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Atiku Cautions Against Wild Beasts Swallowing Nigeria’s 2025 Budget
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria’s 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar has cautioned against wild animals swallowing the 2025 budgetary allocations to critical sectors.
Atiku, who was Nigeria’s Vice President from 1999-2007 bared his mind in a statement in Abuja, on Sunday, in which he cited instances and cautioned against a repeat, particularly in the health sector.
He observed that “In recent years, there have been bizarre claims of animals being held accountable for missing public funds.”
With that concern, Atiku pointed out that “To this end, the Federal Government has to be deliberate about putting mechanisms in place for public audit and accountability in its US$1.07 billion budgetary appropriation in the health sector.”
He expressed his concerns under the subject, ‘2025 Budget: Snakes, termites, monkeys must not swallow $1.07 billion earmarked for health, Atiku warns’.
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The statement reads, “Former Vice President of Nigeria Atiku Abubakar has warned that claims of animals such as snakes, termites, gorillas and monkeys swallowing public funds must never be the fate of the funds budgeted for the critical sector of health in the 2025 Budget.
“In recent years, there have been bizarre claims of animals being held accountable for missing public funds. Some of these fairytale-like claims were never investigated or punished to deter future offenders.
“Against the backdrop of dwindling resources that has been exacerbated by the withdrawal of support in certain areas of our healthcare services, it is important that every kobo budgeted for the health sector has to be maximally utilised.
“To this end, the Federal Government has to be deliberate about putting mechanisms in place for public audit and accountability in its US$1.07 billion budgetary appropriation in the health sector.
“The former Vice President specifically queries the Federal Government for not providing comprehensive information on how it plans to expend the over one billion dollars in the primary health sector.
“Atiku noted that while healthcare, especially the primary sector deserves rapid investment in order to promote access to quality and affordable health services to Nigerians, it will be immoral of the government not to provide extensive details of how the money allotted for the purpose would be dispensed.
“We have read that the Federal Government has a plan to expend a whooping sum of $1.07 billion in the primary health sector. This amount is in addition to the N2.48 trillion, which had earlier been proposed for the health sector in the initial draft of the budget.
“This development gets even more troubling when the government equally announced that the $1.07 billion it is adding to the health sector at the sub-national level was mainly sourced through foreign loans and a fraction of it being provided through an international donor agency.
“In other words, Nigeria is expected to pay these loans back and it is required that the Nigerian people know the details of these loans and that its expenditure must be conveyed in a policy envelop that will explain how it will be spent,” Atiku noted.
He says further that the failure of the Federal Government not to commit to a single physical infrastructure in expending the budgetary provision smacks of fraud.
According to the government, “the funds will be directed towards improving governance in healthcare and enhancing primary healthcare services nationwide. This financing will support recruitment, training, and retention of healthcare workers and teachers at the sub-national level…”
For an administration that has been known to have a deficiency of trust in the administration of its humanitarian services, Nigerians cannot take the risk of accepting a shoddy explanation on a budgetary provision that lacks a mechanism of tracking how the money is to be expended.
It is difficult for Nigerians to believe this current Federal Government given its proclivity to alternative truths – especially on their claims about investments in the social infrastructure.
It is worrisome that the Tinubu administration continues to lie to Nigerians on the status of our tertiary hospitals when the sorry state of those hospitals lay bare for Nigerians to see.
Just recently, the government began a campaign of improvements in the standard of our tertiary health institutions, but Nigerians know that these teaching hospitals often lack basic amenities such as access to a steady supply of electricity.
Undoubtedly, the Tinubu administration has failed woefully in the health sector because of the poor funding of the sector.
The major diseases in the primary health sector remain malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS treatment.
If President Tinubu’s administration meant well in its claim to prioritize the health of Nigerians, his government should explain how it plans to spend this intervention fund in addressing these diseases in the primary health sector.
On the contrary, what the government announced in its panic response to President Donald Trump’s announcement of the cancellation of American aids for the treatment of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria was a paltry N5 billion.
If the Tinubu administration fails to provide a comprehensive framework to safeguard its purported huge investment in the health sector nor subject the appropriations to the scrutiny of the National Assembly, it may be safe to conclude that this is another episode of the administration committing a fraud in the name of public interest.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has commenced the final phase of restoration works on the 330kV Kainji–Birnin Kebbi Transmission Line following the recent collapse of Tower T367 along the line corridor.
TCN, in an update issued on Wednesday, said significant progress had been recorded at the affected location in Yauri, where restoration activities are ongoing.
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According to the company, the collapsed transmission tower has now been completely dismantled and decommissioned, while the conductors and skywire have been properly aligned and prepared for the next stage of the restoration process.
TCN also disclosed that an Emergency Restoration System (ERS) tower has been moved to the site and is ready for installation.
