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Budget 2022: Lawan decries level of deficit

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Senate President Ahmad Lawan has decried the level of deficit of the 2022 Budget.

He made this known at the presentation of the 2022 Budget estimates by President Muhammadu Buhari to a joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja on Thursday.

our correspondent reports that the deficit stands at N 6.26 trillion.

Lawan who noted that the level of budget deficit is high, said both the legislature and the executive should work to reduce the deficit through the availability of more revenues.

“Generating and collecting revenues have remain major challenges in our quest for development.

“The recent efforts by the national assembly as well as the executive to challenge the revenue generating agencies is a step in the right direction.

“Equally important is the recent position taken by the Legislature and the Executive to insist on zero allocation for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that fail to remit/upload their revenues for the 2022 Appropriation.

“This saw an increase in the contribution of the MDAs by over N400 billion. It is my view that MDAs can contribute to the Federation Account much more than that.

“This policy should be expanded and deepen to cover more MDAs,” Lawan said.

On borrowings, the senate president said: “We understand that due to paucity of revenue, the Federal Government has to resort to raising funds from foreign and domestic sources to provide infrastructure across the country.

“That is why, the national assembly approved the requests for borrowing.

“The Commitment of the Federal Government in providing infrastructure across the country means that the funds must be raised one way or the other.

“Government should also explore other sources of funding its projects in order to reduce borrowing.”

On security, Lawan said that the security of lives and property of Nigerians was still a challenge.

He noted that the national assembly was ever willing to work with the executive to continue to work for better security for citizens.

“The recent changes in the leadership of the armed forces is a clear testimony of the collaboration between the legislature and the executive to overhaul the security
architecture for better outcomes in our fight against the myriads of security challenges.”

Our correspondent reports thatPresident Muhammadu Buharipresented the 2022 Appropriation Bill for an aggregate expenditure of N16.39 trillion to the National Assembly.

Addressing the joint session of the NASS on Thursday in Abuja, the president described the 2022 Appropriation as Budget of Economic Growth and Sustainability.

According to him, the 2022 budget is also the first in the nation history, where Ministries, Developments and Agencies (MDAs) were clearly advised on gender responsive budgeting.

“These are part of critical steps in our efforts to distribute resources fairly and reach vulnerable groups of our society,’’ he said.

He maintained that defence and internal security would continue to be on top priority of his administration

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Politics

Tinubu Assures Investors Nigeria Is Open for Business, Welcomes Coca-Cola’s $1bn Plan

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By Francis Wilfred 

President Bola Tinubu has assured local and international investors that Nigeria remains open for business, saying his administration is implementing reforms aimed at creating a more predictable, competitive and investment-friendly environment.

Speaking through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, at the 75th anniversary celebration of the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) in Abuja on Monday, the President said the government is addressing key challenges facing businesses under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Our message to investors, both Nigerian and international, is clear: Nigeria is open for business,” Tinubu said,

He noted that reliable infrastructure, efficient logistics, access to foreign exchange, stable regulations and a supportive tax system are critical to attracting investment and expanding production.

According to Yomi Odunuga, the President said ongoing economic reforms are designed to build a more productive and competitive economy, reduce dependence on imports, strengthen local manufacturing and create jobs for Nigerians.

Tinubu welcomed the Coca-Cola System’s proposed $1 billion investment in Nigeria over five years, announced in 2024, describing it as a strong vote of confidence in the country’s economy. 

He said the administration is focused not only on the volume of investment attracted but also on its impact on employment, skills development, technology transfer and local sourcing.

“We are interested not only in the amount of capital that comes into Nigeria, but in what that capital does here,” he said.

The President also praised NBC’s continued expansion of production capacity, including new production lines in Oyo and Kano states, describing such investments as vital to strengthening Nigeria’s industrial base.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving policies, infrastructure and regulations to support businesses, while urging the private sector to complement government efforts through investment, innovation and job creation.

Tinubu further highlighted the importance of human capital development, commending NBC’s Supply Chain Academy for training over 1,400 young Nigerians and supporting women’s empowerment and community development initiatives.

He urged investors to take advantage of opportunities across Nigeria, expressing confidence that the country can build a stronger economy driven by local production, exports and globally competitive industries.

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Kano  Governorship: Accord Party Governorship Candidate Gashash Getting More Endorsement From Kano Electorates.

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By Jabiru Hassan.


The movement for Democratic Protection and good governance (MDSG) declared it's full support to the Accord Party Governorship Candidate Ambassador Dr. Mukhtar Gashash in the forthcoming general elections.

In a chat with our correspondent in kano, the national president of the movement, Alhaji Dauda Mohammed Ali,  stated that it is time for the people of kano state to bring new steward who is seriously planning to transform the state with highest regard.

He expressed his confidence that Ambassador Dr Mukhtar Gashash will do his best to ensure that kano state becomes more examplary at both sector without bias which is the task previous administrators failed to achieve.

Alhaji Dauda Mohammed Ali reiterated that " this time around, our movement is working day and night to make sure that Kano people mostly youths remained Committed to actualize real change in the state's politics, leadership and transformation under the Accord Party government".

He called on the people of kano state especially the eligible voters to vote Ambassador Dr Mukhtar Gashash due to his Transformation plans for the progress of kano state and it's citizens at both Urban and rural settlements.

Responding to a question about Accord party's strength in kano state, Dauda Mohammed Ali disclosed that in today's democracy, competent candidates should be tipped for an elective positions not the popularity of the political parties stressing that Ambassador Dr Mukhtar Gashash has been found to be the best option for kano state due to his track record on competency, transparency as a real democrat.
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Caught in the middle: Ortom’s silent dance between two camps.

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There are growing questions about where Mr. Samuel Ortom, a former Governor of Benue State and a prominent figure in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), truly stands politically ahead of 2027.

Ortom was a key figure in the divisions within the PDP before the 2023 general elections and was widely associated with support for Mr. Peter Obi, who finished third in that contest. More recently, however, he has publicly expressed support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

The latest discussion began after a visit by Mr. Peter Obi to Benue State. Reports indicate that a vehicle said to belong to Ortom was used to receive Obi at the Air Force Base airport in Makurdi. It is not clear who authorized the use of the vehicle, and Ortom has not commented publicly on the matter.

During the same visit, Obi was reportedly prevented from travelling to Yelewata, where he had intended to condole with families affected by violence. Obi’s team attributed the blockage to supporters of Governor Hyacinth Alia.

The Governor’s spokesman, Sir Tersoo Kula, denied any involvement by the Governor. He suggested the incident may have been staged to damage the Governor’s reputation, or that it could have resulted from disagreements within Obi’s own support base.

Ortom has not issued a statement clarifying his position on the 2027 elections or on the vehicle in question. Attempts to reach him were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.

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