Author: Hamza Rufai

DETAILS about how the National Assembly plans to pass the proposed N49.7 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill have emerged. According to the legislative timeline, the joint National Assembly Committee on Appropriations will lay its report on the budget on Friday, 31 January 2025, setting the stage for its anticipated passage in early February. The National Assembly’s timetable noted that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are expected to defend their allocations before the relevant committees starting Monday, 7 January 2025. A memo obtained by our correspondent in Abuja revealed that the Senate Committees on Appropriations and Finance will meet with key government…

KWANKWASO former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has refuted rumours circulating recently that he reached an agreement with opposition presidential candidates Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), to share power by alternating terms. In an interview with the BBC, Kwankwaso, who was the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), said he was unaware of such claim but had heard reports that Atiku’s camp had been meeting with regional leaders, including clerics, to propagate the narrative. He stated, “This issue deeply angers me—to hear that…

THE House of Representatives is considering a bill to separate the offices of the Attorney General of the Federation from that of the Minister of Justice. Offices of the Attorney General of a state will also be separated from the Commissioner of Justice if the bill sales through. The bill, co-sponsored by two Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers, Mansur Soro (Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency, Bauchi State) and Oluwole Oke (Osun) is receiving legislative input from the House Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu. The bill is seeking alteration to Section 150 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)…

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has said that President Bola Tinubu does not interfere in the operations of the national oil company neither does he influence movements within it. NNPCL equally said “employment, promotions, appointments, and movements of business leaders at the NNPC are not influenced by ethnicity, tribe, religion, or political affiliation.” Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, stated these in a statement on Saturday in response to the article, “Tinubu’s Buharisation of the NNPC” authored by Prof. Farooq Kperogi. According to him, decisions within the NNPCL “are guided strictly by merit, business requirements,…

NIGER Republic’s President Abdourahmane Tchiani is facing a backlash of criticism from his fellow countrymen following his recent allegation of a conspiracy by Nigeria against his country. Tchiani in a Christmas Day interview claimed, among other things, that Nigeria had provided a base for French soldiers near Lake Chad had established training camps for terrorists in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states, all aimed at destabilising Niger. The Federal Government has dismissed the allegations as baseless, with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, being the latest government official to debunk the…

BAUCHI State Governor, Bala Mohammed has approved the appointment of Aminu Hammayo as the new Secretary to the State Government (SSG). Hammayo’s appointment followed the sudden resignation of the former SSG, Ibrahim Kashim, who is a close political associate of Governor Mohammed. The new SSG served at different positions under previous Bauchi governors and contested for the office of the governor in 2011. He once served as Commissioner for Budget, Economic Planning and Multilateral Coordination for the past four years under Governor Mohammed. Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mukhtar Gidado disclosed this in a statement made…

THE Federal Government has strongly rejected allegations made in a viral video by the military leader of Niger Republic, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, claiming non-existent collusion between Nigeria and France to destabilise his country. The Federal Government also said Nigeria remained committed to fostering regional stability and will continue to lead efforts to address terrorism and other transnational challenges. A statement issued on Thursday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, urged Niger to focus on constructive dialogue and collaboration rather than peddling baseless accusations. The statement read in full: “These claims exist solely in the realm of…

PRESIDENT of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has clarified that the recent reduction in the price of Premium Motor Spirit, commonly known as petrol, to N899.50 per litre at its loading gantry was primarily driven by the complex dynamics of market forces. He also said it is his responsibility to safeguard both the interests and the investments of the multibillion dollar company. The business tycoon made these statements during an interview in an Arise TV documentary posted on YouTube and obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday. He said, “The price reduction is a response to the market, let me just…

PROFESSOR Saleh Usman, the executive Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, has approved the appointment of Alidu Shutti as the acting Secretary of the commission with immediate effect. The commission’s Assistant Director, Information and Publications Division, Fatima Sanda-Usara, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja. She explained that the appointment of Shutti followed the voluntary retirement of the former Secretary of NAHCON, Dr Abdullahi Kontagora, on Dec. 6. Mrs Sanda-Usara stated that before his new appointment, Shutti was the Director, Inspectorate and Compliance in the commission since 2023. She said that Shutti would hold the acting…

THE Federal Government has earmarked over N780m for prosecuting terrorism-related cases, anti-money laundering initiatives, and other criminal matters in 2025. According to the 2025 Appropriation Bill, N530m has been allocated for the management of terrorism-related cases and issues, and N2bn for the purchase of vehicles for Senior Special Assistants. Additionally, N100.99m will be directed toward anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing measures, while N150m has been set aside for the prosecution of criminal and related matters. These allocations were listed under the Ministry of Justice. The ministry also plans to establish a National Crime Database, with N50m allocated for this initiative.…