The company said the installation would be followed by cable stringing and other associated works towards the restoration of the affected transmission line.
“Our engineers and technical personnel remain actively engaged at the site and are working hard to ensure a quick completion and restoration of the line.”
TCN said it remained committed to restoring normal bulk transmission as soon as possible and appealed to electricity consumers and other stakeholders affected by the incident for patience and understanding.
“TCN appreciates the patience and understanding of electricity consumers and other stakeholders affected by the incident and assures the public that every effort is being made to restore the line and consequently, normal bulk transmission as soon as possible.”
The National Union of Edible Oil Tanker Drivers of Nigeria (NUEOTDN) has suspended its planned nationwide strike scheduled to begin Wednesday following Federal Government intervention in its dispute with operators in the edible oil industry.
The last-minute suspension averted a potential disruption in the transportation and distribution of edible oil across the country, with the union directing members to maintain normal operations while negotiations continue.
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NUEOTDN President, Ilias Aperun, announced the decision in a statement dated September 22, saying interventions by President Bola Tinubu and the Department of State Services (DSS) had opened discussions towards resolving the issues that prompted the planned industrial action.
“The planned industrial action scheduled to commence today, 23rd September 2026, has been suspended.”
Aperun said the union decided to give the government intervention time to produce results in the interest of economic stability and protection of the edible oil supply chain.
“In the interest of peace, national economic stability and the protection of the edible oil supply chain, the Union has decided to suspend the planned action and give room for the ongoing government intervention,” he said.
The union consequently directed its members and other stakeholders to halt preparations for the strike and continue normal operations pending further directives.
Aperun said discussions aimed at resolving the dispute were already underway, adding that the union remained committed to protecting the welfare and legitimate interests of its members without jeopardising the supply of edible oil.
“The NUEOTDN remains committed to the protection of the public health of the masses, welfare and legitimate interests of its comrades, while also supporting a peaceful and sustainable resolution of the issues at stake,” he said.
He urged stakeholders in the industry to cooperate with the ongoing negotiations, saying constructive engagement remained necessary to resolve the issues raised by the tanker drivers.
The union expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for its intervention and urged members to remain calm while awaiting the outcome of the discussions.
Aperun said further developments would be communicated as negotiations progressed.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcomed the construction of a $12 million Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship, saying the facility will strengthen Nigeria’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) ecosystem and create more opportunities for businesses to grow and generate jobs.
The President made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship (ACE) is being developed at the SMEDAN Industrial Development Centre in Idu, Abuja, with funding from the Republic of Korea through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
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The project is being implemented in partnership with the Federal Government through the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The centre will provide workspaces, digital facilities, training, incubation and enterprise support for aspiring entrepreneurs, start-ups and existing businesses.
According to the statement, the facility has an initial target of supporting 500 entrepreneurs, 400 start-ups and 1,500 MSMEs.
About $5.9 million of the investment will be allocated to construction, while $6.1 million will fund equipment and programmes designed to support entrepreneurs and businesses.
Tinubu said the centre would help establish, strengthen and grow businesses.
“Small businesses are an important part of our economy. They employ people, support families and create activity in communities across the country.
“Many entrepreneurs already have the ideas and the determination to succeed. What they often need is better access to facilities, technology, training and the support that can help their businesses grow.
“This Centre will provide more of that support and strengthen the ecosystem around them,” he said.
The centre is expected to serve businesses in Abuja and surrounding cities, including Kaduna, Jos, Keffi, Lafia, Minna, Makurdi and Lokoja.
It is also expected to contribute to strengthening the wider entrepreneurship and MSME ecosystem across Northern Nigeria.
The President said the Federal Government would continue to expand the conditions that allow small businesses to grow and compete.
“We want more Nigerians to be able to start businesses, grow them and employ others.
“We also want existing small businesses to have better access to the tools and support they need to become stronger and more productive.
“That is important for jobs, incomes and the wider economy,” Tinubu said.
He added that the project complements the administration’s wider investments in digital skills, entrepreneurship, enterprise development and support for MSMEs.
The centre has also been designed to accommodate women and persons with disabilities. It will include accessible facilities and crèche services for women with young children.
While construction is ongoing, SMEDAN, KOICA and UNDP will work with universities, incubators, financial institutions, private-sector organisations and entrepreneur networks to build a wider support system around the centre.
The partners will also identify businesses that can benefit from the centre’s programmes.
Tinubu thanked the South Korean government for the $12 million investment and commended KOICA, UNDP and SMEDAN for advancing the project to the construction stage.
He said Nigeria would continue to welcome investments and partnerships that strengthen local businesses, deepen enterprise development and create more jobs.
“Our economy will be stronger when more Nigerian businesses can start, survive and grow.
“We must keep building the support around them and opening more opportunities for enterprise across the country,” the President said.
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