target. Any minister who fails to honour our invitation will operate on zero allocation next year.
“So, we are putting a lot of sacrifice into the task to deliver the budget on schedule. This is the only way to sustain the January – December budget cycle.
The paper quoted another source as saying: “They are going to have something like a retreat on Tuesday, to be attended by all Senate and House of Representatives committee chairmen and all heads of MDAs. The planned retreat by the Senate Committee on Appropriations will enable an interaction on the quick passage of the budget before the National Assembly goes on recess for the Yuletide.”
A notice of invitation signed by Adeola, listed Ayo Teriba, a renowned economist, who is the invited guest lecturer to speak on how to get improved outcomes from the 2024 budget, it was learnt, while chief executives and heads of MDAs; Service chiefs (Army, Navy and Air Force); Inspector-General of Police (IGP); Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); and Comptrollers-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), as well as heads of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Community Development Associations (CDAs), are billed to attend.
Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, seems to find merit in the damning verdict of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), accusing security agencies in Nigeria of complicity in the deluge of terrorist attacks in the country.
Jare Ajayi, National Secretary of the group, in agreeing with the position, posited on Wednesday: “This is because of the strong belief that the nature of terrorism bedeviling Nigeria would not be festering for this long without complicity from some powerful quarters.”
Though he acknowledged the determination of some patriotic operatives and government to stem the tide, he posited how difficult it was to believe that the activities of the terrorists would continue to thrive without active connivance.
Hear him: “With the vows by the President and top security officers, one has the feeling that the government is determined to end terrorism in Nigeria. When President Bola Tinubu appointed General Christopher Musa, (retd), as Minister of Defence, we had a lot of hope that within months, a total stop would be put to terrorism and banditry in the country.
“Unfortunately, there seems to be a spike, rather than reduction. The reason for this could be rooted in sabotage and complicity from within and from without. This tends to buttress the alarm raised by the US Commission.”
Stressing how the organisation been consistently calling the attention of authorities to areas that needed be looked into he maintained that these included politicians, who could be complicit in promoting the urgly situation.
Citing the recent comments by Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, who pointed in the same direction, Ajayi stated that no matter how unpalatable the position of the US body could be: “It is very important not to dismiss it but to use it a beacon with which to comb all areas.”
“Many people doubted us. Some dismissed us. Others predicted confusion, division, and even outright collapse. But you stood firm. You kept faith with the ADC. And today, because of your commitment, our party stands taller, stronger, and more united.”
With these words, David Mark, National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday’s night showered praises on members for conducting what he considered a flawless presidential primary election to choose its candidate for the 2027 election.
Mark, Senate President from 2007 to 2015, his audience at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, that by the outcome, the party had demonstrated that democracy and political competition could still thrive in Nigeria without crisis or division.
Regardless of the rejection of the result of the exercise by Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, former Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), who contested in the exercise, the former Chairman of the National Assembly, was still upbeat about its outcome.
Atiku Abubakar, Vice President between 1999 and 2007, had emerged winner of the process that took place across Nigeria from Monday till Wednesday, when the result was eventually announced.
The declared result showed that the former VP who would be running for the nation’s number one job for a record seven times came tops with Atiku 1,846,370, to Amaechi’s 504,117 and Hayat-Deen’s 177,120. Total votes cast in the election: 2,546,457 in the 3,113,599 tally.
Mark, who officially presented the ADC flag to Atiku as the party’s presidential standard-bearer, was emphatic that the exercise was not merely about producing a presidential candidate but about proving that internal democracy could still function effectively in the country.
Hear him: “Today is not just about announcing a presidential candidate. Today is also about proving a point to Nigeria and to Nigerians. It is about proving that democracy can still work.
“Proving that political competition does not have to become political warfare. That a party can organise itself around principles instead of personalities. This event has shown that in a season of deep national anxiety, a bright future is still possible.”
Stressing that had doubted the party’s ability to conduct a peaceful and credible primary, with some predicting division and collapse within the ADC, he praised members of the Presidential Screening Committee and Presidential Primary Election Committee for what he described as their professionalism and commitment to fairness despite pressure surrounding the exercise.
“In the face of enormous pressure, logistical complexity, and intense national attention, they carried out their responsibilities with courage, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to fairness and transparency. The conduct of the primary has strengthened confidence in the party and its democratic process.
“Their work has strengthened the credibility of this exercise and reinforced the confidence of our members and the Nigerian people in the integrity of the African Democratic Congress.
“It is important to mention that we are the only political party to have three strong aspirants contest for the presidential ticket. This alone makes the ADC unique in its deep commitment to democracy and democratic practices.
“By subjecting themselves to this process, they did not merely contest an election. They strengthened democracy. And despite efforts in some quarters to create uncertainty and tension, they remained committed to this process and to the ideals of this party,” he added.
For Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti, the first female Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), it was another day of glory, as Alex Otti, Governor of Abia laid out another red carpet for her in lieu of her starling performance in the 2023 governorship election in the state.
The university don, was the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who was nationally recognised for standing her ground against forces that reportedly tried to skew the process, leading to the emergence of Otti as governor.
Since then, she had received several recognitions including from the governor and other bodies, including her own students at FUTO, who gave her a heroic welcome upon the conclusion of her INEC task – the first and only one to be so accorded in Nigeria.
Wednesday’s recognition came through the naming of the newly inaugurated Umuahia Central Bus Terminal, a multimodal transport facility in the state capital after her, by the governor, who said it was in recognition of her role in that exercise.
Otti, who stressed that the decision was informed by her act of courage, integrity and commitment to truth, said: “This terminal has been named after Professor Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti, the courageous INEC returning officer who demonstrated unflinching integrity in the discharge of her duties during a high-stakes election assignment here in Abia.”
The governor, while stating that the honour was not limited to don alone but symbolised all individuals who resisted electoral manipulation added: “In 2023, through her courageous disposition of standing firmly by the truth… she reminded us that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results by simply saying no.
“So she’s just a representative of all of you—INEC staff who never bent, party officials who didn’t give in, security agencies… people who said no to intimidation.”
Stressing that the state had moved beyond basic infrastructure delivery to building an integrated transport system, he said: “The days of playing small is over. We shall no longer confine ourselves to the margins.”
He explained that the terminal was designed to accommodate over 340 buses and would improve accessibility, safety and efficiency in urban transport operations, adding that it would be supported by electric bus services, with 20 already in operation, while additional units are expected in phases.
“Services will keep improving as more buses are delivered… and you can tell with accuracy when a particular bus will arrive and depart,” he said.
He urged residents to protect the facility and support government efforts by maintaining order and paying taxes, warning against vandalism, waste disposal violations and other practices that could undermine the project, stressing that offenders would face sanctions.
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