News
N3.7trn budget padding controversy: NASS faces fresh integrity crisis
The Senate’s Tuesday session became turbulent as it discussed allegations of budget padding brought up by Senator Abdul Ningi.
Nigeria’s National Assembly, particularly the Senate, has a history of controversies, a trend that has persisted since the nation’s transition to democracy in 1999.
The 10th National Assembly continues this trend, with the latest controversy involving claims of padding the 2024 National Appropriation Act by N3.7 trillion. Despite denials from both the presidency and legislative branch, this issue has shed light on opaque financial allocations to the National Assembly, raising doubts about its integrity.
During the heated debate, Senator Jarigbe disclosed that some senators purportedly received N500 million each from the 2024 budget. This revelation, made on the Senate floor, adds to the ongoing scrutiny of budgetary processes.
Senator Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, initially raised the alarm about the alleged padding, which sparked the controversy. He questioned the fairness of budget allocations across different senatorial districts and challenged the transparency of Senate leadership’s expenditures.
These controversies have fueled calls to reduce the National Assembly’s budget, with critics arguing that lawmakers aren’t delivering commensurate results.
The National Assembly’s past controversies include amendments to the 2022 supplementary budget, which allocated N70 billion for lawmakers’ working conditions, drawing criticism from the public.
Additionally, the purchase of new SUVs for lawmakers further stirred public outrage amid economic hardship.
Senator Akpabio’s inadvertent revelation of funds sent to senators during recess added fuel to the controversy, highlighting issues of fiscal transparency and accountability within the National Assembly.
Former President Buhari’s concerns about budget padding further underscore the recurring nature of such controversies, with recent revelations by Senator Ningi reigniting debates over fiscal integrity and legislative accountability.
The unfolding drama in the Senate has drawn mixed reactions, with some defending the institution’s integrity, while others view the allegations as symptomatic of broader systemic issues. Calls for transparency and accountability within the National Assembly persist amidst ongoing debates and revelations.
News
Hospital Board Suspends Doctor Over Negligence In Kano
Dr. Mansur Nagoda, the Executive Secretary of the Kano State Hospitals Management Board, has sanctioned the immediate suspension of a medical officer at the Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital. This action follows numerous complaints from patients and staff regarding the doctor’s unauthorized absence from duty.
Dr. Nagoda disclosed that the suspended doctor, whose identity is withheld, left the hospital without informing any authority or management personnel. Despite attempts to reach her, she claimed to be on the premises but failed to report to the doctors’ quarters or fulfill her duties, leaving a dialysis patient distressed.
Emphasizing the ethical responsibility of doctors to prioritize patient care, Dr. Nagoda stressed the need for accountability and professionalism within the healthcare system. He warned that proper arrangements must be made with another doctor when absent from duty, and negligence will not be tolerated.
The suspension will remain in effect pending the investigation’s outcome, demonstrating the board’s commitment to upholding standards of conduct among healthcare workers. Dr. Nagoda reiterated the board’s expectation for all personnel to fulfill their duties diligently, emphasizing consequences for those found derelict in their responsibilities.
News
Oyebanji approves 50% subsidy on improved oil palm, cocoa, cashew seedlings for Ekiti farmers
Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of Ekiti State has authorized a 50 percent subsidy on oil palm, cocoa, and cashew seedlings for distribution to farmers in the state during this planting season. Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, conveyed this information in a statement released to the press in Ado-Ekiti.
He explained that this initiative is part of the strategic measures undertaken by the Oyebanji administration to generate employment, foster wealth creation, and revive Ekiti State’s agricultural sector to its former glory, particularly harking back to the prosperous era of the 1970s when it was renowned globally as a leading cocoa production hub in Nigeria.
Boluwade emphasized that the program aims to rejuvenate the state’s agricultural prowess by replacing aging trees in existing plantations and those lost to bushfires with high-quality seedlings possessing shorter gestation periods. Furthermore, concerted efforts are underway to attract enthusiastic young farmers into cocoa plantation farming.
News
‘We’ve no hotel’ – Nigerian Correctional Service clears air
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) clarified that the Correctional Service Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society (COCOS) Hotel and Gardens Project was not financed by the Federal Government. Umar Abubakar, the agency’s Public Relations Officer, made this statement in Abuja on Wednesday, emphasizing that the hotel was an investment of the NCoS Cooperative Society.
Responding to concerns raised about the facility, Abubakar stressed that the hotel, featured on the Service’s official Facebook page, was solely aimed at enhancing staff welfare. He attributed its establishment to strategic planning and efficiency within the agency’s cooperative unit.
Abubakar expressed bewilderment at attempts to discourage meaningful investments, highlighting that the “COCOS Hotels and Gardens” was inaugurated on March 1, 2021, by former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola. He asserted that the report in question is not only deceptive but also aimed at spreading misinformation. Abubakar clarified that the hotel was constructed in 2021 and is exclusively owned by the Correctional Cooperative Society, established in 1996 for all personnel of the service.
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