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N54.2 trillion budget: Peter Obi questions Tinubu govt on transparency, accountability

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Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi, says there is no corresponding breakdown of expenditures to justify the increase in the 2025 national budget.

The statement comes after President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, increased the appropriation bill for the 2025 fiscal year from N49.7 trillion to N54.2 trillion.

Recall that Tinubu announced the increment in separate letters, which he forwarded to both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Reacting to the development, Obi said that Nigerians need to know how the resources generated are being allocated for the sake of transparency and accountability.

This, he said, was to ensure that they were judiciously spent on the country’s development and the well-being of the people.

In a statement issued on Friday via his X handle, the former Anambra state Governor said Nigerians were still waiting for a detailed account of the execution and expenditures of the Renewed Hope budget passed in December 2023.

Obi further called on the National Assembly to seize this opportunity to obtain and make public the full details of the 2024 budget.

He said: “Yesterday, I read about the increase in the Budget of Restoration to N54 trillion due to increased revenue.“

While the sources of this revenue were detailed, there is no corresponding breakdown of expenditures to justify the increase.

For transparency and accountability sake Nigerians need to know how the resources generated from them are being allocated to ensure that they are judiciously spent on the country’s development and the well-being of the people.

“Such expenditures should be directed toward critical areas of development; education, healthcare, security, and poverty alleviation.“

Furthermore, Nigerians are still waiting for a detailed account of the execution and expenditures of the Renewed Hope budget passed in December 2023 to ensure that it has been properly utilized for the country’s future development and the well-being of its citizens.

“I call on the National Assembly to seize this opportunity to obtain and make public the full details of the 2024 budget of Renewed Hope budget

“Transparency in this regard is crucial for ensuring accountability, learning from past budgets, and making informed decisions for the nation’s progress.

“As we work towards passing the Budget of Restoration for 2025, let us uphold openness, accountability, and the welfare of the Nigerian people.

We owe it to ourselves, our children, and the future of our great nation.

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Police Debunk Viral “Terror Attack” Video in Abuja, Launch Investigation

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The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has dismissed as false and misleading a viral video claiming terrorists were advancing on Abuja with heavy gunfire.

In a statement on Thursday, the Command said there was no terrorist attack or security breach anywhere in the Federal Capital Territory.

Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, described the video as a deliberate attempt to incite panic and spread misinformation.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, preliminary investigations revealed that the gunshots in the footage were manipulated and edited from an unrelated source, then superimposed on visuals of buildings under construction at an unidentified location.

The Commissioner has ordered a full forensic analysis to trace the origin of the video and identify those responsible for prosecution.

The FCT Police warned content creators and social media users against spreading false information that could cause fear and public disorder.

Residents were urged to disregard the video and refrain from sharing unverified content.

The Command reassured residents of its commitment to maintaining safety and security in the FCT.

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US Declares 23 Nigerian States High-Risk for Citizens

Southern and Southeastern states were not spared. The Department urged caution in Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers (excluding Port Harcourt), citing crime, kidnapping, and violent protests.

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Photo: President Donald Trump; President Bola Tinubu

The United States Department of State has classified 23 Nigerian states “High Insecurity Risks” for its citizens to go , work and live.

In an updated travel advisory issued on Wednesday, the Embassy in Nigeria urged Americans to reconsider travel to Nigeria, with certain states classified under “Level 4: Do Not Travel” due to heightened security risks.

Plateau, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger, and Taraba were added to the list, bringing the total to 23 states where travel is strongly discouraged.

In Northern Nigeria, the advisory highlighted Borno, Jigawa, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe, and northern Adamawa as particularly high-risk, citing terrorism, kidnapping, and violent crime.Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara were also flagged due to civil unrest, widespread crime, and kidnappings.

“The security situation in these states is unstable and uncertain due to civil unrest. Widespread violence between communities and armed crime, including kidnapping and roadside banditry.

“Security operations to counter these threats may occur without warning,” the advisory warned.

Southern and Southeastern states were not spared. The Department urged caution in Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers (excluding Port Harcourt), citing crime, kidnapping, and violent protests.

“Crime is widespread in Southern Nigeria. There is a high risk of kidnapping, violent protests, and armed gangs,” the advisory stated.

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INEC releases updated voters registration figure nationwide

Youth participation remained dominant, with citizens aged between 18 and 34 accounting for 2,354,768 registrants, representing 68.43 per cent of the total figure.

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has recorded over 3.4 million new voters in the ongoing second phase of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise nationwide.

The figure is disclosed by the Commission in its week 13 update released on Wednesday in Abuja.

” A total of 3,441,121 registrations have been completed as of April 3, covering both online pre-registrations and physical walk-ins,” said INEC .

Given the breakdown, INEC explained that 2,068,384 citizens completed their registration online, while 1,372,737 others registered physically at designated centres across the country.

State-by-state data showed that Jigawa recorded the highest number of registrants with 201,047, representing 5.84 percent of the total.

Lagos followed with 181,095, while Kano ranked third with 177,681 registrations.Youth participation remained dominant, with citizens aged between 18 and 34 accounting for 2,354,768 registrants, representing 68.43 per cent of the total figure.

Gender distribution indicated a higher turnout among women, with females accounting for 1,922,143 registrations (55.86 percent), compared to 1,518,978 males (44.14 percent).

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