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2019 Budget: Foreign Affairs Ministry decry 62% reduction in Capital Budget

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2019 Budget: Foreign Affairs Ministry decry 62% reduction in Capital Budget

Ministry of Foreign of Affairs has decried 62 per cent reduction in its 2019 Capital Budget.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Amb. Mustapha Suleiman, made this known when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to defend the ministry’s Budget.

He said N7.61 billion was proposed for 2019 Capital Budget to cover capital projects for its headquarters, agencies under it and foreign missions.

He said compared to the 2018 Appropriation total of N83.31 billion, there is a reduction of N9.68 billion as a result of “sharp cut in the capital proposal for 2019, adding that the 2019 budget for the ministry is N73.62 billion.”

Suleiman said the capital budget was “grossly inadequate to cater for the line items.

“It is imperative to state that the budget ceiling brought down the capital budget from the 2018 Appropriation of level of N20.19 billion to N7.61 billion.”

Suleiman said of the N7.61billion the 2019 capital budget for the headquarters was N2.55 billion compared to 2018 budget N5.55 billion, a 55 per cent reduction.

The permanent secretary noted that the reduction would affect posting and return entitlement of ambassadors and officers as well as United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and Africa Union (AU) and contribution to international organisation.

He stressed that the budget would not be enough to handle posting of ambassadors, heads of mission and officers, calling on the committee to intervene for increased allocation.

Suleiman further pointed out that Foreign missions’ 2019 capital budget of N4.12 billion, 64 per cent reduction from 2018 budget of N11.33 billion, could only cover 30 out of the 110 Missions abroad.

“As a result of this, only 30 missions could be considered out of 110 missions for purchase of representational car, renovation and completion of ongoing projects.”

The Chairperson of the committee on foreign affairs, Sen. Monsurat Sunmonu, also decried the poor funding for the ministry, particularly the foreign missions.

She expressed concern that in spite of poor state of Nigerian missions abroad, the ministry came up with meagre budgetary proposals for 2019.
Sunmonu said the committee’s intervention in 2018 helped to tackle some of the challenges faced by those on foreign mission.

She, however, assured that the committee would do all within its powers to ensure adequate funding for the ministry in view of its critical mandate.

Sunmonu noted that in 2018, the committee decided to separate money meant for the missions from that of the headquarters.

“Each mission was able to access its fund directly.

“We hope for the best and expect that our missions get to where they were on the past,” she said.

Nationaltrail reports that the core mandate of the ministry is formulation and implementation of Nigeria’s foreign policy, which it strives to perform effectively by working closely with other international organisations.

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National Trail Mourns Pioneer Editor, Abdulazeez Suleiman

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Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilaihir-Raji’un.

The Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of , Hon. Inuwa Bwala, on behalf of the management and staff, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of veteran journalist and pioneer editor of the newspaper, Abdulazeez Suleiman.
Bwala also extended condolences to Suleiman’s family, associates and the Nigerian media industry, describing his passing as a monumental loss at a time his experience, courage and service to the nation were still greatly needed.
Suleiman reportedly died shortly before a scheduled surgery.
A pioneer editor of National Trail Newspaper, Abdulazeez Suleiman was regarded as a thoroughbred journalist with a remarkable talent for breaking exclusive stories and shaping public discourse through responsible journalism.
Throughout his distinguished career, he worked with notable media organisations, including National Trail Newspaper, Daily Trust, Summit and The Road. He earned widespread admiration for fearless reporting, ethical conduct and unwavering commitment to professionalism.
His writings and public interventions consistently reflected deep concern for justice, peace, accountability and national unity.

Beyond journalism, Suleiman was widely respected as a bridge-builder who strongly believed in dialogue, mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence among Nigeria’s diverse peoples. He remained steadfast in his conviction that truth and justice are essential pillars for national progress.

Though his voice has now gone silent, the values and ideals he stood for will continue to inspire generations. His legacy as a principled journalist, advocate and patriot will endure in the hearts of many whose lives he touched through his work and humanity.
The management and staff of National Trail Newspaper prayed Almighty Allah to forgive his shortcomings, grant him Aljannatul Firdaus and comfort his family, friends, colleagues and members of the in this moment of grief.
Rest in peace, Abdulazeez Suleiman. Your service and legacy will not be forgotten.

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JUST IN: After Primary Election Victory, Shehu Sani Visits Parents’ Graves to Offer Prayers and Express Gratitude to God

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Following his victory in the party primary election, Senator Shehu Sani visited the graves of his parents to pray and give thanks to Almighty God.

The former senator described the visit as very important to him, noting that his parents played a significant role in his upbringing and in shaping his political life.

Shehu Sani prayed for Allah to forgive his parents and all deceased Muslims, while also reaffirming his commitment to continue serving the people with honesty and integrity after securing victory in the primaries.

The gesture has attracted attention from his supporters and social media users, many of whom praised his act of remembering his parents after a political success.

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National Trail Mourns Pioneer Editor, Abdulazeez Suleiman

Published

on

Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilaihir-Raji’un.

The Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of , Hon. Inuwa Bwala, on behalf of the management and staff, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of veteran journalist and pioneer editor of the newspaper, Abdulazeez Suleiman.
Bwala also extended condolences to Suleiman’s family, associates and the Nigerian media industry, describing his passing as a monumental loss at a time his experience, courage and service to the nation were still greatly needed.
Suleiman reportedly died shortly before a scheduled surgery.
A pioneer editor of National Trail Newspaper, Abdulazeez Suleiman was regarded as a thoroughbred journalist with a remarkable talent for breaking exclusive stories and shaping public discourse through responsible journalism.
Throughout his distinguished career, he worked with notable media organisations, including National Trail Newspaper, Daily Trust, Summit and The Road. He earned widespread admiration for fearless reporting, ethical conduct and unwavering commitment to professionalism.
His writings and public interventions consistently reflected deep concern for justice, peace, accountability and national unity.

Beyond journalism, Suleiman was widely respected as a bridge-builder who strongly believed in dialogue, mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence among Nigeria’s diverse peoples. He remained steadfast in his conviction that truth and justice are essential pillars for national progress.

Though his voice has now gone silent, the values and ideals he stood for will continue to inspire generations. His legacy as a principled journalist, advocate and patriot will endure in the hearts of many whose lives he touched through his work and humanity.
The management and staff of National Trail Newspaper prayed Almighty Allah to forgive his shortcomings, grant him Aljannatul Firdaus and comfort his family, friends, colleagues and members of the in this moment of grief.
Rest in peace, Abdulazeez Suleiman. Your service and legacy will not be forgotten.

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