Headlines
Buhari, Osinbajo to Spend N3.3bn on Trips, N149m of Foodstuffs
President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo will spend a total of N3.327bn on foreign and local trips in 2020.
The figure is contained in the details of the 2020 Appropriation Bill that Buhari presented to a joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The item was tagged Travel and Transport (General) under State House (President) and State House (Vice-President).
In the 2019 Budget, a total of N1.3bn was allocated for the foreign and local trips of the President and the Vice-President. While N1bn was allocated to the President, N301.03m was allocated to the Vice-President.
A breakdown of the N3.327bn allocated to travels for the two officials in 2020 shows that Buhari will spend N2.526bn on his trips while Osinbajo will spend N801m on his trips.
A further breakdown shows that Buhari’s foreign trips will gulp N1.751bn while N775.6m will be spent on his local trips for the year.
In the case of Osinbajo, his foreign trips will cost the nation N517m while his local trips will cost N283.97m.
The figures are outside the N182.25m allocated for travels and transport in the budget of the State House Headquarters.
Foodstuffs for President, Vice-President to gulp N149m
Also in the bill, a total of N149m was allocated for foodstuffs and catering material supplies for both Buhari and Osinbajo.
While the President is expected to spend N98.3m on the item, N50.88m was budgeted for Osinbajo.
Apart from the N149m foodstuffs and catering material supplies bill, the two government officials will also spend N43.916m on refreshment and meal.
The President will spend N25.652m on the item while the Vice-President will spend N18.264m on the same item.
This is apart from the N135.668m budgeted for the same refreshment and meal in the budget of the State House Headquarters. For honorarium and sitting allowance, both of them will spend N184.438m.
While N164.176m was allocated to the President, N20.262m was allocated to the Vice-President.
N478.313m was allocated to the same honorarium and sitting allowance in the budget of State House Headquarters.
Still under the budget of the State House headquarters, a whopping N4.062bn was allocated to what was tagged “annual routine maintenance of mechanical/electrical installations of the villa.” The project is said to be an ongoing one.
N526.234m was also allocated to what is called “phased replacement of vehicles, spares and tyres in the presidential, CVU security/police escort and State House operational fleets.” The project is also described as an ongoing project.
Apart from these, N389.64m was also budgeted for “outstanding liabilities on routine maintenance and other services for 2016.”
N91.681m will also be spent on “purchase of tyres for bulletproof vehicles, plain Toyota cars, CCU vehicles, platform trucks, Land Cruiser and Prado Jeeps, Hilux, Peugeot 607, ambulances and other utility and operational vehicles.”
N32.199m is budgeted for fuel and lubricants (general); N32.5m for wildlife conservation; and N45.4m for sewage charges.
The Punch
The draw for the Champions League last 16 and knockout play-offs has been completed.
One of the most interesting fixtures, will see Benfica play Real Madrid.
The two teams clashed on the last day of the league phase with Jose Mourinho’s men winning 4-2 in Portugal.
That result saw Benfica sneak into the play-offs and denied Madrid an automatic spot.
Clubs have been paired together based on where they finished at the end of the league phase to form seeded and unseeded pairs.
The teams that finished ninth to 16th were in the seeded pairs, while 17th to 24th were in unseeded pairs.
PLAY-OFF DRAWS:
Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta
Olympiacos vs Bayer Leverkusen
Galatasaray vs Juventus
Club Brugge vs Atletico Madrid
Monaco vs PSG
Qarabag vs Newcastle
Benfica vs Real Madrid
Bodo/Glimt vs Inter
Knockout play-off round: February 17-18, February 24-25
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has rejected the call by the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) seeking the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan.
The Shari’ah Council, earlier this week, demanded the immediate removal and prosecution of Amupitan, as members of the Council questioned his integrity over a legal brief in which he reportedly acknowledged claims of persecution constituting genocide of Christians in Nigeria.
