BUHARI SIGNS 2023 BUDGET
President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the 2023 Appropriation Bill into law.
Buhari signed the 2023 transition budget at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in the presence of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other members of the Federal Executive Council.
Speaking at the event which took place on Tuesday, the President said his regime would speed up critical infrastructure projects nationwide as it raced toward the finish line on May 29, 2023.
He noted that the budget is N21.83 trillion aggregate expenditure, an increase N1.32 trillion over the initial executive proposal of N20.51 trillion.
It would be recalled that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, had revealed to journalists at the weekend after a closed-door meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, that the President would sign the 2023 budget on Tuesday.
PRESIDENCY LAMBASTS OBASANJO OVER ANTI-BUHARI LETTER, SAYS EX-PRESIDENT’S GOVT WAS CORRUPT
The Presidency on Monday slammed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for describing the seven years of President Muhammadu Buhari in office as horrible and hell on earth for Nigerians. It described Obasanjo’s government as corrupt, adding that the former leader was morally bankrupt.
The Presidency, which listed Obasanjo’s sins in office, also accused him of lying to the South-East to garner votes during his tenure between 1999 and 2007.
The elder statesman stirred the hornet’s nest on Sunday with his criticism of the Buhari regime, noting that the nation was currently faced with pervasive and mind-numbing insecurity, rudderless leadership, mismanagement of diversity and pervasive corruption and bad economic policies, which he said had resulted in extremes of poverty and massive unemployment and galloping inflation.
in a lengthy New Year message, Obasanjo endorsed the Labour Party standard bearer, Peter Obi. This endorsement provoked the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance and African Action Alliance. The parties dismissed his support for Obi as of little political value.
Responding to the blistering attacks on Buhari in a statement on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Garba Shehu said the Owu chief “won’t stop being jealous of anyone who beats him to a new record in the nation’s development process,’’ noting that Buhari is ahead of Obasanjo in all fields of national development.”
In the statement titled, ‘Morally squalid Obasanjo attacks leaders out of frustration,’ Shehu said, “Former President Obasanjo is so well known to all that no one needs to describe who he is. “He will not stop attacking President Muhammadu Buhari because the former President won’t stop being jealous of anyone who beats him to a new record in the nation’s development process.”
GUNMEN ATTACK OHAKIM’S CONVOY, KILLING FOUR POLICEMEN
Unidentified gunmen on Monday attacked the convoy of a former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, and reportedly killed four of his police details in the process.
The convoy was said to have been attacked at Oriagu in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of the state on Monday.
Ohakim, who escaped narrowly, had his backup vehicle attacked, leading to the death of the four policemen.
It was gathered that Ohakim was with two of his children and was returning from a visit when the gunmen struck. A source close to the ex-governor, who did not want his name in print because he has not been authorised to speak to journalists on the matter said “His Excellency was the main target but his driver was smart enough to beat them as they were driving to block him.”
SOLUDO DECRIES KILLING OF COMMUNITY LEADER, OTHERS
The Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has condemned the killing of the President General of the Obosi Community, Ike Okolo.
Okolo was gunned down by yet-to-be-identified assailants in his car in the Obosi community on Monday.
While in Awka, it was recorded that one man was shot dead on January 2, and in Ifite, about two persons were also said to have been gunned down.
It was also reported that four men sitting in a compound on the New Year’s Day while being entertained by their host in Nodu, Okpuno community, were shot dead by suspected cultists.
There have been series of cult-related attacks in several communities in the state in recent time, but it seemed to have increased during the Yuletide.
Soludo therefore decried the incidents in a press statement issued on Tuesday by the Press Secretary to the governor, Christian Aburime.
FIFA’LL REQUEST ALL COUNTRIES TO NAME STADIUM AFTER PELE
FIFA President, Gianni Infantino has said the world’s soccer governing body will request all countries to name one of their stadiums after Brazilian football legendary, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, popularly known as Pele.
The President made this known on Monday at Pele’s funeral in Brazil, saying renaming a stadium after “the king of football” is a tribute to him.
Pele died on December 29, 2022 and his country had three days of national mourning for him.
Brazil also started a 24-hour public wake at Santos Urbano Caldeira Stadium yesterday.
Pele was three-time World Cup winner, scoring more than 1,000 goals in his lifetime. He was loved by many as undisputable greatest of all time (GOAT) in the world of football.
Speaking about honouring Pele, FIFA President said, “We’re going to ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums with the name of Pele.”
Pele battled colon cancer before he died at the age of 82.
BEWARE OF WEIGHT RAPID LOSS CAPSULE, NAFDAC RAISES ALARM
The Management of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has notified the public to stop the purchase and use of a product named Weight Rapid Loss Capsule, manufactured by Ingi Oman,
According to a notification signed by the management on the Agency’s website, dated December 20, 2022, and titled Public Alert No. 049/2022 – Alert on the UAE health authority warning against consumption of weight loss pills, the Agency said it was notifying the public that the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH) has warned against the use of the Weight Rapid Loss Capsule, due to its potential to cause cancer.
According to the alert: “The product is being -marketed as ‘the most effective weight loss supplement’ and is being illegally sold through social media platforms like Instagram.”
WE’RE UNDER ATTACK BY HERDSMEN, ONDO COMMUNITY CRIES OUT
Residents of Ajowa community in Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo State, have again raised the alarm over the unending criminal activities of herdsmen in their community.
Last week, residents of three communities—Ijagba, Imoru, Arimogija, in Ose council area of the state, fled their communities to neighbouring towns and villages, over incessant attack by suspected herdsmen.
The traditional ruler of the town, the Oloso of Oso Ajowa, Oba Jimoh Omoola, was recently abducted and spent 10 days in captivity before regaining his freedom after other monarchs in the neighbouring communities in Akoko had contributed the ransom paid to his abductors before he was released.
At a town hall meeting organized to discuss the activities of the marauding herdsmen, the spokesperson of Ajowa community, Mr. Jaco Adegoke, narrated a bitter experience of the residents in the last two years.
DUBAI PLANS TO BOOST TOURISM, SUSPENDS 30% TAX ON ALCOHOL SALES
The government of Dubai has cancelled its 30 per cent alcohol tax in order to boost tourism in the emirate. The government also intends to scrap the personal liquor licence fees, thereby making acquisition of the permit free for alcohol consumers in the United Arab Emirates region.
Dubai is one of the most visited cities in the UAE and globally. The latest move is an attempt by the government to make the city more attractive to foreigners, in the face of the stiff competition from its Persian Gulf neighbours like Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Following this development, two alcohol distributors in Dubai — Maritime and Mercantile International (MMI), and African & Eastern — announced the tax cut on Sunday, in a bid to woo customers.
NSCIA SEEKS PROTECTION FOR MUSLIMS IN SOUTH EAST
In a communique issued after the special extraordinary meeting of the Expanded General-Purpose Committee (EGPC) of the NSCIA that was held last Wednesday in Abuja, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), under the leadership of the President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has raised an alarm over the killing of Muslims in the South East by some non-Muslims.
The council also called on security agencies to do more to protect the lives and property of Muslims and bring the perpetrators of such killings to justice.
The NSCIA further urged Muslims to collect their permanent voter cards (PVCs) because evidence revealed that many registered Muslims were yet to do so.
