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Budget Scandal: Tracka Reveals Fraudulent Payments In Billions

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In the 2022 budget expenditure, alarming revelations have emerged regarding fraudulent payments and questionable project allocations in Nigeria.

 

Tracka, BudgIT’s service delivery promotion platform, has brought to light several irregularities in the allocation and utilization of public funds.

 

According to Tracka, 12 transactions were discovered, mostly labeled as “payment of bulk stipends to the 2,802 ex-agitators of Ateke Tom camp in phase 1 as approved by the ia.” Additionally, 27 transactions were identified as “bulk payment to the 500 delegates of Boyloaf camp 2 phase 2 as approved by the ia,” with a total of N2 million paid to Ebikabowei Victor Ben.

 

It stated that these payments raise serious concerns as they appear to violate Section 713 of the Public Sector Financial Regulations, 2009, which strictly prohibits the payment of public money into private bank accounts.

 

Furthermore, Tracka’s analysis also exposed the misplacement of priorities in the budget allocations. It was discovered that a staggering amount of N81.7 billion was allocated to the construction of solar street lights, surpassing the combined allocations for schools and primary health centers, which amounted to N77.9 billion and N3.1 billion, respectively.

 

This disproportionate distribution of funds raises concerns, particularly given Nigeria’s pressing challenges, such as the high number of out-of-school children and alarming child and maternal mortality rates.

 

In addition, Tracka revealed that several agencies were assigned projects outside their mandate.

 

Notably, the Nigerian Army received N4.5 billion for the construction of the Dengi-Kwalmiya-Gagdi-Wawus Bauchi Road in Plateau State, the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research was allocated N1.2 billion across four projects to supply medical equipment to health centers in Ogun State, and the National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, was granted N580 million for road and streetlight construction in Abia State.

 

This misallocation undermines the monitoring, evaluation, and sustainability of the projects as the agencies lack the expertise and personnel required for quality service delivery.

 

Tracka’s Acting Head, Ayomide Ladipo, expressed her disappointment over these findings, emphasizing that such practices result in under-delivery of projects and a waste of taxpayers’ money and scarce resources.

 

She said “the implications of assigning projects to agencies out of their mandate is that it undermines monitoring, evaluation, and the sustainability of these projects.

 

“These agencies lack the expertise and personnel to ensure quality service delivery of these projects, leading to projects under-delivery and a colossal waste of taxpayers’ money and scarce resources.An example is the News Agency of Nigeria which was allocated N200 million to construct solar streetlights in Rivers State. What business does NAN have with streetlights?” Ayomide added.

 

Tracka discovered a 21% reduction in the percentage of empowerment projects this year compared to last year, where N58 billion of N100 billion was allocated to empowerment projects in 2022, while N37 billion of N100 billion was allocated to empowerment projects in 2023.

 

According to tracka, this is progress as it is the first time in three years that the percentage of empowerment projects in the ZIP will be less than 50%.

 

 

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NEWS

Yenagoa Hosts NCDMB 2026 Content Forum

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NCDMB Emerges Best MDA In Ease Of Doing Business Ranking

The 15th edition of the Practical Nigerian Content Forum (PNCF) is billed for Yenagoa, Bayelsa State from November 30.

This edition of the initiative of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) would hold be in collaboration with the Bayelsa State Government as disclosed on Tuesday when a delegation of the NCDMB and DMG Events met with the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Dr Peter Pereotubo Akpe, at the Government House, Yenagoa.

Leading the delegation, the General Manager, Corporate Communications Division of NCDMB, Dr Obinna Ezeobi, conveyed the appreciation of the Executive Secretary of the board, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, to the state government for its continued support for the forum.

He said, “We appreciate the Bayelsa State Government for its continued partnership and support for the PNC Forum”.

READ ALSO: 40 Oil Blocks up for Grabs as NUPRC Opens 2026 Bid Round

According to him, the Youth PNC was designed to expose young people in the Niger Delta to emerging opportunities in the oil and gas industry and the competencies required to build successful careers in other sectors of the economy.

Ezeobi added, “We have introduced new initiatives into this year’s programme to ensure that the PNC continues to deliver greater value to participants and address emerging issues in the Nigerian content space.”

The Senior Manager, Zonal Coordination, NCDMB, Mr Adebayo Joseph, spoke on plans for the Youth PNC, while the leader of the DMG Events delegation, Ms Olamide Oloko, outlined the major activities planned for the conference.

