News
BREAKING: Reps scrap N5bn presidential yacht from budget, increase student’s loan to 10bn
The House of Representatives has removed the controversial N5 billion presidential yacht from the 2023 supplementary budget.
The budget was passed on Tuesday by the House after adopting the report submitted by the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Abubakar Bichi from Kano State.
The Committee of Supply considered the recommendations of the Appropriations Committee and passed the bill.
Bichi, after the passage of the budget, spoke with journalists and announced that the controversial presidential yacht was removed by the committee.
He stated that the N5 billion was moved to the Student Loans, increasing the allocation for student loans to 10bn as against 5. 5bn
The Committee also increased the budgetary allocation of the Ministry of Defence from 476bn to 546bn following security concerns.
Bichi also disclosed that the minimum wage for workers was considered and approved for onward transmission to the executive while promising proper legislative oversight to ensure 100 percent implementation
The sum of 100bn was also retained for FCT as requested by the minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike
The House, therefore, passed the sum of N2.177 trn as the supplementary budget.
Recall that the proposal by President Bola Tinubu had included spending N1.5 billion on vehicles for the office of the First Lady, N5 billion on a presidential yacht and another N12.5 billion on the presidential air fleet.
There are ongoing campaigns on social media to stop the National Assembly from approving the supplementary budget, however, the bill has been given speedy approval.
Following the passage of the bill, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas announced that the president would sign the bill on Friday.
News
JUST IN: 1 Dead, 3 Rescued in Fadeyi Building Collapse, Lagos
A two-storey building has collapsed in the Fadeyi area of Lagos, resulting in one fatality and the rescue of three people, emergency officials confirmed on Friday morning.
The incident occurred in the early hours, sending residents and nearby traders into panic as the structure suddenly gave way. Rescue teams from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and other first responders quickly arrived at the scene and began extracting victims from the rubble.
According to preliminary reports, one person was confirmed dead at the site, while three others were pulled out alive and rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Their conditions have not yet been disclosed.
Security personnel have cordoned off the area to allow rescue operations to continue and to prevent further access by onlookers. Officials are still assessing whether any other persons remain trapped under the debris.
The cause of the collapse has not been established. Authorities have not ruled out structural failure, but investigations are ongoing.
Further updates are expected as the rescue operation progresses and more details become available from emergency services.
News
UNILAG School Teachers Begin Work-to-Rule Over Unpaid Arrears
Teachers at the International School, University of Lagos (ISL), on Wednesday commenced a work-to-rule action over unpaid salary arrears, their removal from the university’s payroll, and delays in implementing a National Industrial Court judgment.
The staff are demanding the payment of outstanding Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Teaching Allowance (CONTTA) arrears, as well as arrears from the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary adjustments approved in 2024. They also want full restoration to the university’s payroll.
Comrade Razak Yusuf, Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), University of Lagos branch, said the industrial action followed prolonged delays in resolving the teachers’ employment status and financial entitlements.
The teachers had approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, which ruled in their favour on May 11, 2026. Despite the judgment, they claim the university has yet to fully restore their names to the payroll or settle outstanding benefits.
Protesters carried placards with messages such as “Equal Work, Equal Rights,” “ISL tutors deserve their due,” and “Other UNILAG staff paid, ISL tutors still owed.” The action disrupted teaching and a scheduled mid-term examination at the school.
The teachers called on the university management to restore the affected staff to the payroll, settle all outstanding financial obligations, and provide a clear payment plan with timelines.
They rejected suggestions that any interim arrangement under the university’s Council protocol amounted to goodwill, insisting they were only seeking recognition of their employment rights.
The development continues a pattern of industrial disputes at the University of Lagos over salary and allowance issues.
News
JUST IN: Gas Emissions Hit Ogun Schools, Hundreds of Pupils Hospitalised
Hundreds of students were hospitalised on Wednesday morning after fresh gaseous emissions hit parts of Ogun State, including Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye.
The incident affected pupils at Anglican Girls Grammar School, Obalende, Ijebu-Ode, and Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School. Several schools in Ago-Iwoye suspended academic activities and sent students home as a precaution.
Kehinde Bello, General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), visited the affected areas and linked the emissions to underground gas previously recorded in Ijebu-Ode since April 2026. He said the situation was under control and attributed the releases to natural geological and tectonic fault lines, ruling out sabotage or a gas pipeline leak.
Bello assured residents that the state government was working on a lasting solution. He advised anyone exposed to the odour to cover their noses and mouths with wet handkerchiefs.
The recurring emissions have renewed concerns about the safety of students and residents in the affected communities.
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