Headlines
Supplementary Budget: Presidency Plans to Spend N28bn on Cars, Houses for Tinubu, Wife, Shettima
Reports reaching The Boss says the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government is planning to spend about N28 billion for the renovation of the official quarters of President Bola Tinubu and his deputy, Kashim Shettima in Abuja and Lagos as well as buy cars for the presidency and Tinubu’s wife, Oluremi.
On Monday, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, declared that the Federal Government would request permission to appropriate more than N2 trillion for the 2023 supplemental budget.
See breakdown:
This is a 9.16 per cent increase from the N21.83 trillion 2023 Appropriations Bill signed into law on January 3, 2023, by former President Muhammadu Buhari, marking it Nigeria’s highest budget ever.
Details from the supplemental budget indicate that President Tinubu plans to spend over N4 billion on renovations of his official mansion in Abuja and about 2.5 billion on renovations for his vice president’s official residence.
In a similar vein, the president plans to renovate his official residence in Lagos, the Dodan Barracks, for approximately N4 billion. And the renovation for the official residence of the VP in Lagos is expected to gulp about N4 billion.
These figures have drawn wide reactions from different quarters as many Nigerians continue to suffer the impact of the removal of the petrol subsidy.
In his inaugural speech on May 29, Mr Tinubu declared the removal of the petrol subsidy, which caused the price of petrol to rise by about 200 percent, from about N200 to over N500.
While many groups have applauded the President for acting quickly to remove the subsidies, which experts estimate have taken billions of dollars out of the nation’s economy, some have also criticised the administration for its propensity to engage in extravagant spending, urging them to make greater sacrifices to lower the cost of government.
Last month the National Assembly declared it would be spending an estimated N57.6 billion for the official vehicles of its 109 senators and 360 members at the House of Representatives.
The spokesperson for the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi, told Sunday PUNCH correspondent that members of the House had started taking delivery of the vehicles.
Rotimi said, “Some members have started taking delivery of their vehicles. Priority was given to women in the parliament, people with any form of disability and the elderly. The management has also ensured that only members who have been fully disposed of their court cases will be given the vehicles to avoid problems.”
Peoples Gazette
Headlines
Abiola Cannot Be Recognised As Former President; He Was Never Sworn-in – Gen Ishola Williams
By Eric Elezuo
One of the prime actors of the June 12, 1993 incidents, General Ishola Williams, has said that much as Chief MKO Abiola wrong was created having won the election, and denied victory, he cannot be recognized as a former President of Nigeria.
Gen Williams made his revelation while speaking as a guest on Channels television socio-political programme, Inside Source.
He maintained that only those who were sworn in that recognised as former presidents, and Abiola was never sworn in.
“Abiola cannot be recognised as former president because he was never sworn in.
The General, who said that he resigned from the army as a result of the wholesome reception given to General Sani Abacha, when he overthrew Chief Ernest Shonekan-led Interim National Government, contrary to expectation, also picked flaws in the narratives given by former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, in his recently launched book, A Journey In Service.
Williams rose in the army to become the Commandant of Army Signals, Commander of Training and Doctrine (TRADOC) and Chief of Defence Training and Planning, from where he resigned.
Headlines
Breaking: Supreme Court Recognises Martin Amaewhule As Rivers Assembly Speaker, Orders CBN to Stop Releasing Funds to State
By Eric Elezuo
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has in its ruling on Friday recognised Hon Martins Amaewhule as the authentic speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, mandating him to urgently resume sitting with elected members of the assembly.
The apex court also ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to stop releasing to the Rivers State government until a proper assembly is constituted.
Details soon…
Tension escalated at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday as impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa made a dramatic return to reclaim his position.
Accompanied by heavily armed men, Obasa stormed the Assembly complex in a bold move that has thrown the State’s legislature into turmoil.
In a stunning turn of events, security details assigned to the substantive Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda, were abruptly withdrawn on Thursday morning, clearing the path for Obasa’s controversial comeback.
Sources revealed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) ordered the withdrawal of all security operatives attached to Meranda, leaving her exposed in the midst of an intensifying power struggle.
The Speaker’s Special Adviser on Information, Mr. Victor Ganzallo, expressed concern over the security vacuum created by the withdrawal of personnel.
“In the early hours of Thursday, we woke up to the startling news that all security details assigned to Madam Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, had been withdrawn.
This includes the police and DSS officers, leaving her exposed to threats amid the ongoing speakership crisis,” Ganzallo stated.
He further called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as the State’s Chief Security Officer, to intervene urgently to prevent a complete breakdown of law and order within the Assembly.
“The withdrawal of security personnel has left the Assembly naked and vulnerable at a critical time. Urgent action is needed to restore order,” he pleaded.
With the speakership battle taking a dramatic new turn, political watchers are keenly observing how the crisis will unfold in the coming days.
