₦airaland Forum

Bitterleafsoup:
#budgetofyams

[size=16pt]Tonda Go Faya That Person Who Will Ask Me To Pray For Burna-man When He Must Have Damaged His Kidney Or When He Will Be Going For Kidney Transplant In The Nearby Future..[/size]

id911:
So no committee to work out modalities for decentralization of power and and resource control but only on arms abi? Afonjas and their masters think we are fools

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

SamuelAnyawu:
I Just Don't Know why you Wailers must always wail. This borrowing will surely improve Infrastuctural development in Nigeria.

Surely Babachir Lawal will use 7billion dollars to clear grasses around all Federal Roads in Nigeria

Buratai will surely Divert some to Build a football Stadium in Dubai so Nigerians can enjoy thier stay whenever we visit Dubai...

Abba Kyari can use part of it to buy 20% stake in MTN so he can stop accepting "Thank you gifts"

Sometimes I wonder what's the Problem with you Wailers

dunkem21:
I have told Ekweremadu to do the needful. .

Read the last paragraph again

This position was supported by the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu. Consequently, the bill was stepped down.

Noel1:
I had been watching that guy's political antecedent for some time now. I remember telling a guy that Saraki is a political chess master - Just too cunning.

dunkem21:
We must NOT borrow

The face-off between the Senate and the executive of government over the alleged shoddy preparation of 2016-2018 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), as well as the poor handling of $30 billion external borrowing plan, is yet to be resolved as the upper chamber has returned both documents to the executive.

The Senate penultimate week rejected the $30 billion external borrowing plan, citing President Muhammadu Buhari’s failure to attach more details, as well as his request for anticipatory approval.

It also suspended the debate on the MTEF and FSP over allegations that it was shallow and could not be legislated upon.

THISDAY learnt yesterday that following the inadequacies of the documents, coupled with the federal government’s seeming indifference to remedy the situation, the Senate had opted to return both documents to the executive.

The Senate has also blamed the silence of the executive on the MTEF and FSP for the continued delay of the 2017 budget process.

A source privy to the development disclosed to THISDAY yesterday that the Senate perceives the executive’s attitude towards its request on the MTEF and FSP as a major setback for 2017 budget process.

According to him, the Senate had hoped that every lingering issue would be resolved ahead of the presentation of the 2017 budget.

“Already, the Senate has returned the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the request for $30 billion external borrowing plan to the executive arm of government due to lack of supporting documentation and details of where the loans are to be allocated.

“Many outside observers believe the failure to submit the supporting documentation on the MTEF for examination has held up the 2017 budget process.

“The Senate leaders had long stated that they had hoped to resolve most of the outstanding issues of disagreement well ahead of receiving the 2017 budget,” the source stated.

Also, the Senate yesterday rejected the report of its Committee on Finance on the 2016 budget of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as a result of what it termed the poor preparation of the budget.

The budget, which had been slated for possible approval yesterday following the presentation of the committee report, was turned down after the Senate’s observation that it was poorly compiled and incomplete.

It was, however, learnt that beyond the committee’s poor handling of the FIRS budget, the rejection was meant to send a strong signal to ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government “that there shall be no more business as usual in the budget process as the Senate awaits the arrival of the 2017 federal budget”.

THISDAY also gathered that the FIRS budget was rejected because the “Senate believes the report submitted for consideration today (yesterday) supports the committee’s position that more oversight of the budget was necessary and the supporting information to justify the budget was sorely needed”.

Buhari last July submitted the N146.165 billion FIRS budget to the Senate for approval. Consequently, the budget was referred to the Committee on Finance for legislative action.

But after the Finance Committee Chairman, Senator John Enoh, presented the committee’s report on the budget to the Senate for approval yesterday, senators observed that the committee failed to do a thorough job and consequently ordered it to return it to the committee room.

The Senate had queried the rationale behind the committee approving all the proposals in the budget as submitted by the executive, with some senators describing the action as unjustifiable.

They also queried the rationale for the N25 billion increase in personnel cost in the 2015 budget of FIRS and another N13 billion increase in overhead costs of the agency in the budget.

“I’m concerned about the personnel cost increase by N25 billion while overheads increased between N12 billion while overheads increased between N12 billion and N13 billion,” Senator Albert Bassey (Akwa Ibom North-east) observed.

Senator Barau Jubril (Kano Central) also observed that the committee’s report showed a shortfall in FIRS’ revenue projections for 2015, wondering why the agency failed to meet its set target in the last fiscal year.

Whereas FIRS had made a revenue projection of N4.36 trillion for 2015, it only generated N3.7 trillion at the end of the fiscal year.

