Television Nigerian

Following the emergence of an unprecedented COVID-19 variant, Omicron, citizens all over the world ushered in 2022 with subdued celebrations.

Omicron appeared in the last quarter of 2021, lulling the usual hustle and bustle that accompanied the festive season, just when the world thought it was free of COVID-19.

Despite the low death and hospitalization rates, many countries have canceled elaborate celebrations to avoid a spike in cases due to the variant’s highly contagious nature.

As a result, London Mayor Sadiq Khan ordered that the annual spectacular fireworks display be broadcast live on television so that citizens can watch from the comfort of their own homes and reduce the risk of contracting the disease.

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To the delight of locals, the Big Ben clock, which had been undergoing repairs for the previous four years, chimed 12 times to usher in the new year. In Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, bars and clubs were closed.

In France, however, residents were not complying with COVID-19 measures, which was a unique situation. Despite President Macron’s decision to cancel the annual colorful fireworks display at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, thousands of people gathered on the Champs-Elysées avenue to ring in the new year amid squeals and laughter.

Nigeria was no exception, as citizens defied the government’s order to assemble in religious centers masse for crossover services to usher in the year 2022. Excited night crawlers branched out to select joints after church services ended to continue the New Year’s celebrations.

Around 15,000 people, both locals and tourists, swayed their bodies in Times Square in New York City to James Blunt’s Living in America. As they shook balloons under falling confetti, revelers gathered to witness the annual ball drop that usually ushers in the new year.
The swearing-in ceremony for Eric Leroy Adams as the new mayor of New York City added to the excitement. Mr. Eric took his oath of office shortly after midnight, to rousing applause from the audience.

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Residents of Auckland, New Zealand, were terrified of Omicron because there was no official fireworks display to ring in the new year.

Meanwhile, in Australia’s largest city, Sydney fireworks went off at 0.00 hours local time on Saturday, adorning the city’s firmament in alluring projectiles.

Residents in the Quebec region of Canada struggled to get home before midnight due to a curfew that was in effect from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. To combat the spread of the rampaging variant, Premier François Legault banned all forms of social gatherings on Thursday.

The traditional bell-ringing ceremony in South Korea has been canceled as the country battles a resurgence of the pandemic.

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On the other hand, North Koreans braved the cold to attend an outdoor concert to commemorate Kim Jong Un’s ten-year rule. The event was held in Pyongyang’s Kim II Sung Square and featured a colorful fireworks display. Attendees, on the other hand, followed all COVID-19 protocols while wearing their masks throughout the event.

President Muhammadu Buhari reluctantly signed the N17.127 trillion 2022 Appropriation Bill into law yesterday after expressing deep concern about changes made to the budget by the National Assembly.

The president proposed a budget of N16.391 trillion to the National Assembly, but lawmakers increased it to N17.127 trillion.

At a brief ceremony in the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja, the President also signed the 2021 Finance Bill. He also hinted that his administration would submit an amendment to the 2022 Appropriation Law to the legislative arm early in 2022 to address the National Assembly’s changes.

Buhari expressed strong reservations about the “worrisome changes” to the budget while signing the two documents in the presence of Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, and members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

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According to Buhari, lawmakers reduced funding for some projects while adding 6,576 new projects to the 2022 budget.

He stated that as soon as the National Assembly reconvened, he would submit a request for amendment to ensure that critical ongoing projects vital to the administration did not suffer a setback due to reduced funding.

“I signed the 2022 Appropriation Bill into law to enable its implementation to begin on January 1, 2022,” the President said.

In this regard, I must express my reservations about many of the amendments made by the National Assembly to the Executive Budget proposal for 2022.

“Here are a few of the alarming changes: Increase in projected FGN Independent Revenue of N400 billion, for which the Executive has yet to receive justification. Without explanation, the provision for the Sinking Fund to Retire Maturing Bonds was reduced by N22 billion.

