Television Nigerian

The State House and Lagos State offices are expected to be digitalized for a total of N10 billion in 2024 by the Nigerian government, led by Bola Tinubu, according to details of the proposed budget for that year.
The planned 2024 Appropriations Bills included a project described by the Office of the Chief of Staff to President Femi Gbajabiamila, titled “Full Digitalization Of The Entire State House And Lagos State Offices And Quarters.”

Additionally, N10 billion has been set aside by the Chief of Staff office for the ongoing renovations of the Vice President Quarters in Lagos and Dodan Barracks Presidential Lodge, as well as N290 million for the Chief of Staff’s vehicle purchase.

Previously, it was claimed that the Ministry of Defense of the country allocated N50 billion for the purpose of “purchasing arms and ammunition.” Concurrently, N65 billion was allocated by the government for the “Presidential Amnesty Programme: Reintegration Of Transformed Ex-Militants.”

With the aim of reintegrating remorseful militants into society, the Nigerian government created the amnesty program.

In order to confront the current insurgency in the country, the Tinubu administration plans to spend N15 billion more on this initiative than on weapons for security guards.

N290,000,000 was set aside by the government in its budget for the purchase of cars for the Chief of Staff’s office and N120,000,000 for the restoration of military cemeteries.

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Vice President Kashim Shettima and President Tinubu set aside N10.13 billion for meals and travel (both domestic and international), according to the budget proposal details.

N638.5 million of Tinubu’s N7.6 billion travel budget will be allocated for domestic travel and N6.9 billion for international travel.

N1.8 billion will be spent on Shettima’s travels, of which N1.2 billion will be spent abroad and N618.4 million on domestic travel.

A N660.5 million budget was also set aside for feeding, under the heading “refreshment & meal and foodstuff for the offices of Tinubu and Shettima.” Out of this total, the President’s office will receive N287.8 million, and the Vice President’s office will receive N372.6 million.

Along with N254.2 million for food and catering supplies, the budget plan also contains N33.6 million for the president’s meals and drinks.

In addition to N337.5 million for food and catering supplies, the vice president has allocated N35 million for meals and refreshments.

Renowned businessman and PDP leader Martins Osakue has stated that it is improper for a state’s governor to choose their own successor.

In a conversation with Vanguard, Osakue made this claim.

He maintained that letting governors choose who will succeed them undermines a fundamental component of democracy.

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The PDP leader claimed not to be aware of any contributions made by Asue Ighodalo, the presumed successor to Governor Godwin Obaseki, to Edo State when questioned about the politician.

Osakue revealed that he cautioned those involved that they were preparing poor soup when he was called about the situation.

In his words, “I don’t know him. He’s unknown to us. I have been involved in politics here since 1978, for almost 40 years. I belonged to the Unity Party of Nigeria. I joined PDP at its inception. You become familiar with someone’s lineage when you do. I consider what this man has accomplished for my constituency—education.

“How has he impacted education? He is training how many people? Which free education program is his? How has he contributed to his community? You can introduce us to certain individuals in Edo Central. That is the role of leadership.

“I was called by them. They were making poor soup, I warned them. I was blunt in my remarks. That soup is spoiled already. That initiative has no chance of success.

It is morally incorrect for governors to choose their own successors. How come? It prevents transparency and accountability, two essential components of democracy. Why did you select this individual?

…say APM didn’t file petition at the tribunal

The Coalition of Middle Belt Groups says the position of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and other political parties have validated the victory of the All Progressives Congress candidate Alhaji Usman Ododo.

The group said the decision of the APM not to go to court to debate the election result shows that Ododo was the overwhelming choice of the masses.

Dr Omale Ben Amedu, the convener of the group who was also the Deputy Governorship candidate of the APM during the election rubbished reports trying to discredit the exercise saying  the result was an expression of the people’s wishes.

He said: “The gubernatorial elections in Kogi state came with its challenges. However, this does not lend credence to the insinuations that it was not free, fair, and credible. This position canvassed by some interested parties is not a reflection of reality, and we wish to state in unequivocal terms that the election was indeed free, fair, and credible.

“This is because there is nowhere in the world where an election can be rated 100%. Advanced democracies in the world still experience glitches during elections, so long the ratio of the glitch is negligible, as, in the case of the gubernatorial election in Kogi state, it can be regarded, as free, fair, and credible.

“Those on the ground during the elections would admit that the process remains one of the best in recent times, but for a few issues that the Independent National Electoral Commission needs to address in future elections.

“The outcome of the elections in Kogi state is an expression of the people’s wishes. Though many may disagree, it is normal, but people should learn to be magnanimous in victory and defeat.

“It is also instructive to state that all the major parties that participated in the elections decided not to go to court as a result of the conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission before, during, and after the elections. This is a result of the efforts to ensure that the elections went smoothly, contrary to what is peddled in the public space.

