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The National Assembly has passed the 2017 Appropriations Bill, raising the budget from N7.28 billion earlier proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari in December last year, to N7.44 trillion.

The Appropriations Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives separately presented their harmonised reports of the budget for consideration and subsequent passage on Thursday.

According to the report, N434.4 billion was appropriated for statutory transfers to the National Judicial Council (N100 billion); Niger Delta Development Commission (N64.02 billion); Universal Basic Education (N95.2 billion); National Assembly (N125 billion); Public Complaints Commission (N4 billion); INEC (N45 billion); and National Human Rights Commission (N1.2 billion).

The seven establishments are to get allocations on first line charge. In practice, the spending details of these offices are not made public.

But the spokesperson for the Senate, Aliyu Abdullahi, told Journalists details of the National Assembly budget are included in the whole national budget, ending eight years of secrecy.

“We have opened our budget,” he said. “Details are in the (whole) budget, that’s what I have come to tell you.”

A spokesperson for Senate President Bukola Saraki, Sani Onogu, told PREMIUM TIMES that “line by line details of the NASS budget were in the appropriations bill.

“This one (the breakdown) is just an advanced copy. The public will see everything line by line regarding NASS budget. That is historic,” he said.

Speaking in the plenary, Dino Melaye said: “For the first, the budget contains full details of the National Assembly, not only line by line, but explicitly. I was happy when I saw NASS budget details in the document distributed to us this morning. This will afford civil society groups and every Nigerian to ask questions.”

This newspaper had on Tuesday broken the news that the joint leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives had decided to open up the NASS budget at a late Monday meeting held at the Abuja residence of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

The National Assembly raised its budget by N10 billion, to N125/billion.

In the breakdown of the National Assembly budget released by Mr. Abdullahi, the Management, Senate the House of Representatives are to receive N14,919,065013, 31,398,765,886 and 49,052,743,983.

Other appropriations under the National Assembly are as follows: legislative aides, 9,602,095,928; NASS Service Commission, 2,415,712,873; PAC-Senate, N118,970,215; N142,764,258; General Services, N12,584,672,079; NASS Legislative Institute, 4,373,813,596; and Service Wide Vote, 391,396,169.

The National Assembly also appropriated N2,987,550,033,436 for non-debt recurrent expenditure of the MDAs that are not under statutory transfers club.
Capital expenditure is slightly less, taking N2,177,866,775867.

For debt service, the National Assembly earmarked N1,488,002,436,547 to service domestic debts; N175,882,993,952 for foreign debts; and 177,460,296707 for sinking fund to retire maturing loans, totalling 1,841,345,727,206 for debt service.

The Clause 11 of the bill, referenced in the harmonized report, provides that the budget will run for a course of 12 months starting from the date is assented into law, in line with Section of the Constitution.

In his remark, Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, reckoned that the 2017 budget marked the first time capital expenditure would reach 30 per cent.

BIG STORY

JUST IN: Education Minister Reverses 18-Year Age Limit For Admission

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The newly appointed Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has announced the removal of the 18-year age limit for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

He also indicated the possibility of a comprehensive review of the nation’s education policy.

However, Alausa made it clear that there would be no reversal of the Federal Government’s decision to invalidate over 22,700 degree certificates acquired by Nigerians from unrecognized universities in neighboring Togo and the Benin Republic.

Speaking at his inaugural ministerial press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Alausa emphasized that practical education is key to tackling Nigeria’s unemployment crisis. He stated that tertiary institutions must stop producing graduates without ensuring job opportunities for them.

The minister also revealed plans for the federal government to partner with private sector players to provide training opportunities for students and help them realize their full potential.

Additionally, Alausa announced that universities focused on agriculture would be empowered to implement commercial farming practices as part of efforts to address the country’s food security challenges.

 

More to come…

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JUST IN: 114 Released #EndBadGovernance Protesters Arrive Presidential Villa

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One hundred and fourteen #EndBadGovernance protesters, including minors and adults acquitted by the Federal High Court in Abuja, have arrived at the Presidential Villa.

The protesters, initially arraigned by the Police Force, were released following a court ruling by Justice Obiora Egwatu.

The case was dismissed at the request of the Attorney General of the Federation (“AGF”), Lateef Fagbemi.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is set to officially receive the released protesters.

They are then handed over to their respective Governors, specifically Uba Sani of Kaduna and Abba Yusuf of Kano.

Ministers present at the State House Auditorium in Abuja for the reception include: Tunji Alausa (“Minister of Education”); Nentawe Yilwatda (“Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction”); Balarabe Lawal (“Minister of Environment”) and Tanko Sununu (“Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction”).

Also, Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement for the Northwest, Abdullahi Yakasai, is in attendance.

Other dignitaries present are Deputy Senate President Jubrin Barau and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Abubakar Bichi.

 

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BIG STORY

BREAKING: Nigeria’s National Grid Collapses Again, 10th Time In 2024

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Nigeria’s national grid has collapsed again for the 10th time in 2024.

This was revealed by the National grid’s X handle.

This revelation was made after several Nigerians complained of a sudden disappearance of power supply in their houses.

 

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