Reacting to the development in a statement on Thursday, the Chairman of Northern CAN, Reverend Joseph John Hayab, and the Secretary General of Northern CAN, Bishop Mohammed Naga, questioned the motive behind the demand, asking who was sponsoring the call and why such interests are hiding behind the platform of a religious body.
Describing the call as a dangerous attempt to politicise religion and undermine a critical national institution, Hayab stressed that Professor Amupitan has a constitutional right to freedom of religion, adding that expressing concern over challenges faced by his religion does not amount to bias or disqualification from public service.
He also pointed out that many Muslims who had served in key government positions in the past had troubling religious antecedents, yet were not subjected to similar scrutiny, urging national actors to prioritise competence and national interest over sectarian sentiment.
Hayab, who warned that the controversy further reinforces concerns about persistent religious discrimination against Christians in Nigeria, particularly in appointments to sensitive national offices, recalled that the two immediate past INEC chairmen were Muslims from Northern Nigeria, and warned against narratives suggesting that only adherents of a particular religion are qualified to lead the electoral body.
“Anyone hiding under the guise of the Shari’ah Council to demand the removal of the INEC chairman over political or sectarian interests should come out boldly. Otherwise, the ploy has died naturally, he said.
“”Are they saying that no other religion should serve as INEC chairman except Muslims? The most important question Nigerians should ask is whether Professor Amupitan is competent or not.
That should be the focus, not his faith,” the statement added.
The association commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what it described as a deliberate effort to promote national unity by appointing a Christian as INEC Chairman, despite being a Muslim.
It noted that the decision reflected statesmanship and inclusivity, similar to precedents set under the previous administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, who kept a northern Muslim as INEC Chairman against all odds.
The Christian leaders advise the Shari’ah Council to publicly identify any individual or group behind the campaign against the INEC chairman, insisting that religious platforms must not be used as “cheap cover” to pursue political interests or intimidate public officials.They, however, called on the INEC chairman not to be distracted by the controversy, urging him to remain focused on his constitutional responsibility of conducting free, fair and credible elections.
“He should concentrate on doing the right thing for Nigerians and not behave like others who openly manipulated elections in the past and now seek to remain relevant through religious blackmail,” the statement said.
Northern CAN also raised concerns about what it described as emerging signals of a coordinated political agenda ahead of the 2027 general election, citing recent comments by the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, who warned that the All Progressives Congress (APC) risks electoral defeat if it drops a Northern Muslim-Muslim ticket from President Bola Tinubu’s re-election ticket.
According to the association, such statements, when viewed alongside the sustained attacks on a Christian INEC chairman, raise legitimate questions about whether there is a deliberate effort to undermine Christian participation and confidence in the country’s political process.
Headlines
FCT Council Polls: Mammoth Crowd Troops Out in Solidarity As Peter Obi Campaigns for ADC Candidates
Leading presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Party (ADC), Peter Obi, on Tuesday embarked, on an early morning grassroots engagement across several area councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of activities ahead of the council polls.
Obi, in a post on X, said he set out as early as 6:30 am from his office in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to interact directly with residents and reinforce his vision of people-centred leadership.
His first stop was Abaji Area Council, where he campaigned alongside Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) chairmanship candidate.
Peter Obi took a one-hour walk through the community, engaging the grassroots and listening to their concerns.
He later proceeded to Kwali Area Council to support Hon. Jeremiah Badoji, the ADC chairmanship candidate, where he again spent time walking through the community and interacting with locals, stressing that leadership must be accessible and rooted in the everyday realities of the people.
The former Anambra governor also visited Zuba in Gwagwalada Area Council to campaign for Pharmacist Iko Danjuma, the ADC chairmanship candidate, before moving to Deidei Market.
At the market, Obi engaged traders and residents while canvassing support for Dr Moses Paul, the ADC chairmanship candidate for AMAC.
He used the engagements to reiterate his commitment to inclusive development and grassroots-driven leadership that prioritises the welfare and aspirations of ordinary citizens.