“We elected not to go to court because there is nothing to debate. The elections were held in all parts of the state. There were no cases of harassment or intimidation. The security agencies were present and ensured the smooth conduct of the elections, which resulted in a winner that the Independent National Electoral Commission announced.

“The recent utterances by the supposed secretary of the elections petitions tribunal in Lokoja that she was attacked and petitions submitted have been stolen is false and remains a figment of her imagination.

“The Coalition of Middle Belt Groups condemns this position for lacking in merit. The tribunal secretary is either playing to the gallery or acting as a paid script written by those bent on rubbishing the outcome of the gubernatorial elections in the state. ”

The Coalition, therefore,  charged the Independent National Electoral Commission to continue to improve its facilities to accommodate the dynamics inherent in conducting elections and managing the outcomes.

He added: “The case of Kogi state remains commendable. Despite the issues, the Independent National Electoral Commission officials were up and doing. They ensured the process was free, fair, and credible. We believe the Independent National Electoral Commission will improve its operations using the Kogi state elections as an example.

“The Coalition of Middle-belt groups is using this medium to call on all relevant stakeholders in Kogi state to rally support with the winner of the gubernatorial election towards achieving sustainable growth and development. “

Agbo Major, a NNPP official, has stated that Rabiu Kwankwaso, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has been lawfully expelled.

The decision to expel Kwankwaso, according to Major, resulted from an alleged attempt by the former governor of Kano State and his followers to seize control of the party from its original founders.

Major maintains that the expulsion was necessary to protect the party’s integrity and prevent Kwankwaso and his loyalists from taking power.

“The entire concept was okay, this man (founder) is a good man, he listens, and so on and so forth, so let us dominate him and take over the party.” That’s what they wanted, but they found in us the determination to make sure it didn’t happen,” Major said on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.

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He added that Kwankwaso’s side joined the party the previous year as part of a deal that permitted them to run in the 2023 elections.

“They joined us for the election last year.” They joined us on the basis of a memorandum of understanding, which granted them the right to run for various elective seats in the 2023 general election.

“That MoU explicitly stated that at the end of the election, they could go their way, or we come back again to redesign that marriage and see if we will be able to continue or not, but when we saw their activities, we discovered that there is no way the marriage is going to continue, we had to ask them to go, and that is the situation now,” he added.

Following the end of the 2023 elections, the NNPP has been involved in a crisis, with internal party factions resorting to tactics such as suspensions and expulsions against one another.

The Agbo Major faction consists mostly of long-standing party members, whilst the opposing camp consists of persons connected with Kwankwaso, the party’s presidential candidate.

On Wednesday, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, rejected a report on an allegation that bothered the transfer of a N25 billion Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) intended for retired military pensioners to the Minister of Defense.

Special Advisor on Media and Public Affairs to the Minister, Mr. Rasheed Zubair, released a statement that included the rejection.

While pointing out that the Ministry has not released, nor plans to release, any funds intended for the Renewed Hope Cash Transfer to any person or organization, Mr. Zubair revealed that all approved funds, upon verification of the beneficiaries’ information, will be sent directly to them through their bank accounts and are verifiable, in accordance with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive.

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“A fake news item in the media and public spaces alleging that N25 billion allegedly meant for the Retired Military Pensioners from the Conditional Cash Transfer Funds has been given to the Honourable Minister of Defence, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, has drawn the attention of the Honourable Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu,” he said.

People who are discontent, adversaries of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration, and miscreants are asked to ignore this news as it is not only fake but also a calculated, malevolent, and inane attempt to damage the reputation and honor of the Honourable Minister.

As per the records, the Honourable Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation never gave or considered giving Ministers or Ministries money intended for the pensioners of retired military personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces.”Just to be clear, in the third week of November, the Nigerian Legion and the Pensioners group submitted a list of 17,077 Veterans and 264,560 Pensioners to the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO). The process of physically verifying the names is still in progress.

Analogously, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation’s office in charge of verifying the register is laboriously working with the World Bank. Upon completion of the meticulous verification process, all captured retired warriors who fulfill the requirements and pensions will get payment.

This press statement informs the public, particularly the media, that the ministry has not distributed any funds intended for the Renewed Hope Cash Transfer to any specific person or organization, nor does it aim to do so.

Following verification of the recipients’ information, all money are to be delivered directly to them through their bank accounts and are verifiable, per President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s direction.

“Nigerians should appreciate the novel idea and first of its kind in the country’s history—the President’s good intention to expand the National Social Register and begin paying N25,000 for three months to accommodate veterans of the Nigerian Armed Forces—and not allow themselves to be misled or distracted by naysayers,” Mr. Zubair stated in the statement.