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NEITI Moves to Recover $6bn, N66bn from Oil Stakeholders

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 Plans are underway to recover $6 billion and an additional N66 billion owed to the Federal Government by stakeholders in the oil sector.

Mr Ogbonnaya Orji, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), stated this on Monday in Abuja.

He was speaking at the 2025 budget defence session organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream).

Orji revealed that NEITI was collaborating with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover the funds into government coffers.

The executive secretary noted that, according to the 2020 and 2021 reports, over $3.7 billion was recovered into government coffers as outstanding liabilities from companies operating in the sector.

He explained that NEITI was established to promote transparency and accountability in the Nigerian oil and gas, as well as the mining sector.

Orji said the agency had been allocated a budget of N6.5 billion for the 2025 financial year, comprising N2.220 billion for personnel, N1.722 billion for overhead, and N2.575 billion for capital projects.

Orji outlined some of the critical activities to be undertaken in the year.

They include conducting industry reports on the oil, gas, and mining sector, as well as fiscal allocation and statutory disbursement audits.

He added that research studies would be conducted on the actual volume of PMS consumed in Nigeria.

According to him, it will also indicate the economic impact of energy transition, and a national perception survey of EITI implementation in Nigeria.

During the budget defence session, Rep. Kafilat Ogbara (APC-Lagos) emphasised the need for government agencies to ensure that their budget proposals comply with the specified line items.

She expressed concern over the N32 million allocated for meals in the 2025 budget, stating that it was excessive, especially during a time of economic hardship.

“Most of our agencies should ensure that what they are bringing as budget proposal must actually tally with the line item and the purpose why you want to use such funds.

“Let us not just see budget defence as, ‘the money is there and we should share it. So, let us see how to get our own share’,” she said.

Rep. Ademorin Kuye (APC-Lagos) also stressed the importance of considering the economic situation in the country when preparing the annual budget.

He noted that the public perceives the National Assembly as a rubber stamp that approves anything presented by government agencies.

The Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Alhassan Doguwa, faulted the language used in the budget preparation.

He also faulted the inclusion of the National Assembly as beneficiaries of the agency’s welfare package.

Doguwa emphasised that the committee’s primary concern was the welfare of the Nigerian people.

He said the agencies must be mindful of their expenditure of public resources.

“While I agree that the budget stops at our desk and you are just presenting a proposal, I will like to say that the economy is actually bad.

“The population of people for whom we are actually here are crying out. Agencies of government must be mindful of what they spend out of public resources on.

“All these proposals are going to be spent at the expense of the Nigerian people.

“Sometimes, we come to make presentations here that sounds funny and very insultive in the eyes of the people.

“Especially, when you say in your projection things like welfare package in form of ex-gratia, health insurance, welfare packages to staff and some critical stakeholders,” he said.

Doguwa, however, assured the committee’s readiness to support the agency in actualising its mandate.

“Your agency is a critical one and the legislature was appreciative of the work that you are doing,” he said. (NAN)

NEWS

N20m Isn’t Enough to Date me, Says Bloody Civilian

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Nigerian singer. Emoseh Khamofu, popularly known as Bloody Civilian, has claimed that N20 million will be inadequate to date her.

She made the statement in a post on her verified X account on Thursday.

She wrote: “Thinking you can bag a dark skinned beauty like myself with 20mins delulu, doesn’t even cover melanin tax plus harmattan hyperpigmentation tax.

“Heritage preservation tax is 100 cows which would be paid directly to my ancestors (physically).

Bloody Civilian appeared on the extended play for Bob Marley’s biopic, One Love. (NAN)

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KTSG Spends N9.1bn to Improve Learning in Primary Schools

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The Katsina State Government has said that it has incurred an expenditure of N9.

1 billion to undertake projects and activities to improve learning in primary schools.

Alhaji Faruq Lawal-Jobe, the Deputy Governor of the state, stated this in Katsina on Friday during the monthly press briefing.

According to him, the effort through the state’s Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), was aimed at strengthening the education system at this stage.

The deputy governor further explained, “These include, among others, the construction of 160 classrooms, 81 boreholes, 46 toilets, and 20 staff quarters.

“Also, 258 classrooms were rehabilitated in addition to the provision of 612 teachers’ furniture and 14,602 two-seater pupils’ furniture.

“Furthermore, facilities such as books, teaching aids and instructional materials, namely laptop, desktop computers, tablets, solar-powered panels and inverters were provided.

“Additionally, motorcycles and vehicles were procured for effective monitoring.