NNPC Limited has reduced the pump price of petrol at its retail outlets in Abuja to N965 per litre from N1,030 per litre. This marks the second price cut by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company within two weeks, following a reduction from N1,060 to N1,030 per litre. Checks by this newspaper on Monday revealed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited effected the new price across its retail outlets in the capital city, to the delight of customers. The new amount is the second price drop in less than two weeks from N1,060 earlier this month. At its mega station…

NO fewer than 10 federal ministries and agencies under their purview got over N1tn each as appropriation in the 2025 budget, this newspaper analysis has shown. A breakdown of the proposed allocation, contained in the 2025 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly, showed that the ministries include Police Affairs, Interior, Defence, Finance, Power, Works, and Budget and Economic planning. Others are the ministries of Niger Delta, Education, and Health. The proposed budget showed that the finance ministry got the highest allocation of N17.52tn. Majority of this is for salary payment. The amount is an increase of 87.78 per cent…

THE Federal Government has allocated a sum of N27bn for the entitlements of former presidents, vice-presidents, heads of state, chiefs of staff, retired heads of service, and professors in the 2025 fiscal year, investigations by Saturday PUNCH have revealed. Beneficiaries of this allocation include former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari, alongside ex-vice-presidents Atiku Abubakar, Namadi Sambo, and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. Others expected to benefit are ex-military Heads of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.) and Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), as well as former military President, Ibrahim Babangida and retired Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe. President Bola…

THE Securities and Exchange Commission has directed all publicly listed companies to publish their financial statements on their official websites from January 2025. According to the Commission, the directive aims to ensure seamless public access to financial information, which is critical for making sound investment decisions. A circular issued on Friday emphasised the importance of transparency and timely disclosure. SEC warned that non-compliance with the directive would attract sanctions. The circular stated, “The Securities and Exchange Commission has observed that public companies file their periodic returns with the Commission and relevant securities exchanges without simultaneously publishing them on their websites.…

GARBA Shehu, a spokesperson for ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has addressed the ongoing buzz surrounding the seizure of a plot of land in Abuja supposedly owned by the ex-president. This newspaper had reported how the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, revoked 762 Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) in the highbrow Maitama district of Abuja over non-payment of statutory fees. Ex-President Buhari’s Trust Foundation; former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen; Speaker of the house of representatives, Abbas Tajudeen; Secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), George Akume, his wife, Regina; and Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna are among those impacted by…

MINISTER of State For Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh today Thursday the 19th of December, identified the  importance of enhanced performance with direct impact on the lives of the Nigerian people as critical to the implementation of the core mandate of agencies within  the Industrial sector of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment. Speaking when the top management of NEPZA led by the Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi paid him a visit in his office  to deliver a progress report on the activities of the authority, the Minister of State for Industry, charged the management of NEPZA to…

THE House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Accounts has delisted of the National Examinations Council (NECO), University of Ibadan (UI), and 22 departments and agencies from the 2025 Budget over unaccounted funds allocated to these agencies in 2024 and the previous years. The Chairman of the Committee, Bamidele Salam, made this known on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday monitored by News Point Nigeria. According to him, lack of discipline on the part of institutions affects the efficient implementation of Nigeria’s budgetary allocations every year. Salam said the concerned agencies have consistently shunned summons by the green chamber to…

THE House of Representatives will, on December 31, 2024, present the sum of N704.91m to President Bola Tinubu for the use of vulnerable Nigerians owing to the economic hardship occasioned by the removal of the petrol subsidy. Recall that on July 18, the House resolved to slash 50 per cent of their salaries for six months to address the challenges faced by ordinary Nigerians following the adoption of a motion moved during a plenary session. Following a motion by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, the House, in July, resolved to donate half of their salaries to meet the hunger needs of…

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted the 2025 budget proposal presented by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing it as “unrealistic, opaque, and insincere.” PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, in a statement on Wednesday said the budget was anti-people, warning that its implementation would worsen insecurity, poverty, and despair across the nation. Tinubu unveiled the N49.7 trillion 2025 budget proposal during a joint session of the National Assembly, allocating N4.91 trillion for defence and security, N4.06 trillion for infrastructure, N2.48 trillion for health, and N3.52 trillion for education. But the opposition party criticised the budget presentation, alleging it was…

SENATE President Godswill Akpabio has asked President Bola Tinubu to caution “intransigent ministers” in his cabinet who won’t respond to invitations by the National Assembly. Akpabio said such ministers have no place in Tinubu’s cabinet because they are not democrats. The Senate President made this known on Wednesday when the President presented 2025 budget estimates of N47.9 tn before a joint session of the National Assembly. “Those who disregard invitation by the National Assembly are not democratic and therefore have no place in your government,” Akpabio told Tinubu before a full house of members of the Senate and the House…