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CSO Uncovers N227bn Frivolous Line Items In 2022 Budget

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The 2022 proposed budget of the Federal Government is littered with frivolous items to the tune of N227bn, a report by a civil society organisation, Centre for Social Justice, has revealed.

The report said that a pullout of the frivolous items from the budget by the National Assembly would address the growing level of the deficit as well as improve public infrastructure across the country.

It was reported that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in October presented a budget of N16.39tn for 2022 to the Joint Session of the National Assembly.

But the CSJ, in its report titled: “Frivolous, inappropriate, unclear and wasteful estimates in the 2022 Federal Appropriation Bill”, said Nigeria’s revenue was simply inadequate to fund fundamental expenditure.

The Lead Director of the CSJ, Eze Onyekpere, while presenting the report of its Citizens Wealth Platform to journalists in Abuja, also said that Nigeria would save about N2tn from abolishing fuel subsidy.

He said, “Every available fund should be spent with the greatest value for money, tied to a high-level national policy framework and aimed at improving livelihoods, growing the economy, reducing poverty and inequality, adding value, etc.

“It is against this background that the pullout of frivolous, inappropriate, unclear and wasteful expenditure calls the attention of the executive, legislature, private sector, civil society including the media to these frivolities at a time of grave national crisis.”

Onyekpere emphasised that the 2022 Appropriation Act should contain an explicit provision on abolishing fuel subsidy and “under-recovery or any subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit by whatever name called or under any guise whatsoever.

“This will save not less than N2tn and make the same available for the Federation Account. No fewer than 60 per cent of the savings accruing from abolishing the subsidy should be channelled to dedicated ring-fenced (statutory) expenditure in education and health”, he said

He quoted the 2022 Budget Call Circular as directing that “resources are to be allocated based on actual needs, in line with the immediate needs of the country as well as government’s developmental objectives and priorities.

While describing the annual budgetary allocations to the State House as a waste of fund, the CSJ demanded that government should lead by example.

“Spending billions of naira every year on routine maintenance of State House facilities is a huge waste. All statutory transfers are stated as lump sum provisions without details.

“No person, government agency or organisation has the right in a constitutional democracy to spend public funds in a way and manner that is unknown to the ultimate sovereigns, being the taxpayers and citizens,” Onyekpere said.

He called on the National Assembly to review its estimates and reduce the same by not less than 25 per cent to free up resources for other important needs of the economy.

This, he said, would amount to an allocation of N100.5bn and savings of N35.5 billion.

He added that the votes of the Ministry of Agriculture were suffused with vague, unclear bulk provisions for activities without locations that have no clear deliverables.

He urged the National Assembly to insist on the details and that these details should be written into the estimates before approval.

The CSJ also said that the provision of over N260 billion in Service Wide Votes for special interventions and Poverty reduction was worrisome.

It said, “Over the years, there is no evidence of benefits to the population accruing from these votes. But the authorities insist on continuing a practice without visible benefits. Several programmes in many MDAs have received multi-year funding for skill acquisition and employment creation.

“It is imperative to demand for reports of achievements in terms of outputs and outcomes and the value for money statement of previous investments. Otherwise, this is a waste of public resources. When you compare the level of unemployment and the votes in several MDAs in previous years, it will be clear that either these kinds of votes have been mismanaged or have not been invested as proposed.

“There are no locations and identifiable class of beneficiaries in so many projects in MDAs including Niger Delta, Labour and Productivity, Water Resources, etc. The proposed beneficiaries are at large and so wide and there are no decipherable selection criteria considering that the requested amount cannot go round all persons belonging to these generic groups. NASS should insist on locations, qualification criteria of proposed beneficiaries and reports of previous achievements.

“The 12 River Basin Development Authorities sit on thousands of acres of public land. For instance, the estimate of N50 million was requested for clearing of the 5,000ha farmland in Auchi, Edo State by the Benin Owena RBDA. They get allocations for tractors, farm equipment, implements, fish and livestock replenishment, seeds, processing machinery and implements, etc.

“The RBDAs should be revenue centres that remit billions of naira to the Federal Government instead of the current approach where they gulp money without any meaningful contribution to the treasury. At the minimum, the RBDAs should be compelled to fund their personnel and recurrent expenditure pending when they are fully weaned of public funding.”

Speaking on the Review of the 2022 Appropriation Bill Parameters and Key Issues, the CSJ commended the Federal Government for the early presentation of the budget on October 7, 2021, saying it would give the legislature sufficient time to conclude the approval before the New Year.

“However, there is the need to amend the constitution to provide for early budget presentation and approval,” the organisation said.

BIG STORY

Obasa Redeems N100,000 Cash Promise To 500 Secondary School Students

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For 500 students from public schools across Lagos’ six education districts, Christmas arrived early. During events marking his birthday in November, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, promised a cash gift of ₦100,000 to each student who attended to celebrate with him, sparking waves of excitement among them. Speaker Obasa has redeemed his promise, giving the students a December to remember.