“Provisions for the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian Navy’s Non-Regular Allowances have been reduced by N15 billion and N5 billion, respectively.

Because personnel cost provisions are based on agencies’ nominal rolls and approved salaries/allowances, this is particularly concerning.

“Furthermore, the Overhead budgets of some Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) were increased by N21.72 billion, while the provision for some MDAs was cut by N1.96 billion without apparent justification.

“A net increase of N575.63 billion in the provision for capital spending (excluding Capital share in Statutory Transfer) from N4.89 trillion to N5.47 trillion.”

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President Buhari also expressed concern about budget cuts to some critical projects, including N12.6 billion in the Ministry of Transport’s budget for ongoing Rail Modernisation projects, N25.8 billion from the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning’s Power Sector Reform Program, N14.5 billion from several Ministry of Agriculture projects, and the introduction of over 1,500 new projects into this Ministry’s and its agencies’ budgets.

The President expressed his displeasure with the “Inclusion of new provisions totaling N36.59 billion for National Assembly projects in the Service Wide Vote,” which he believes violates the separation of powers and financial autonomy of the legislative branch.

“The changes to the original Executive proposal are in the form of new insertions, outright removals, reductions and/or increases in the amounts allocated to projects.”Provisions for as many as 10,733 projects were reduced, while the National Assembly introduced 6,576 new projects into the budget.

“The National Assembly’s cuts in funding for several of these projects, particularly some of this Administration’s strategic capital projects, may make them unworkable or delay their completion.”

“The majority of the projects inserted appear to be poorly conceptualized, designed, and costed, and they relate to matters that are primarily the responsibility of state and local governments.”
According to the President, the 2022 Budget allocates N17.127 trillion in total expenditures, an increase of N735.85 billion over the initial Executive Proposal of N16.391 trillion.

However, N186.53 billion of the increase came from additional critical expenditures that the President had directed the Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning to submit to the National Assembly.

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“The Minister will make the details of the budget as passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by me available to the public,” he said.

Because the 2023 Budget will be a transition budget, Buhari stated that work will begin immediately to ensure the timely submission of the 2023-2025 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper, as well as the 2023 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly.

As a result, he directed MDA heads to work with the Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, specifically the Budget Office of the Federation, to achieve this critical goal.

Regarding COVID-19 and budget implementation, the President stated that, despite the pandemic’s lingering negative effects, he was pleased with the progress made in implementing the 2021 Budget.
President Buhari praised the National Assembly’s patience and quick action in this matter.

President Buhari promised that the federal government would increase revenue mobilization efforts to meet the laudable goals of the 2022 Budget.

Given the positive global oil market outlook and the continued improvement in non-oil revenues, he expressed confidence in the government’s ability to finance the budget.

“I also appeal to our fellow citizens and the business community at large to pay their taxes on time,” Buhari said.

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The specific Borrowing Plan will be forwarded to the National Assembly shortly, as it is a deficit budget.

“I expect the National Assembly to work with me to expedite consideration and approval of the Plan once it is submitted,” he says. “All borrowings will be prudently used and invested in our future growth and prosperity.”

Lawan is a lawyer who defends legislators.

The Senate President has stated that the National Assembly was correct in its decision to tamper with Budget 2022.
Shortly after the President signed the budget, Lawan spoke at the Presidential Villa.
“I believe the most important thing is that Mr. President is pleased with the majority of the work done by the National Assembly,” he said. That is the most important thing for us to concentrate on.

“As for Mr. President’s observations, this is a natural and logical tendency between the executive and legislative branches. Our opinions on certain issues may differ from those of the executive.

“As a result, I don’t believe what the President did in making some observations is something we should be concerned about.” In the first place, I’m glad the President signed the budget. He also stated that it will be sent back to the National Assembly for amendments or virement. This is a logical and natural legislative procedure.

