Emotions As Gov Abiodun Inaugurates, Names Press Centre After Osoba in Abeokuta

Published

4 years ago

May 25, 2021

Eric

Former Gov. Olusegun Osoba of Ogun, on Tuesday narrated his many years of adversity from the two immediate past administrations after him in the state.

Osoba spoke in Abeokuta at the inauguration of a press centre named after him by the state government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Osoba served as Governor of Ogun between 1999 and 2003.

He said: “The first 16 years of my leaving this office has been very traumatic.

“I never came back as I became a snake that doesn’t go back to where it has shed its skin.

“This premises became a no-go -area for me, and every symbol of the projects that I did was removed.’’

According to him, in the first eight years, I was practically declared persona non grata in Ogun.

“My name was sent to EFCC so many times and the agency investigated me severally, but found nothing.

“I couldn’t come to Abeokuta, not to talk of visiting the office of the governor.

“The other eight years were also problematic,” he narrated.

Osoba described Gov. Dapo Abiodun as “a governor of redemption and restoration”.

He said the governor had reminded him of agonising old memories and turned them to joyful memories.

“To imagine that my returning to this premises after those years will be this glorious, is something of great emotion for me.

“Mr Governor, you will not know how many hours you have added to my life with this action today.

“It may be hours, it may be weeks, days, and it may be years, but you have added something very great to my life today,” he said.

In his remarks, Abiodun described Osoba as “an encyclopaedia and a veteran journalists”, adding that his administration could not think of any other personality who deserved the honour more than him.

“Chief Osoba is a statement, a respectable icon in the pen pushing profession, and he also symbolises the birth place of the first newspapers in Nigeria, established in 1859,” he said.

The governor said that Osoba had led three major newspapers in Nigeria namely; the Daily Times, the Herald and the Daily Sketch.

He said that Osoba was noted for a unique brand of investigative journalism saying, “he is a brand ambassador of Ogun”.

Abiodun said that the establishment of the press centre had become necessary to enhance the speed and quality of stories of journalists in the state.

He urged the journalists to ensure that they were fair and continue to be responsible in their news reportage, urging them to seek to protect the integrity of the nation.

Commenting, Mr Bayo Onanuga, a former Managing Director of NAN, said that Osoba occupied an enviable height in the journalism profession, adding that he deserved such honour.

Onanuga while describing the project as “a promise kept”, recalled that Abiodun had pledged to build a press centre when he assumed office.

NAN reports that the edifice is located directly opposite the Governor’s office inside the state Secretariat at Oke-Mosan.

(NAN)

Senate Approves Tinubu’s N1.15tr Domestic Loan Request to Fund 2025 Budget Deficit

Published

21 hours ago

November 12, 2025

Eric

The Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to raise N1.15 trillion from the domestic debt market to cover the unfunded portion of the 2025 budget deficit.

The approval followed the adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt during plenary on Wednesday.

The committee noted that the 2025 Appropriation Act provides for a total expenditure of N59.99 trillion, representing an increase of N5.25 trillion over the N54.74 trillion initially proposed by the Executive.

This expansion created a total budget deficit of N14.10 trillion. Of this, N12.95 trillion had already been approved for borrowing, leaving an unfunded deficit of approximately N1.15 trillion (N1,147,462,863,321).

In a related development, a motion by Senator Abdul Ningi was adopted, directing the Senate Committee on Appropriations to intensify its oversight to ensure that the borrowed funds are properly implemented in the 2025 fiscal year and used strictly for their intended purposes.

President Tinubu had on November 4th requested the approval of the National Assembly for a fresh ₦1.15 trillion borrowing from the domestic debt market to help finance the deficit in the 2025 budget.

The President’s request was conveyed in a letter. According to the letter, the proposed borrowing is intended to bridge the funding gap and ensure full implementation of government programs and projects under the 2025 fiscal plan.

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APC’s Joe Igbokwe Calls for Dismissal of Soldier Who Stood His Ground Against Wike

Published

1 day ago

November 12, 2025

Eric

A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Joe Igbokwe, has called for the dismissal of the soldier who resisted the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The soldier had blocked Wike and officials of the FCTA from accessing a portion of land in the FCT.

The officer, claiming he was acting on instructions, told Wike that he would not be allowed into the property. Wike, however, questioned his authority, leading to a heated confrontation and name calling.

Reacting on Facebook, Igbokwe questioned who was behind the military officer in challenging the FCT Minister.

He wrote, “Who is this man in uniform? Of what meat is he fed? Who is beating the drum for him? This is unacceptable? His uniform has to be removed.”

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Senates Rejects NNPCL’s Explanation, Orders Refund of N210trn to Govt

Published

1 day ago

November 12, 2025

Eric

The Senate has rejected the explanations provided by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) regarding the ₦210 trillion outstanding against the oil firm.

It came to the conclusion on Wednesday that the money, which had not been accounted for, must be refunded to the Federation Account by the company.

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Aliyu Wadada, which has been on the probe for months, took the decision on Tuesday after the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the NNPCL, Bayo Ojulari, failed to turn up at its resumed sitting at the National Assembly.

The session was called to give the NNPCL the opportunity to make clarifications on the answers the company provided to the 19 questions the panel asked the firm about the ₦210 trillion.

Following a review of the operations of the NNPCL from 2017-2023, the committee sighted the unexplained transaction, totaling ₦103 trillion (accrued expenses) and ₦107 trillion (receivables) in the audited financial statements of the firm, prompting it to raise the queries.

After weeks of back-and-forth between the committee and the NNPCL, the NNPCL eventually responded to the 19 questions.

However, at a resumed session, Senator Wadada frowned at the absence of Ojulari, whom the committee said gave no reasons for staying away, consequently rejected the explanations.

The Chairman of the committee, Senator Aliyu Wadada, while speaking on the panel’s findings, said the responses were not only unsatisfactory, but were also contradictory.

“NNPC claimed ₦103 trillion as accrued expenses and ₦107 trillion as receivables -amounting to ₦210 trillion. On question eight, NNPC’s explanation on the ₦107 trillion receivables -equivalent to about $117 billion -contradicts available facts and evidence provided by NNPC itself. The committee is duty-bound to reject this,” he stated.

Wadada further questioned how the firm could pay ₦103 trillion in Cash Calls to Joint Venture (JV) partners in 2023 alone, despite generating only ₦24 trillion in crude revenue between 2017 and 2022.

“Cash Call arrangements were abolished in 2016 under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. How can NNPC claim to have paid ₦103trn in one year, when it only generated ₦24trn in revenue over five years? Where did NNPC get that money?

“As far as this committee is concerned, that figure is unjustifiable and unacceptable. The ₦103 trillion must be returned to the Treasury. This will be concluded when the NNPCL appears before us,” he stated.

The committee said it would have been better for the current management of the NNPCL to admit that it encountered challenges in explaining what happened to the funds than giving contradictory answers to the questions.

“If the present management of NNPCL is finding it difficult to provide acceptable answers, it is better they say so. The committee will not hesitate to subpoena former officials of NNPCL and NAPIMS,” Wadada added.