Other issues, which led to the rejection of the budget, included the alleged ambiguities in the description of some proposals in the budget.

Senator Mohammed Hassan (Yobe South) observed that “the description of some of these items were quite vague especially on ICT infrastructure”.

“The description of these items are not very clear. Items such as hardware and peripherals, software licences and implementation services, etcetera,” he said.

In view of the lapses pointed out in the budget, Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’allah, called for its withdrawal to enable the committee return to the drawing board.

Na’Allah also criticised some MDAs, which have cultivated the habit of submitting their annual budgets at the end of the year, observing that it was done in bad faith.

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, queried the validity of the job done by the committee, noting that there was virtually no difference between what was proposed by the agency and what the committee approved.

He tasked the committee on doing a thorough job by clearly spelling out revenue figures as well as those for capital projects.

Details of components of the FIRS budget as approved by the committee, but which the Senate rejected because most of the proposals were either found to be unjustifiable, duplicated or their costs inflated included office materials and supplies — N3,349,000,000, library books and periodicals — N68,000,000, computer materials and supplies — N530,000,000, printing of non-security documents — N1,900,000,000, printing of security documents — N250,000,000, maintenance of office furniture and equipment — N90,000,000 and maintenance of building office — N300,000,000.

Others were maintenance of office equipment — N266,000,000, maintenance of computers and IT equipment — N120,000,000, maintenance of plants/generators — 170,000,000, cleaning and fumigation services — N750,000,000, office rent — N885,000,000, security vote — N250,000,000, legal services — N500,000,000, vehicle fuel cost — N700,000,000, generator fuel cost — N750,000,000, refreshment and meals — N586,000,000.

Also included in the proposal were honorarium and sitting allowance payments — 150,000,000, publicity, advert and tax payers’ education — N200,000,000,000, medical expenditure — N700,000,000, postages and courier services — N244,000,000, welfare packages — N681,000,000, tax audit investigation and monitoring — N2,500,000,000, and tax investigation — N500,000,000.

Also, yesterday, the Senate suspended the passage of the National Sovereign Investment Agency (NSIA) Bill, which was meant to restore the sovereignty of the naira as the national currency.

The bill is also proposing to guarantee the transparency of NSIA’s funding and to foster accountability.

Consideration of the bill was suspended as a result of the provision in Section 10 which states “that the Authority shall be established by seed fund contributed by the federal, states, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), local governments and area councils, which shall be the Nigerian naira equivalent of the sum of USD 1 billion”.

In view of this provision, the Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, reminded his colleagues that the matter was already before a law court, adding that it was a constitutional matter on which the Senate lacked powers to legislate upon.

This position was supported by the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu. Consequently, the bill was stepped down.

There are strong indications that a gale of defection will soon hit the All Progressives Congress in the South-West.

It was gathered that many members of the APC, who are loyal to a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, are awaiting his directive before leaving the ruling party.

It was gathered that high-profile meetings of politicians across party lines were being held discreetly to fine-tune strategies for the emergence of an alternative political platform to fight for power come 2019.

Towards this end, governors and lawmakers, especially senators from the South-West, are said to have intensified consultations to ensure that they are not used and dumped in the next dispensation.

Confirming this development, Senator Adesoji Akanbi, representing Oyo South, said Nigerians would soon see the outcome of the new political alliances and realignments.

Speaking with The PUNCH on Thursday, Akanbi said some of those, who were part of the formation of the APC, and who had become uncomfortable with the turnout of events after the party attained power, might be considering their options.

“You know that ambition can drive people and a lot of people, when it comes to amalgamation like that of the APC, some people may feel cheated and may not be happy with the outcome of the whole thing. It is normal.

“There is no way you can form a new party in a room. Nigerians should not be too eager to see the outcome of such (secret and closed-door) meetings because they are still coming out to the public to canvass for support. Let us all wait and see.”

In a veiled reference to Tinubu, he said, “Personally, someone like me is a committed member of the APC and I still have my leader.

“Politics is about the grass roots. You have to know what your people want before you can decide on what to do. I am from the South-West and we have a way of doing our thing. We still have a leader.”

Akanbi, who declined to name names, insisted that the people of the South-West had their way of responding to political challenges when they occurred, adding that the decision of the leader, most often than not, was in line with the popular wish of the people of the geo-political zone.

He said, “I have not mentioned any name but whatever it is, it is going to be a collective decision. Personally, I am an advocate of regional integration. When I say regional, I am particular about the South-West, where I come from.”

The recently suspended Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Timi Frank, had, in an interview with The PUNCH, hinted that an alternative political platform was in the offing, which might emerge in the political space within the first two quarters of 2018.