“I believe the National Assembly made the correct decision, but there’s nothing wrong with the executive branch of government returning to the National Assembly to see how we can dialogue and work through the process to figure out where the misunderstandings are.” But I don’t believe that’s supposed to be a cause for concern for us.”
Lawan went on to say that government-owned enterprises should contribute twice as much money as the N500 billion budgeted revenue.

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“This is based on judgments, which is why we requested more resources from independent sources, particularly from government-owned enterprises, in the range of N400 billion to N500 billion, because we believe they should contribute even more.” In fact, I believe they should have contributed at least a trillion dollars, not just N500 billion.”

‘We remain grateful to Almighty God for another year as a country, united by a common destiny and resolute in our determination to overcome the numerous challenges that stand in our way of building the great and prosperous nation of our dreams.’

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians to look forward to the year 2022, which he sees as a year of continued progress in the face of a slew of security and socioeconomic challenges.

In his New Year’s message to the nation, President Obama said that persistent insecurity in some parts of the country may have jeopardized incremental gains in the real economy and the administration’s overall goal of putting the country on an irreversible path of sustainable growth and progress.

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According to him, the road to nationhood is often paved with unforeseeable difficulties and challenges, and the most tried and tested nations have often triumphed through tenacity, resilience, a concerted commitment to unity, and the belief that the whole nation, standing together against all odds, is far greater and, in the end, more prosperous and viable than the sum of its distinguishable parts.

While noting that security is still a top priority for his administration, Buhari said that as part of his promise to re-energize and reorganize the security apparatus and personnel of the armed forces and police, his administration had invested heavily in re-equipping the military in line with upgrading the platforms and firepower required to meet the country’s current challenges.

According to him, the net result of these efforts has been the number of insurgents and bandits who have willingly surrendered and continue to do so through various channels, including the Safe Corridor.

“As to fully win this war, the government must also win the peace, and real security lies in winning the hearts and minds of the affected citizens,” the President said, adding that victory on the battlefield was only one aspect of a long-term victory.

To that end, he stated that his administration would collaborate with international partners and neighboring countries, as well as implement multi-faceted solutions aimed at addressing human security at the grassroots level, before it becomes a source of insecurity.

Buhari praised all Nigerians for their courage and resilience, which he said was evident in 2021 as the country, like the rest of the world, faced significant challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to restore global economic and social order.

He thanked the brave military, police officers, and other security agents who had given their lives to protect the country’s territorial integrity from both internal and external aggressors, assuring their families that their sacrifices would not be in vain.

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Buhari also paid tribute to Nigerians who had lost loved ones as a result of insecurity in various parts of the country, emphasizing that every life matters and that every death caused by any form of insecurity is a matter of personal concern to him as a citizen and as President.

On the economy, he said that despite the turbulence that has characterized the nation’s and global economies, his administration had shown a high level of resilience in achieving some significant accomplishments.

Buhari stated that the major victories could be seen in Nigeria’s most recent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which showed a 4.03 percent growth in the third quarter of 2021, indicating the economy’s recovery and the confidence displayed through the policies put in place by his administration following the pandemic’s outbreak.

“We remain grateful to Almighty God for yet another Year as a country, united by a common destiny and resolute in our determination to overcome the numerous challenges along the path to building the great and prosperous Nation of our dreams,” Buhari said.

“We have given the highest priority to combating corruption and other related offenses, which have hampered our dear nation’s growth and prosperity. Through the innovative use of technology and forensics in investigative and prosecutorial procedures, we have made significant progress and achieved commendable results, demonstrating that our administration’s anti-corruption drive is working.

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“In the meantime, the nation’s anti-corruption agencies have received the necessary support to effectively prosecute their duties, as evidenced by their achievements thus far.” As we look forward to 2022, let us hope that it will be a year of continued progress in addressing our combined security and socioeconomic challenges.

“The past is just a story told, but the future will still be written in gold,” as the saying goes. Let us be united in our fight to keep our country united in the face of adversity, and let us celebrate life in this new epoch with gratitude. I wish you a prosperous and happy New Year.”