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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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Kwara: Security Team Kills Two Bandits, Rescues Two Kidnap Victims

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Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

A security team, comprising operatives of DSS and forest guards, has rescued two victims of abduction in a forest between Oba Isin/Owa Onire area of isin and Ifelodun Local Government Areas of Kwara State.

The rescued victims are 16-year-old Fatima Azeez and Ibrahim Azeez who is five-year old.

The team also eliminated two armed bandits, while others escaped with severe injuries as the security forces stormed their hideouts, according to a report by DSS and local authorities.

The security team also recovered several items from the kidnappers, including one Ak-47 rifle; one single barrel; one fully loaded magazine with nine empty; mini-solar panel; and food items.

The rescue operation is connected to the multi-agency counterterrorism and anti-kidnapping efforts of the government.

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Kwara: Police Launch Investigations Into Killing Of Farmer On Farmland

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Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Kwara State Police Command has commenced full-scale investigations into the killing of a farmer, Mr Azeez Garba, whose body was discovered on his farmland along the Owa-Onire axis, the boundary between Isanlu-Isin and Owu-Isin in Isin Local Government Area of the State.

The Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, described the murder as “cruel, senseless and unacceptable,” and directed the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to intensify efforts to identify and arrest those behind the attack.

According to the police, preliminary investigations showed that the deceased left home for his farm in the morning but did not return, prompting his family members and local vigilantes to organise a search.

The search party reportedly found his motorcycle parked on the farmland before discovering his lifeless body a short distance away. Police said the victim had sustained deep machete cuts.

Reacting to the incident, CP Adekimi ordered investigators to deploy all available intelligence and investigative resources to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing.

“The killing is cruel, senseless and unacceptable,” the commissioner of Police said, assuring residents that the command would leave no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Although no suspect had been arrested as of Monday, the command said all available leads were being diligently pursued.

The police also assured the bereaved family, the people of Isin Local Government Area and the general public that investigators were working tirelessly to track down everyone connected with the crime.

“The Kwara State Police Command remains unwavering in its commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state and will not relent until every person responsible for this reprehensible act is brought before the law,” the statement added.

The statement was signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police.

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Kwara: Joint Security Team Arrests Alleged Cultist, Recovers Firearm

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Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

A coordinated security operation involving the Kwara State Police Command, other security agencies and the Kwara State Polytechnic Security Unit has led to the arrest of a suspected cultist, Agboola Olamilekan, with a locally fabricated pistol recovered from him in Ilorin.

The operation, carried out as part of ongoing efforts to combat cultism and violent crimes across the state, was described by the police as another breakthrough in intelligence-driven policing aimed at dismantling criminal networks and reducing the circulation of illegal firearms.

Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, in a statement issued on Wednesday on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, said the suspect was apprehended during the joint operation while in possession of the firearm.

According to the statement, the operation is part of the Command’s sustained strategy to disrupt cult-related activities and deny criminal elements the opportunity to operate within the state.

Commenting on the development, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ojo Adekimi, reaffirmed the Command’s determination to intensify the fight against cultism and other violent crimes.

“Every successful operation represents another step towards dismantling criminal networks and enhancing public safety across the state through proactive and intelligence-led policing,” the commissioner said.

The police disclosed that investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest other suspected members of the criminal network linked to the suspect.

The Command added that it remains committed to advancing the policing vision of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, through intelligence-led policing, strategic collaboration with relevant stakeholders and sustained operations aimed at ensuring that those responsible for threatening the peace and security of Kwara State are brought to justice.

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