Experts in social and economic sectors have advocated proactive financial regulatory measures to ensure probity and accountability in the implementation of the 2025 budget.The experts, including economics, academics, public administrators and entrepreneurs, spoke in Bauchi, Dutse and Gombe while reacting to the 2025 budget presentation to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu.

They said the measure was imperative to stimulate successful implementation of development programmes outlined in the proposed estimate. Tinubu on Wednesday presented a proposed N47.96 trillion government expenditure for 2025 fiscal year.Highlights of the budget allocations included N4.91 trillion for defence and security; infrastructure N4.06 trillion, health N2.48 trillion and education N3.52 trillionThe budget seeks to restore macroeconomic stability; enhance the business environment, foster inclusive growth, employment and poverty reduction as well as promote equitable income distribution and human capital development.Mr Abubakar Garba, a Bauchi-based entrepreneur, said the proposed estimate marked a significant milestone in Tinubu’s effort to drive economic growth and development in Nigeria.He said the budget was a clear indication of the president’s commitment towards revamping Nigeria’s economy.Dr Adamu Hassan, a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, said the budget would make a positive impact on Nigerians.“The proposed budget allocation to key sectors such as education, healthcare and infrastructure development will go a long way in addressing the developmental challenges facing our country,” he said.He said the government also planned to drive inflation down from 34.6 per cent to 15 per cent, and improve the exchange rate from approximately N1,700 to N1,500 per U.S. dollar, and increase crude oil production to 2.06 million barrels per day.According to Hassan, Tinubu administration’s reforms are beginning to yield positive results, which will boost the social and economic fabric of Nigerian society.Also, Mr Gad Daniel, Executive Director, Maltex Development Initiative, expressed optimism over the increased budgetary allocation to defence, adding that it would address insecurity in the country. He said the improved allocation for infrastructure development would create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.A farmer, Kabiru Musa, commended Tinubu’s proposed farmer support programme in the coming year, and called for measures to guard against diversion of fertilisers and inputs.Musa noted that without addressing the issue of inputs not getting to the genuine farmers, efforts of the administration in food security would not be achieved.Corroborating Musa, a female farmer, Jane Ayuba said strict monitoring mechanisms would prevent middlemen from diverting inputs meant for farmers, especially fertilisers and agrochemicals.She urged the Federal Government to adopt multi-crop support as against the usual rice, wheat, maize, sorghum among others.“The issue of funding and input support to farmers is a good policy statement if there will be a political will to push it to fruition. “Many people have embraced agriculture but insecurity has driven them away from their farmlands. “If there’ll be support in terms of subsidised farm inputs, fertiliser, that’ll be a great boost to agriculture as more people will leverage on the advantage to increase productivity,” she said.Similarly, Williams Attah, a journalist in Gombe, said the government’s focus in tackling insecurity would encourage more farmers to return to their farmlands.He called for proactive measures to address insecurity preventing farmers from carrying out their activities, especially farmer/herder clashes.However, Ahmad Balarabe, a resident of Dutse, said that effective monitoring and regulatory financial framework were necessary to guide implementation of the budget.This, he said, would ensure budget tracking and policy implementation to stimulate sustainable social and economic development outlined in the proposed budget.He said the increased allocation to security and social sectors would enhance access to quality education, healthcare service delivery, to improve the overall wellbeing of the citizens.Also contributing, Zulkiflu Muhammad and Mrs Zainab Ahmad, urged the government to ensure that all public schools, including tertiary institutions work optimally, considering the huge allocation to the sectors. (NAN)

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a reduction in prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, to N899.50 per litre, saying the move was to offer relief to Nigerians during the holiday season.The price cut follows an earlier reduction to N970 per litre on November 24 and aims to ease transportation costs as festive activities peak.

In a statement issued by the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer of Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, on Thursday, the refinery also announced the introduction of a special holiday offer. According to the statement, for every litre purchased with cash, consumers can buy an additional litre on credit, backed by bank guarantees from Access Bank, First Bank, or Zenith Bank.Chiejina stated that the price adjustment reflects the refinery’s commitment to making high-quality petroleum products more accessible.

Some of the released EndBadGovernance protesters arrested during the August 2024 nationwide protests in Kaduna said they were never tortured while in detention.They also stated that they never saw their alleged sponsor, Khalid while in detention.Narrating their accounts after their release, they said they were treated fairly during their stay in detention.

One of the released protesters, Dahiru Hamza from Tudun Wada, Kaduna, stated that their release followed the new DSS Director-General’s decision. He explained, “‘Honestly, I was not happy with the person that sponsored us to the protest, Khalid.“This was because he convinced us to believe that he had police authorisation to embark on the protest, only for us to end up in DSS custody.“But, we were lucky; since our arrest, we were never tortured or maltreated.” I sometimes challenged our sponsor, who was with us in the same room for days.” None of us was tortured in that room, and I never saw him being tortured either.”Hamza further added that after his arrest, he became scared, thinking he would be maltreated.He added,”But, that never happened. After writing my statement, I was even given food to eat before my detention, and the medical team attended to us.”Hamza said the only problem they faced was being confined into a place because they were not used to being kept in one place for a long time as a DJ.He added,”Apart from that, nobody beat or maltreated us.“You know it was not easy to stay in a place for days or more than a month without knowing your fate, even if you are well fed.“That, I will say, was the problem, but nobody beat us in detention.“If I had been tortured, now that I’m free from detention, I would not be afraid to say I was tortured, but I was not.” I don’t know why Khalid claimed he was tortured in detention.”Similarly, another released protester, Abdullahi Isa, arrested on August 2nd, said nobody touched him in the name of beating in detention.Isa said, “We were in the room with Khalid, and I can tell you for a fact that nobody touched me or beat anybody among us.” I never saw him being beaten or tortured.”He said they were not expecting to be released until they were called upon, that the new DGSS said their guardians were invited to write a statement on their behalf, and they were allowed to go after that.” Abdullahi concluded that since their release from the DSS on the order of the new DGSS, none of the officers of the organisation had called or harassed them.Isa averred, ” We later heard that the new DGSS even told the Kaduna DSS to review all operation and legal procedures of their cases and that of Khalid in Court.“That why why he is a free man today even though he sponsored us.” (NAN)