Frank had said, “I say this without fear of contradiction; major political re-alignments are going on in this country. I don’t want a scenario whereby my party, the APC, will lose out.

“I don’t want us to lose our members to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party or any other political party for that matter.”

The ruling APC, however, remained confident on its ability to withstand whatever the opposition would throw at it in the years ahead.

The party’s National Vice-Chairman (South-South), Hilliard Eta, told one of our correspondents on the telephone that the party was fully aware of subterranean moves by some individuals, whom he did not name, to cause disaffection within the party.

Eta added, “You know, in political parties, the concept that operates is the concept of free entry and free exit.

“We are aware of the subterranean moves being made by those who want to defect. They started by trying to divide the party to pave the way for them to defect but we remain strong.

“Those who want to defect, we wish them well. I even think it is better for them to leave us to build our party instead of them remaining and undermining us.

“If they want to form a new party, good luck to them; we will meet in the field in 2019. But for those of us, who were in the trenches to ensure that the APC was born, will remain in it to build and strengthen it to give Nigerians the purposeful leadership they deserve.”

A highly-placed member of the party, who confided in one of our correspondents because of the sensitivity of the issue, said, “It is glaring we have issues.”

He said those “making noise” about forming an alliance or a new political party were either trying to draw attention to their perceived marginalisation or were simply testing the political waters.

The party chieftain added, “We will be playing the ostrich if we deny the fact that some of our members are weighing their options because their physical and material investments are not yielding the kind of dividends they expected.

“We are not under any illusion that people will leave when the time comes. We are however working round the clock to ensure those with electoral value don’t join them.”

Attempts to get a reaction from Tinubu’s media aide, Mr. Tunde Rahman, were unsuccessful.

He did not return calls to his mobile on Thursday.

Rahman did not equally respond to a text message sent to him on the subject as of the time of filing this report.

THE Federal Government has set up a special committee to recover illegal weapons and curtail the spate of bombings and illegal refineries in the Niger Delta region.

The committee, under the office of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and is to liaise with the Office of the National Security Adviser, is to work with critical stakeholders in the region as well as security agencies to ensure the success of the programme.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, Coordinator of the programme, Mr Tikari T. Y. Danjuma, said the programme, named Niger Delta Riverine Protection Programme, was part of initiatives of the Federal Government to address several years of neglect of the region and check the spate of violence there..

He said: “To consolidate on the peace process initiated by Mr. President, the Federal Government, through the office of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, has set up the Niger Delta Riverine Protection Programme. The programme is aimed at driving further the peace process initiated by the Federal Government.

“Part of the mandate of this programme is to recover illegal arms and ammunition in the region; ensure adequate protection of Federal Government assets and curtail the incidence of illegal refineries in the region.”

He said the Niger Delta region was in ‘dire need of development, both in terms of its human capital and physical infrastructure.

According to him, this could be achieved in an atmosphere of lawlessness, violence and anarchy, saying ‘’Since government has expressed its willingness to correct the ills of the past that previous governments had visited on our people and our region, it behooves on us as a people to give all necessary cooperation to make our region great and guarantee a better future for our children.’

He disclosed that in the next few days, his committee would be meeting with ‘critical stakeholders in the region to unveil detailed programmes of activities of the committee.

While calling on individuals and groups in the region in possession of illegal arms to cooperate and surrender them, Danjuma said details of how this would be handled would be worked out and made public soon.

The Coordinator said: “We also wish to appeal to those who have resorted to the destruction of pipelines and other national assets in the region to desist from these acts forthwith. ‘Experience has shown that though government may be losing revenue from the actions of those destroying pipelines, our people are the ones that suffer the consequences of such actions as their environment are polluted and their means of livelihood destroyed.

‘’Our people can no longer continue to suffer the double jeopardy of being neglected by government and made to suffer environmental degradation as a result of the activities of those destroying pipelines in the name of agitation. Destruction is antithetical to development.”

konkonbilo:
wetin de ur mind?

phranq:
dey r all into d game of deceit!!! all of dem...northern elites. no exception!!! Niger Delta guys fights for a just cousre. IPBO too to sm extent (although dey hv not taken to arms yet) n smone is fighting against westernization. shea na him forefathers produced d weapons n ammunitions they r using??

phranq:
boko haram is d brain child of d northern elites. they kw wot boko haram is n why it is still in operation. PMB said dat within one year of assuming office dat boko haram will be defeated. den we heard dat dey hv bin technically defeat!!! grammer!!! later dia was an exchange of boko prisoners for girls....after two days dey struck again n hv kept on striking. ejoor, na who dey decieve who nahh??