Oloko said the new initiatives would include a Local Content Roundtable and a two-day programme for Local Community Contractors aimed at helping them scale up their operations.

She added, “The 2026 edition will also feature a breakout session to collate stakeholders’ views on the future direction of Nigerian Content over the next decade.”

Responding, Akpe assured the NCDMB and DMG Events of the state government’s continued support for the PNC Forum.

Akpe said, “The Bayelsa State Government is committed to ensuring that the event is successful and that participants have a conducive and secure environment throughout their stay in the state.”

He said the initiative demonstrated the practical impact of the programme and urged the board to sustain efforts aimed at creating opportunities for young people in the region.

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‘Dem Dey Use Stick Dey Flog Women’ — Nigerians in India Camp Cry Out

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Nigerian women allegedly being held at a deportation facility in India have cried out over their treatment, with a video circulating online showing some of them displaying injuries and alleging that security personnel flogged detainees.

The video began circulating online on Wednesday and shows a group of Nigerian women inside and around what they described as a deportation camp.

Several of the women pointed to marks, bruises and apparent injuries on their legs, feet and bodies while alleging that they were beaten with sticks or canes.

SEE ALSO: Rufai Oseni Row: NiDCOM Breaks Silence on Nigerians Detained in India, Addresses Ekene’s Case

“See my video, see my leg,” one of the women could be heard saying in the footage.

Another woman said, “Mona see wetin dem dey do for deportation camp.”

“Deportation camp, na dem flog person, see,” another woman said while showing what appeared to be an injury.

The women further alleged that female detainees were beaten with sticks.
“Dem dey use stick dey flog women, mona dey see am,” one of them said.

Another woman, while pointing at an injured detainee, said, “Dem carry cane flog o… see her body, dem flog am.”

The women also alleged that police officers carried sticks inside the facility.

“Police carry stick like say dem dey cut firewood,” one of the women said.

The footage shows the women appearing distressed as they moved through the facility and gathered in an outdoor area.

They repeatedly appealed to Nigerians to share the video and draw attention to their situation.

“Make una see… make this video trend/go,” one woman said.

“Make una share am,” another added.
One of the women also expressed frustration over their alleged experience at the facility, saying, “We don suffer, every time, every time.”

The footage comes amid ongoing concerns over Nigerians detained at the Lampur detention centre, also known as Sewa Sadan, in New Delhi.

Recall that in September, reports emerged that more than 200 Nigerians were being held at the facility, with some detainees alleging poor food, inadequate medical care and prolonged detention.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) subsequently defended its handling of the situation and said the Nigerian High Commission in India was seeking another amnesty period to facilitate the departure of Nigerians without proper immigration documentation.

No official response from the Indian authorities or the Nigerian government specifically addressing the allegations in the latest video had been made available at the time of publication.

 

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‘Military Gets Huge Budgets, Yet Air Crashes Persist’ — Shehu Muhammad

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Military Conducts Mass Burial For Slain Soldiers In Niger Ambush, Air Crash

Rights activist, public affairs analyst and Chief Executive Officer of The Dialogue, Shehu Muhammad, has questioned the continued occurrence of military aircraft crashes despite the huge budgetary allocations to the country’s defence and security sector.

Muhammad spoke while reacting to the recent Nigerian Navy aircraft crash in Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

Describing the incident as “one incident too many,” he recalled that Nigeria had recorded several military aircraft crashes involving the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Army over the years.

RELATED NEWS: Military Gear Found at Ondo Crash Site as Helicopter Burns to Rubble

He said the recurring incidents had raised concerns among members of the public about the condition of military aircraft and the process through which military hardware is procured.

“People have begun to cast aspersions as to the honesty, sincerity, and openness in the purchase of military hardware, including airplanes,” Muhammad said.

According to him, the concerns are heightened by the substantial funds allocated to the military and other security agencies over the years.

“There are insinuations by the public that, after all, the military receive the highest amount of money from the budget year in, year out,” he said.

Muhammad also questioned the transparency of defence procurement, particularly the process of selecting contractors for the supply of military equipment.

He argued that the repeated crashes should prompt authorities to examine military aviation operations, aircraft procurement and the management of defence resources.

The latest crash occurred in Irele, Ondo State, with recovery efforts reportedly complicated by the difficult terrain around the crash site.

Muhammad said the latest incident should not be treated in isolation, but should lead to broader questions about military aviation safety and the management of resources allocated to the defence sector.

He called for greater transparency and accountability in the procurement and management of military hardware to restore public confidence.

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