“The board also conducted a series of training sessions for 274,816 officials, comprising primary school teachers and integrated Qur’anic schools teachers.”

According to him, others were the officials of Better Education Service Delivery for All, (BESDA), as well as teachers of private schools.

According to Lawal-Jobe, as part of the infrastructural development plan in schools, over N5,641 billion was expended under the ‘Transforming Education System at State Level, TESS-Project’.

This was under the ‘Better Education for Service Delivery Additional Financing (BESDA-AF), for the construction and rehabilitation of 150 primary schools across the State.

He said the projects and activities carried out included, among others, the  construction and renovation of classrooms, provision of solar-powered light and inverters, drilling of boreholes and the construction of water tanks, stores and toilets.

“To enhance monitoring and evaluation in our schools, the government has distributed 70 motorcycles to Quality Assurance Officers across 34 Local Government Areas.

“The administration has also prioritised security through installation of CCTV cameras in schools as well as providing essential learning materials, such as school bags, uniforms, and exercise books to less privileged pupils.

“These efforts have yielded positive results in the improvement in pupils enrolment as well as enhancing conducive atmosphere for learning at primary schools,” Lawal-Jobe said.

He added that the government had also unveiled the massive distribution of educational resources to primary 4–6 pupils, comprising 25,000 copies each for Mathematics, Computer Science, and English Language.

According to the deputy governor, this is in addition to the procurement of an 18-seater bus for project coordination and equipment for the School For The Blind. (NAN)

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Edo Election Tribunal: PDP Presents more Witnesses in Petition Against APC’s Victory

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Friday, called more witnesses at the election tribunal to challenge the victory of All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Monday Okpebholo, in the Sept.

21, 2024 governorship election in Edo.

Five witnesses testified before the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member panel of the Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

The witnesses alleged instances of over-voting in their polling units as APC, Okpebholo and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), through their lawyers, vehemently disagreed with their evidence.

The petitioners, PDP and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, are challenging the outcome of the election.

They petitioned INEC, Gov. Okpebholo, APC as 1st to 3rd respondents, respectively before the tribunal.

They prayed the tribunal to nullify the election results, alleging that the process was riddled with irregularities.

Led in evidence by the petitioners’ counsel, Rotimi Ogunesan, SAN, the 15th petitioner’s witness (PW-15), Haruna Ibrahim, a 34-year-old businessman residing in Sabo Quarters, Auchi, adopted his witness statement.

During cross-examination by the INEC lawyer, Kanu Agabi, SAN, Ibrahim admitted to signing the result sheet for his ward.

However, he clarified that he did so only to obtain a copy for his party.

When Agabi suggested that signing the result sheet indicated the election was credible, PW-15 disagreed.

Agabi then asked whether Ibrahim had lodged a formal protest regarding his grievances.

Ibrahim said: “I made a complaint to the unit officer. I protested, but not in writing. I did not file a written complaint.”

While being cross-examining by Okpebholo’s counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, PW-15 reiterated his claim of over-voting in his polling unit.

Ikpeazu, however, countered his statement by referring to the result sheet, which he said showed no over-voting.

“Look at the ward result containing your polling unit. The reconciled result shows no over-voting,” Ikpeazu said while displaying the document.

“In this paragraph, column 7, that is my unit column. We had over-voting in that unit.

“The total votes cast exceeded the recorded votes. I made an official protest, but my efforts for cancellation were declined,” the witness insisted.

He further alleged discrepancies between the figures recorded on the result sheet presented at the tribunal and those from the election day:

“This form is from my unit, but the figures do not correspond to the records from my unit.”

Dan Orbih, who appeared for APC,, also disagreed with the witness.

Orbih stated that the result sheet showed no over-voting and urged the witness to recount the figures himself.

The tribunal admitted the witness’ agent card as evidence upon the request by the petitioners’ counsel, despite objections from the respondents’ lawyers.

 “Court admits the agent’s card as evidence and reserves judgment on the objection to its admissibility,” the tribunal ruled.

Other witnesses who testified include Esther Okuo, a 27-year-old farmer from Igarra, Akoko-Edo LGA as 16th petitioner’s witness (PW-16); and Abubakar Uzairu, the PW-17),  a teacher from Owan East LGA.

It also included Asuluka Righteousness, a motorcyclist from Enwan in Akoko-Edo LGA as PW-18 and Mutairu Yusuf, a farmer from Agbede in Etsako West LGA as PW-19.

The tribunal adjourned hearing until Feb. 3.(NAN)

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