POLITICS
Plateau Assembly Approves N27bn Supplementary Budget for 2023

The Plateau State House of Assembly, presided over by the Speaker, Moses Sule, has approved the sum of N27 billion as supplementary budget for the state government for the 2023 Fiscal Year.
Sule, who read Gov. Caleb Mutfwang’s communication during plenary on Friday, said that the approval became expedient because of current realities.
Mutfwang had in the letter read by the speaker, said that the supplementary revenue, recurrent and capital expenditure, was to enable him execute his administration’s development agenda.
“The need to submit this document is in consideration of the fact that the budget already adopted was inherited by this administration upon assumption of office in May, 2023.
“The inherited budget is not a complete reflection of this administration’s agenda, hence, the need for the review.
“I hereby forward the 2023 Fiscal Year Proposed Supplementary Budget of N27 billion for your expeditious consideration and approval,” Mutfwang said.
Reports says that the house also approved Mutfwang’s request for a loan facility of N1.6 billion.
Sule in another communication from the governor, informed his colleagues that the facility was to enable Plateau State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), access counterpart fund from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
Mutfwang in the second communication said that the counterpart fund would enable SUBEB access counterpart fund which the board had been unable to access from UBEC since the second half of 2021.
He said that the board’s inability to access the fund was because the government had also been unable to provide counterpart funding that would qualify the state to access the intervention money.
“In the light of the foregoing, I hereby request the honourable house’ approval to take a facility of N1.6 billion, to enable the state government pay the counterpart funding to access same from UBEC,’’ he requested.
Meanwhile the house had also resolved to move its plenary from the assembly complex to Old Government House, Jos.
The speaker told his colleagues that the relocation was to give the contractor handling the renovation of the assembly complex space to complete the project.
Also, during the Friday plenary, the bill to repeal the Plateau Energy Corporation Law 2020, and enact the Plateau State Electricity Market, Administration and Technical Law 2023, passed first reading. (NAN)
POLITICS
Buhari Felicitates Tinubu at Midterm, Calls for Nigerians’ continue support

Former President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated his successor, President Bola Tinubu, on his midterm, calling for Nigerians’ continue support for his administration’s efforts to address poverty and inflation.
This is contained in a statement issued by Buhari’s former Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Wednesday.
Buhari also called for steadfast support for the All Progressives Congress-led government as it marks its second year in office, saying reforms would achieve success gradually, not overnight.
He warned that necessary reforms and desired changes must not fall victim to mettlesome domestic politics.
According to him, as the party and the government celebrate, the country should be reminded that leadership is a continuous journey.
Buhari expressed support for the ongoing efforts by the Tinubu-led administration to curb poverty and inflation, which, he said, had hit the poorest families.
Seeking Nigerians’ support for Tinubu-led administration, he said that the task of reducing poverty and inflation mustn’t be left only for the government.
“The private sector and all of us, as citizens, must join in all ways we can,” he said.
The former president urged Nigerians to remain optimistic and stay confident about the country’s future, saying ‘our expectations from our governments should not get heavy’.
While expressing his heartfelt felicitation to Tinubu on his two years in office, Buhari prayed God to keep and grant him the wisdom and care to continue to lead the country. (NAN)

President Tinubu Appoints Ex- Speaker, Enugu Assembly, Odo, as UNN Governing Council Member
President Bola Tinubu has appointed the former speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Chief Eugene Odo, and Mr. Muhammad Tahir, as governing council members of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
The appointment comes as part of the President’s renewed efforts to reposition federal tertiary institutions for excellence and global competitiveness.
Odo served as a two time speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly between 2007 and 2015.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Chieftain also served under the previous administration of Muhammad Buhari as a governing board member of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.
Also appointed were the governing councils members of the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) and Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka.
The appointments were contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, in Abuja.
Onanuga said President Tinubu charged the new council members to justify their appointments by ensuring that their respective universities move forward.(NAN)
POLITICS
PDP NEC Gets Under Way in Abuja

By Johnson Eyiangho, Abuja
All is set for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 99th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting today at the party’s Presidential Campaign Office, Legacy House, located in the Maitama District, Abuja. After a marathon meeting of the various organs of the PDP at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge, officials of the party have converged on Legacy House for the long awaited NEC meeting, which had been postponed for several times.
Security in and around the house has been beefed up with the deployment operatives from the Police, DSS and NSCDC. Many prominent members of the party, including its 2023 Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, were absent from the marathon meeting.The NEC, one of the highest decision-making organs of the PDP, comprises of Party National Chairman and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC), state governors, serving and former presidents, former vice-presidents, the chairman and secretary of the Board of Trustees (BoT), principal officers of the National Assembly, state chairpersons, former governors, and founding members, among others. The NEC meeting is expected to address critical issues affecting the party, including strategies for upcoming political engagements, leading to the 2027 general elections.On Monday, barely 24 hours to the much expected NEC meeting, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) keep to its threat and sealed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretariat, Wuse Zone 5 for failure to ground rent, a situation the party described as temporary set back.However, reprieve came to the PDP and others who had their properties sealed as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, intervened and gave them 14 days to pay their ground rent.