Television Nigerian

The Senate gave its Appropriations Committee until today to finish its defense of the Appropriations Bill for 2022.

President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, who set the deadline in plenary, gave the Committee 24 hours to finish budget defense by upper chamber subcommittees.

According to him, the ultimatum was necessary in order to meet the National Assembly’s December 14 deadline for passing the 2022 budget.

He went on to say that working in the opposite direction could jeopardize the budget’s timely passage, while assuring Nigerians that the National Assembly would work assiduously to resolve any potential stumbling blocks to the budget’s quick passage next month.

Read Also:  Tinubu Starts Reconciliation Process With Kwara APC Stakeholders

Lawan praised government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) for testifying before Red Chamber committees to defend their budget estimates.

“According to our schedule for budget defense and subsequent processing by our Appropriations Committee committees or subcommittees, tomorrow is the final day for budget defense.”

“Tomorrow is the last day for appropriation subcommittees to defend their budgets before the committee on appropriations.

“It gives me great pleasure to report that all of our committees have completed their budget defenses with ministries, departments, and agencies in accordance with the Senate’s schedule. However, there is one snag: some of our committees are running behind schedule.

Read Also:  NCDC says highly infectious Delta Covid-19, a dominant variant in Nigeria, urges people to get vaccines

“So, I’m sure that those committees that should have appeared before the appropriations committee but were unable to did face some difficulties in obtaining information from the MDAs.”

“We have to finish the budget defense by the subcommittees before the committee on appropriations tomorrow, regardless of what happens,” he added.

“In fact, it is very, very important that we keep to our timetable, or else, we may run into a very serious problem with our time for the budget to be considered and passed by the 14th of December,” the Senate President said, explaining why work on the budget must be completed on time.

“I’m confident that our committees will be able to testify before the Appropriations Committee tomorrow.”

“I’ll also add that the Appropriations Committee should make itself available to our appropriations subcommittees.”

“We have until the weekend to finish the work of defense by the subcommittees before the appropriations committee, so that the appropriations committee can work on compiling the document for us to work with when we come to the next segment of the budget processing – the laying, consideration, and passage of the budget proposal by the grace of God.”

Read Also:  No ‘herdsman’ must steal Benue bailout funds — Reps aspirant, Agbese tells Gov Ortom

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of our committees for their hard work thus far, and I’m confident that we’ll be able to overcome this minor snag.”

“Overall, the program is moving forward, and I’m especially pleased that we were able to complete the MDAs’ defense, and I commend the MDAs for coming forward to defend rather than leaving us to do what we think they want.”

Yesterday, Air Peace Flight P47159 from Owerri to Lagos was hit by a bird shortly after taking off from the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport.

According to a statement from the airline, the pilot diverted the Boeing B737 flight to Port Harcourt, where another plane was dispatched to transport the passengers to Lagos.

“This is to inform the general public that on November 22, 2021, Air Peace flight P47159 Owerri to Lagos had a bird strike just minutes after takeoff.

Read Also: Nigerians Pleading With APC To Take Them Back To Pre-2015 Period —Shagari, Ex-Minister

“This had a significant impact on the parameters of one of the engines, and the Pilot-in-Command was forced to divert to Port-Harcourt, where the aircraft was safely landed and the passengers disembarked normally.”

“A rescue team and aircraft have been dispatched to airlift the passengers of the affected flight.” “Air Peace is committed to the highest standards of safety and will never compromise on this,” the company’s management said in a statement.

Alhaji Mukhtar Shagari (CFR), son of the late Second Republic President Shehu Shagari and former Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, speaks with KUNLE ODEREMI about the wave of insecurity sweeping the country, the rotational presidency, and how President Muhammadu Buhari can best etch his name in history.

In terms of banditry and other violent crimes, Sokoto State has been relatively peaceful. What do you think has been going on in the last few months that there have been killings almost every week?

Read also: Tambuwal claims that Nigeria will not require parochial or provincial leader in 2023

If I must be completely honest with ourselves, you recall that in the run-up to the 2015 elections, say around 2014 or so, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party that formed government at the centre, and of course their presidential and gubernatorial candidates, senatorial candidates, and others all promised Nigerians that the insecurity you were experiencing at the time, mostly in the northeastern part of the country and around Kano S, would be alleviated. That is the government and the party. The federal government is constitutionally responsible for the security of Nigerians’ lives and property. So, as you asked, I must say that I’m not sure what went wrong. I’m also curious as to what went wrong because, until recently, Sokoto State had been the most peaceful state in the country, with everyone content to live there. Things are no longer the same, unfortunately. In fact, I am aware that the governor of Sokoto State, Right Honourable Waziri Tambuwal, has been doing his best to provide security agencies in the state with logistics, including vehicles, as well as deploying people to areas where banditry is occurring. However, because he lacks control over the state’s army, police, and security apparatus, his best efforts will not automatically put an end to the problem. In reality, he does not have complete control over all security agencies. They’re all under the control of the federal government. However, we should not focus on pointing fingers at this time; instead, we should focus on concerted efforts by the federal, state, and local governments, as well as security agencies, traditional institutions, and the people themselves, to combat this threat that is slowly engulfing the entire country. It is past time for the federal government and the APC to make good on their promises to the people of this country, particularly on the issue of security, which is causing widespread concern.