No fewer than 61 Chibok girls abducted in April 2014 had been married to Boko Haram militants while three others died during childbirth. Eight of the over 200 abducted Chibok schoolgirls also died during Nigerian air force strikes while one other died due to an unknown cause.

This is as the 21 Chibok schoolgirls who recently regained their freedom after more than two years of captivity in the hands of Boko Haram terrorists have disclosed that they were not abused or raped during the period of their captivity in Sambisa forest in Borno State.

This is contrary to the general perception by human rights groups that most of the girls kidnapped by the Islamist militant group have been used as sex slaves.

A confidential report purportedly prepared for President Muhammadu Buhari after two weeks of profiling and debriefing of the freed girls by security operatives indicated that the militants treated them well while they were held captive.

The girls, who were released last month after Nigeria, supported by Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross brokered a deal, are now being held in a secret location in Abuja where they have been undergoing psychological assessment and rehabilitation.

According to the secret report, heath workers involved in the screening have confirmed that the girls were not sexually abused while in captivity and that they all tested negative for sexually transmitted diseases.

“The girls said the Boko Haram men always assured them that they would eventually go back home to their families, and were careful about what they said around the girls and how they treated them,” said the source, who declined to be named.

“They had been fed well and regularly, until the military cut off Boko Haram supplies,” a source told Thomas Reuters Foundation. The daily routine for the girls, who were moved in captivity between Gwoza and the Sambisa forest, a Boko Haram stronghold, involved personal time in the morning followed by Koranic teaching and cooking meals, the report said.

Most of the girls said they were held in makeshift dwellings made of zinc sheets in Sambisa, while those who were married lived with their militant husbands in camps across the forest.

The girls said that while the Boko Haram militants advised them to marry and convert to Islam, they were not forced into doing so, according to the report.

“The girls said that those of them who did not agree to marry were used as house girls (servants),” the source said. According to the source, the girls recognised almost all the faces of Boko Haram members on a government most-wanted list, but did not know the militants’ names and never saw the Islamist group’s established figurehead, Abubakar Shekau.

The first of the Chibok girls to be released by Boko Haram, Amina Ali, was freed in May. Ali has since been held in a house in Abuja for what the state has called a “restoration process”.

She said in August that she “just wanted to go home”. Another Chibok girl and her 10-month-old son were discovered by troops days ago while they were screening escapees from Boko Haram’s base in the Sambisa forest.

President Muhammadu Buhari will today swear in Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen as acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Daily Trust learnt last night.

A top Presidency source, who disclosed this to our correspondent, said Onnoghen would be sworn in inside the Council Chambers of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said arrangements had been concluded to conduct the swearing-in at exactly 2.00pm today.

The current CJN, Justice Mahmud Muhammed, will retire today having attained the retirement age of 70.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) had on October 5 formally received the nomination of Justice Onnoghen as the new CJN for onward recommendation to President Buhari.

Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters yesterday screened Justices Sidi Dauda Bage (North-Central) and Paul Adamu Galinje (North-East) as justices of the Supreme Court.

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

ANTONINEUTRON:
especially lai mohammed a real hypocrite


Anyway they don get bread chop, they are satisfied

Paperwhite:
Just imagine had this unfortunate incident happened during GEJ's time,the blood suckers APC will have been raining all manners of abuses or treat.It have been confirmed that the late soldier par excellence died using weapons purchased by the then government.May it never be well with APC."May the soul of the faithful departed rest in peace-amen.

drss2:
no mind d dullard. i said dis several times n i will say it again; NIGERIA IS NOT ONE N IT SHALL NEVER BE ONE!

Troops of Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe (ODS) have clashed with militants believed to be members of the Niger Delta Avengers in the creeks of Delta State.

The troops of Sector 1 of ODS were said to have encountered the militants and engaged them in a gun duel at the Batan-Egwa creeks in Warri South-west Local Government Area of the state.

The operatives were reportedly deployed in an outpost of the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) to protect the facilities of the firm when they saw two 200 horsepower boats conveying the militants.

The Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre (JMCC) of ODS, Lt. Col. Olaolu Dauda, confirmed the encounter in a statement in Yenagoa but said the troops repelled the militants.
“They came in 200 horsepower speed capacity boats but were subsequently engaged and repelled. Effort is ongoing to apprehend the criminals”, he said.

He, however, added: “Troops at Batan reported a loud sound suspected to be an explosion. Further findings revealed that a barge carrying equipment used for the repairs of the Trans Forcados Pipeline at the repair site in Eweregbene community was blown by suspected Niger Delta Avengers militants who retreated after troops repelled the attack.

