The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has summoned all the suspended chairpersons of the 18 LGAs in Edo state, TheCable can report.

According to The Cable, a source within EFCC said that Monday Okpebholo, the governor of Edo, submitted a petition to the commission, accusing the 18 LGA chairpersons of failing to pay workers’ salaries for two months.

The insider mentioned that the petition also alleged that the chairpersons misappropriated the funds intended for workers’ salaries for October and November for unspecified purposes.

The source stated that the LG chairs were invited for questioning based on the governor’s petition, adding that nine out of the 18 appeared at the Benin zonal office of the EFCC on Thursday for questioning.

The source also said the remaining nine suspended LG chairpersons are scheduled to appear at the EFCC office on Friday.

“The new governor wrote a petition to us, alleging that all 18 local government chairmen failed to pay their workers’ salaries for October and November, and that the funds meant for these payments were allegedly diverted,” the source said.

“On the basis of that, we invited the 18 local government chairmen to our office. Nine of them came forward today to speak.

“As we are talking, they are still being quizzed by our investigator. The last nine will come tomorrow. We need to remind them that they need to do a thorough job.

“We have opened up an investigation into the allegations. You know, as with every investigation, we have just started work. We cannot say this or that.

“But it’s alright to say that we have started work and are making progress.”

When contacted for comments, Dele Oyewale, the EFCC spokesperson, confirmed to TheCable that the LGA chairmen have been invited by the commission but declined to provide further details.

On Tuesday, the Edo house assembly suspended the chairpersons and their deputies for two months over alleged gross misconduct.

Blessing Agbebaku, the speaker of the house, stated that the governor had submitted a petition to the assembly regarding the chairpersons’ failure to submit the financial records of their councils to the state government.

Agbebaku further explained that the governor described the actions of the chairmen as an act of insubordination and gross misconduct, and requested that the house of assembly investigate the matter.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered an investigation into the incident at the children’s funfair in Ibadan, which resulted in the death of 35 persons.

In a statement issued on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, his special adviser on information and strategy, the president called for a “thorough” inquiry to determine whether negligence or deliberate actions contributed to the stampede.

“In this moment of mourning, President Tinubu stands in solidarity with the affected families and offers prayers that the Almighty God will grant peace to the souls of those who have departed in this unfortunate event,” the statement reads.

“President Tinubu has urgently directed the relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances of this tragedy thoroughly. He emphasises that it is imperative to determine whether negligence or deliberate actions contributed to this painful incident, ensuring a transparent and accountable process.”

“The President urges the Oyo State Government to take every necessary measure to prevent such a tragedy from reoccurring.

“Among the essential actions are a comprehensive review of all public events’ safety measures, strict enforcement of safety regulations, and regular safety audits of event venues.”

The president also called on event organisers to prioritise the safety of all attendees, especially children.

He noted the importance of integrating professional security, protocol, and logistics at events to ensure the safety of all participants.

“Our children’s safety and well-being remain paramount. No event should ever compromise their safety or take precedence over their lives,” he added.

The 2025 appropriation bill has passed the second reading at the national assembly.

The budget cleared the second reading during plenary on Thursday following an extensive debate by legislators in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu presented a record N49.7 trillion as the proposed budget for 2025 to a joint session of the upper and lower legislative chambers.

The lawmakers, during plenary on Thursday, took turns discussing the general principles of the money bill, offering recommendations that included thorough scrutiny of the budget breakdown during engagements with heads of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).

Leading the debate, Julius Ihonvbere, majority leader of the green chamber, said the budget would improve the nation’s economy and consolidate the achievements of the president.

In his debate, Kingsley Chinda, minority leader, said Tinubu’s assertion that the budget would reduce inflation from the current 34.6 percent to 15 percent is “ambitious” and not realistic.

The ranking lawmaker said the allocation of N4.91 trillion to defence and security “will not take us to the promised land.”

He added that the budget should also prioritize human capital development and environmental sustainability.

“The budget might appear very beautiful, but there is much more for us to do as a nation,” Chinda said.

‘2025 BUDGET IS INADEQUATE’

Oluwole Oke, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member from Osun, stated that the budget is “grossly inadequate” and won’t sufficiently fund development projects.

Abdussamad Dasuki from Sokoto supported Oke’s position, describing the budget as inadequate.

“The budget may look robust on paper, but if you convert it to dollars, you will realize that the budget is not where we should be,” he said.

“With the challenges we have, if you convert it to dollars, the nation will be inadequately provided for. I urge the relevant committees, particularly the committee on finance, to work on this.”

Also speaking, Ismaila Dabo from Bauchi called for an increased allocation to the agricultural sector to boost food production.

“Inflation is on food items, and Nigerians are finding it difficult to cope. I urge the house to do everything possible to ensure enough allocation is reserved for agriculture,” he said.

Some lawmakers from the north-east and south-east geopolitical zones demanded more funding for their development commissions.

The lawmakers unanimously voted in support of the bill when it was put to a voice vote by Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker, who presided over the session.

Kalu referred the bill to the committees on appropriation for further legislative work.

He said the bill will be passed before January 30.

In November, both chambers approved the 2025-2027 medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) and fiscal strategy paper (FSP) of the federal government.

The parliament passed the oil benchmark prices of $75, $76.2, and $75.3 for the daily crude oil production of 2.06 million, 2.10 million, and 2.35 million for the 2025-2027 fiscal years respectively.

Also, the national assembly maintained the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate projected at 4.6 percent, 4.4 percent, and 5.5 percent for the three years in the fiscal strategy paper.

The lawmakers endorsed the projected exchange rate of N1,400/$ but said it is subject to review in early 2025 according to monetary and fiscal policies.