A governor is the state’s chief security officer. Beyond your explanation, why does he have to be hampered in dealing with such serious issues and overcoming some of the obstacles?

As I previously stated, the governor has consistently done his best with the limited resources available to the Sokoto government. He has always worked cooperatively with the state’s security agencies. The federal government, not the states, has complete control over the security apparatus, including the army, police, DSS, civil defence, customs, and the air force, according to the Constitution. The state government is simply supporting whatever efforts are made. They made a promise, and now it is up to them to keep it. Nigeria needs to be safe. People must be able to move freely and safely throughout the country, which is currently not possible.

Some governors have advocated for citizen self-defense to combat the threat of bandits and other criminal elements, as these activities affect virtually all political zones. Do you agree that self-defense is the best option?

If I may ask, who said people should use self-defense, the governors of the PDP or the APC, or all governors across the country?

Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, the governor of Sokoto State, has urged Nigerians to look for and vote for politicians who have “friends and associates across the length and breadth of Nigeria” to help the country overcome its current security and economic challenges.

Tambuwal made the call yesterday in Abuja, saying that the current security situation in virtually all parts of Nigeria poses a significant challenge to policymakers, and that the lack of quality leadership is to blame.

In a keynote address to the Rule of Law Development Foundation’s 4th Annual Criminal Law Review Conference, the governor lamented that insecurity in Nigeria has worsened people’s living conditions, threatened food insecurity, and made social interaction difficult due to reduced movement due to fear of criminal elements.

Read Also:  Tinubu Starts Reconciliation Process With Kwara APC Stakeholders

As a result, he stated, “Nigeria requires a leader who is versatile and has friends and associates across the country: a leader with a broad world view rather than a parochial and provincial politician.”

“We need an incorruptible leader who recognizes that the best way to combat corruption is to lead by example and to build strong institutions that can withstand shocks and manipulations.”

“Nigeria requires a leader who is up to date and understands the modern demands of technology in resolving societal issues.

“Yes, Nigeria requires a bridge builder; a compassionate leader who understands the needs and aspirations of the poor and marginalized. A leader whose words matter and who can be trusted. Indeed, a courageous leader. An accountable leader who can be trusted to face the challenges of nationhood head on, without pandering to interests that are at odds with national goals.

Read Also:  NCDC says highly infectious Delta Covid-19, a dominant variant in Nigeria, urges people to get vaccines

“A visionary leadership imbued with patriotism will go a long way toward changing Nigeria’s security narrative; a leadership that is nationalistic rather than tribalistic; a leadership that promotes national unity rather than disunity.”

“A Nigerian leader is one who sees Nigeria as his constituency, not his state, tribe, religion, or region. A visionary leader who motivates the nation to achieve greatness. A leadership that inspires, mobilizes, and guides Nigerians towards long-term peace, progress, and development. No part of the country will be considered conquered by such a leader.

While he acknowledged that finding such a leader is a collective effort, he challenged Nigerians to find and support such a leader by 2023 so that the country can resume its long journey back to peace, security, and prosperity for all of its citizens.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), the Coordinator of the Rule of Law Development Foundation, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to make the safety and security of all Nigerians a top priority, adding that all kidnapped children, including those held for up to seven years, should be rescued by the military.

Read Also:  Attacks/abductions: Senators from Zulum, Borno meet with the Defense Chief in Abuja

He also challenged the military to do more to bring the insecurity situation under control in order to reflect Nigeria’s greatness as the “Giant of Africa.” The senior lawyer and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) also advised those with access to the perpetrators of violence in the country to persuade them to reconsider their actions.

“Their friends should tell them that this nonsense can’t go on indefinitely.” It will be brought to an abrupt end by the creator of all mankind, and everyone who is involved in this perdition in any way will…face the consequences,” he said.

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum led a delegation of senators to meet with Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, at the Defense Headquarters in Abuja.

On Monday, Zulum convened a closed-door meeting with Senators Kashim Shettima (Borno Central), Muhammad Ali Ndume (Borno South), and Abubakar Kyari (Borno North) to discuss renewed attacks and abductions by the ISWAP, particularly in the southern part of Borno.

During the one-hour meeting, Zulum and the senators discussed key issues concerning Borno’s security challenges, as well as the urgent need to prevent further attacks and abductions of citizens throughout the state.

Read Also:  No ‘herdsman’ must steal Benue bailout funds — Reps aspirant, Agbese tells Gov Ortom

The meeting agreed to take unspecified steps to improve the security situation throughout the state.