“However, two unexploded dynamites found at the scene on a branch and swamp buggy were successfully detonated by our troops”.
Olaolu also disclosed that troops of Sector 2, Bayelsa State, in conjunction with Special Forces conducted patrols at Sand-sand Fishing Camp and uncovered attempts by militants to reactivate an earlier-destroyed camp.

“The troops engaged the suspected militants and killed one of them popularly called ‘Edoboy’. He was one of the notorious kinpins on the wanted list of security agencies who had been terrorizing innocent members of the communities in the area”, he said.
He said the troops also engaged another group of suspected sea robbers at creeks close to Lobia community in Bayelsa.

He said: “One suspect popularly known as “Stainless Gobo” was killed while others escaped with various degrees of injuries towards Lobia Community.

“The killed suspected sea robber is believed to be affiliated to a wanted militant called “VIP”. One AK 47, two magazines, 29 rounds of 7.62milimeter special, 10 empty cases, seven charms, two head warmers and a cutlass were recovered from the scene”.
The spokesman said a passenger boat was rescued from sea robbers at Idoro River in Ozobo Community, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State.

He said while trying to escape, the sea robbers’ vessel collided with the passenger boat and capsized adding that four of the suspects were nabbed.
He said troops were making efforts to recover four locally-made double-barrel guns belonging to the suspects from the river while the arrested suspects were being quizzed.

Olaolu further said that a wooden boat conveying 53 drums of illegally-refined petroleum product were intercepted at Asugbo Tibigbene and Beneth River Warri South Local Government.
The spokesman confirmed that one Vincent Moses and Emuotu Godbless Oghenechonuohwo were arrested with a white coloured Toyota Hiace bus conveying ten plastic drums with 220 litre capacity each and 19 jerrycans of suspected Automated Gas Oil (AGO).

They were arrested along Okwagbe – Ughelli road and handed over to the Delta State Command of the Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Olaolu also confirmed that one Usman Jafar, 21-year-old indigene of Adamawa State was arrested for parading himself as a serving soldier.

Jafar, who was alleged to have robbed one Atima Aghogho along Ajanuga road had in possession a fake Nigerian Army Identity Card, one First Bank of Nigeria ATM Card and an iphone belonging to one of his victims.
The spokesman further said that following a tip off, troops in conjunction with members of Petroleum Task Force conducted a raid at Ifieporo community in Warri South Local Government and discovered an area used as dump site and piling up place of products before being loaded into trucks.

He said: “Other items discovered are several rubber drums and Jerricans containing substance suspected to be illegal oil bunkering mats. Troops also recovered a black coloured Audi vehicles loaded with several water proof bags containing substance suspected to be products of illegal bunkering.

“Following another tip off troops discovered 4 identified hideouts used for storing substance suspected to be illegally refined Automated Gas Oil around Ohoro junction, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State. No arrests were made while troops are on the trail of the perpetrators.

“Earlier on today, the troops arrested one Mr Victor Bassey, alleged bugler while on routine check. Items recovered include: One Hundred and Thirty Six Thousand Naira (N136,000:00) only, one Ifinix Note II handset, one venue handset. Items and suspect will be handed over to the Nigeria Police”.

On the mop-up operation at Cross River South, the spoeksman said that troops conducted anti-militancy patrol around Ekpirikan, Maternity and Idebe axis of Bakassi Local Government Area.

“One suspected militant known as John Ita was arrested based on tip off in his residence at Idebe in Bakassi. A car and motorcycle were recovered from him.
“Similarly, troops deployed at Ikang located an illegal assembly of suspected members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Bakassi Local Government Area, Cross River State.

“They were distributing flyers, leaflets, tea-shirts, food items and other materials in order to lure and mobilize members at Epiri – Ikang axis. The intention was to hold a meeting on how to mobilize and influence people in support of IPOB.

“The suspects,Comrade Prince Obuka (National President Biafra Nation Youth League), Mr Slvanus Uzor and Mrs Ada Emechetta were subsequently arrested along Ikang – Cameroun border.

“It should be noted that the Acting Commander, Operation DELTA SAFE, Brigadier General Kevin Aligbe reiterates that any illegal assembly to propagate Biafra or any such group will not be tolerated or condoned.

“Furthermore, he expresses his appreciation to the people of the region for their continued support and co operation”.

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

Paperwhite:
Like the way one of their fanatic supporter is doing high up here

Delicious22:
Lol, that one zombiesm is world class.

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

AlienStar:
you don baptize Wole, lol.