NEWS
Hardship: FG Spends N5bn On Renovating VP Shettima’s Lagos Residence
The Nigerian government has sparked outrage after spending a staggering N5.03 billion on renovating the official Lagos residence of Vice President, Kashim Shettima, despite the ongoing economic hardship facing millions of Nigerians.
This expenditure was revealed through data from GovSpend, a civic tech platform dedicated to tracking and analyzing government spending.
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The renovation costs were spread over two payments: on May 31, 2024, N2.83 billion was paid to Denderi Investment Limited for initial refurbishment work.
Another payment of N726.7 million was made on September 5, 2024, followed by a second-phase renovation cost of N1.48 billion, all directed to the same engineering firm.
The expenditure, however, has sparked outrage among many Nigerians, with critics questioning the appropriateness of such spending at a time when the country is facing economic challenges.
Particularly controversial is the fact that the Vice President’s official residence in Lagos, being upgraded, comes on top of another planned N15 billion expenditure for the construction of a new residence for the Vice President in the capital, Abuja.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration’s N15 billion allocation for the new residence, disclosed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, has raised alarm, especially given the context of Nigeria’s severe economic constraints.
Wike’s statement, made while defending the FCT’s N61.5 billion supplementary budget before the House of Representatives, drew significant backlash.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a leading Nigerian advocacy group, expressed strong opposition, calling the spending a violation of the Nigerian Constitution and international anti-corruption obligations.
“It will be a grave violation of public trust for the Senate to approve this expenditure while the government is spending a third of its 2024 budget on servicing national debt,” stated Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP’s Deputy Director.
Further criticism came from Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, who noted the administration’s failure to cut down on the cost of governance despite claims to do so.
Rafsanjani emphasized that the budget allocations over the past 16 months contradicted the government’s supposed commitment to fiscal responsibility.
Debo Adeniran, Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, added that until the country formulates a new constitution to regulate government spending, Nigeria would continue to grapple with excessive expenditure and wasteful governance.
As the controversy unfolds, many Nigerians are calling for greater transparency and accountability from the government, urging officials to prioritize national development over luxury spending.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.
To address Nigeria’s ₦9.7 trillion budget deficit for the 2024 fiscal year, the Senate has approved President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s request to secure a ₦1.77 trillion ($2.2 billion) loan.
The decision was made during Thursday’s plenary session, where a voice vote confirmed the approval following the presentation of a report by the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts.
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Chaired by Senator Wammako Magatarkada (APC, Sokoto North), the committee endorsed the loan request as a vital step in managing the country’s fiscal challenges.
Recall that President Tinubu had submitted the proposal earlier in the week, outlining the loan as a crucial component of his administration’s external borrowing strategy.
Details shortly…………..
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