Headline

Senate Suspends Confirmation of EFCC Nominees, Says South-East , South-South not Represented

Published

7 years ago

December 11, 2018

Eric

The Senate has suspended the confirmation of four persons nominated as members of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes had, on Tuesday, presented to the Plenary its finding on the four EFCC nominees, but the legislators noted that the South-East and the South-South were “not accommodated” in the Commission.

The four nominees presented for confirmation are: Ndasule Moses, Lawan Mamman, Galadanci Imam Najib, and Adeleke Adebayo Rafiu. They were nominated as members of the EFCC, and need to be confirmed by the National Assembly.

At the Tuesday Plenary, Senator Chukwuka Utazi presented the report of the committee concerning the confirmation of the nominees.

Senator Barnabas Gemade seconded the motion asking the Senate to consider the report.

Another senator, Victor Umeh, noted that “the nominees have very rich, vital skills and experience.”

He, however, noted that only one of the nominees was from the South-West, while the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, is from the North.

“This makes a total of four people from the North,” Umeh said; adding, “The South-East and South-South are not accommodated in this Commission.”

He argued that, “It is important that we include all regions in governing roles and in the fight against corruption, as it involves us all.

“All geo-political zones should be included in this Commission.

Supporting Umeh, another senator, Matthew Urhoghide, noted that “The distribution is wrong;” urging, “Let us delegate people to look at the distribution of these appointments.

“I suggest that this matter be stood down while it is looked into.”

Utazi counselled that since there were six members in the committee, all of them should be directed to focus on one geo-political zone each and come up with a more balanced report.

However, Senator Ahmad Lawan advised the lawmaker to “pass the nominations as presented,” but that they should eventually correct it to ensure equal representation for all geo-political zones.

The Senate thereafter went into Executive Session, which lasted for 25 minutes.

At the Executive session, the Senate agreed that the confirmation of the EFCC nominees should be suspended for further legislative input.

The Punch

Headline

Defence Gulps Lion Share As Tinubu Presents N58.47trn 2026 Budget to NASS

Published

8 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Eric

President Bola Tinubu has presented a budget of N58.47 trillion for the 2026 fiscal year to a joint session of the National Assembly, with capital recurrent (non‑debt) expenditure standing at N15.25 trillion.

Tinubu presented the budget on Friday, pegging the capital expenditure at N26.08 trillion and putting the crude oil benchmark at US$64.85 per barrel.

He said the expected total revenue is N34.33 trillion, projected total expenditure: N58.18 trillion, including N15.52 trillion for debt servicing. The budget is N23.85 trillion, representing 4.28% of GDP.

The budget was anchored on a crude oil production of 1.84 million barrels per day, and an exchange rate of N1,400 to the US Dollar for the 2026 fiscal year.

In terms of sectoral allocation, defence and security took the lion’s share with N 5.41 trillion, followed by infrastructure at N3.56 trillion.

Headline

Mike Adenuga, Emmanuel Macron Hold High-Powered Meeting in Paris

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2025

Eric

Accomplished billionaire businessman and Commander of the French Légion d’Honneur, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., GCON, CdrLH, has held a private meeting with the French President, Emmanuel Macron.

The two powerful citizens of the world held the meeting on Wednesday at the historic Élysée Palace in Paris.

The high-level engagement underscores the longstanding relationship between Dr. Adenuga and the French Republic, as well as his continued relevance in global business and diplomatic circles.

A respected industrialist and philanthropist, Adenuga has been widely acknowledged for his contributions to economic development, telecommunications, energy, and humanitarian causes across Africa and beyond.

The meeting adds to Dr. Adenuga’s growing profile as a bridge between African enterprise and international leadership.

Headline

Free at Last: Burkina Faso Releases 11 Nigerian Soldiers, Aircraft

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2025

Eric

Burkina Faso has released Nigerian soldiers who were detained after their aircraft made a forced landing in the Sahelian country earlier this month, Nigerian officials said.

The release followed a diplomatic intervention by President Bola Tinubu, who dispatched a high-level delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, to meet Burkina Faso’s Military Leader, Ibrahim Traoré, on Wednesday.

In a statement, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar’s spokesperson, said both sides resolved the matter amicably and secured the release of the Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew.

The soldiers had been held for nearly two weeks after the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) described the aircraft’s landing as an “unfriendly act” carried out in defiance of international law.

The Nigerian Air Force, however, said the crew encountered a technical issue that required a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, the nearest available airfield. It said the landing complied with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.