Dr. (Mrs.) Sherifat Abiodun Adedoyin, a member of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), announced the redemption of the cash gift. “Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, has graciously redeemed his promise of ₦100,000 each for 500 students across Lagos State. This generous commitment was made during his recent birthday celebration on November 11, 2025, and it truly highlights his steadfast dedication to enhancing education and the well-being of children in Lagos State.”

Adedoyin stated further, “We deeply appreciate this wonderful gesture, which will significantly help meet the educational needs of the students and promote academic excellence. May this act of kindness continue to inspire hope and create a positive impact in our community.”

The ₦50 Million Educational Support, according to the Speaker, is an investment in the future of the public secondary school students, representing invaluable opportunities for education, vocational training, and entrepreneurship.

Indeed, at the pre-birthday event, themed “The Youth: Striving to Greater Heights,” which brought together students from across the state, Speaker Obasa’s empowerment initiative turned a personal milestone into a defining moment for youth development in the state.

He also seized the opportunity to inspire and challenge the youth, reminding them that challenges harbour lots of opportunities and that it takes laser-like focus, perseverance, and a steadfast faith in God to pull through.

“This personal journey is not just my story; it is a message to every young person here and those watching across various platforms. It is a wake-up call- a call to rise, to believe in yourself, and pursue your dreams with passion and determination.

“The sky is not the limit; it is only the beginning when you choose to unlock your potential and embrace the opportunities that abound in our great nation.”

Speaker Obasa capped the day with the announcement of a structured mentorship program to pair young talents with seasoned professionals, which he described as a pathway to sustained growth and impact. “This isn’t just inspiration, it’s a pathway to greatness,” he affirmed.

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BIG STORY

Peter Obi Is A ‘Character-In-Chief’, I Know The Junction Where Madman Who Advised Him Stayed In Anambra —- Bwala

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Daniel Bwala, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy communication, has mocked Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in 2023, describing him as a “character-in-chief”.

Speaking in an interview on The Clarity Zone Podcast anchored by Chinedu Emmanuel, popularly known as Nedu, Bwala said Obi was engaging in theatrics.

He was responding to a claim that the former governor of Anambra described him as a ‘character’.

“In the movie, the actor is a character. He is actually the character-in-chief, because what he’s playing is what we call theatrics,” Bwala said.

“You are demonstrating a fictitious picture of a reality that will never exist. I think that is the hope he sold to his people.

“So, after the election, when they saw reality dawn, and he lost the election, they couldn’t manage the picture of the fantasy that was painted in their mind, and they ran berserk.”

“They are all over the media now… they don’t have a particular platform where they stay. They migrate and abuse people. And that is because leadership is not easy.

“Leadership is a sacrifice. All these politicians you see, from President Bola Tinubu, and some other politicians who are not up to him, do a lot of sacrifice to build a base; a base that can resonate with them.”

Bwala also responded to Obi’s claim that he has never been to Anambra, saying he could even describe the road leading to the former LP presidential candidate’s house in the state.

The presidential aide further joked that he knew where the mentally unstable man, whom Obi said gave him advice while he was governor of the state, stayed.

Bwala’s remarks followed a statement Obi made in the build-up to the 2023 elections, in which he recounted how a piece of advice from a mentally unstable man helped him resolve a major security challenge during his tenure as governor of Anambra.

“And he also said, I have never been to Anambra; I can tell you the road that leads to his house. Peter Obi is from Agulu,” he said.

“From Nnewi, you have Umudim, Nnewichi, Uruagu, and Otolo. I can take you to places in the east. I even know the junction where the madman that used to advise him used to stay, very close to Upper Iweka.

“How can he say I have never been to Anambra?”

 

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BIG STORY

Fubara’s Impeachment Process On Course, Not Suspended —– Rivers Assembly

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The Rivers House of Assembly says the impeachment process against Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state, and Ngozi Odu, his deputy, is on course.

On Thursday, the state parliament commenced impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy.

The lawmakers launched the process after Major Jack, Leader of the assembly, read gross misconduct charges against Fubara, signed by 26 members of the house.

On Friday, reports claimed that the Rivers State House of Assembly had suspended the impeachment process against the governor.

Responding to the reports in a statement, Enemi George, chairman of the House Committee on Information, Petitions, and Complaints, said notices of gross misconduct have been forwarded to Fubara and Odu, noting that lawmakers are awaiting their responses.

George maintained that the process has not been suspended or discontinued, describing the reports as false narratives aimed at misleading the public and causing disaffection.

“We are aware that certain persons and media platforms are at it again to misinform the public, particularly to the effect that the process has been halted or discontinued,” the statement reads.

“Some are trending false narratives to cause disaffection between the House and well-meaning Nigerians. Therefore, with the leave of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule DSSRS.

“I call on all and sundry to disregard their antics, as their actions have already failed. We remain committed to our constitutional duties and will not be dissuaded by cheap blackmail or threats from those who do not have our country’s nascent democracy at heart.

George asked the public to disregard what he described as antics, saying the house would not be deterred by “cheap blackmail or threats” and remains committed to its constitutional duties.

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