News

ANEEJ Director Tasks Journalists, CSOs On Budget Monitoring.

Published

5 years ago

August 14, 2020

The Executive Director of the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor has appealed to journalists and members of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), to assist in the mobilisation of community stakeholders to make presentation to government on their needs at the level of budget preparation and during consideration by the state House of Assembly.

Rev. Ugolor gave the charge in his welcome address at the opening session of a two-day workshop organised by ANEEJ for CSOs and journalists in Benin City from 13th- 14th August, 2020, in its implementation of the Civil Society Advocacy to Anti-corruption and the Rule of Law in Nigeria (CASARN) project.

The project is part of the implementation of the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROLAC) programme which is funded by the European Union and implemented by the British Council.

Ugolor who noted that the CSOs, journalists and the citizens have critical roles to play during the monitoring and evaluation of the budget, appealed to participants whom he said have participated one way or the other in the budget process to sustain the process to hold government accountable to the people.

“This workshop on budget monitoring has been designed to improve stakeholders’ participation in the budget process in Edo State.

“CSOs and citizens in general have the right to participate in the different stages of the budgeting process. At the planning stage, CSOs can assist to organise community stakeholders to make presentation to government on their needs, during consideration at the State House of Assembly.

” CSOs can participate during budget defense. When the budget is being implemented and during M & E, CSOs and citizens in general have a big role to play in monitoring the budget implementation and providing feedback to government.

“We encourage all participants to take it upon themselves to keep a close watch on how government spends public funds, follow up and report on projects being executed in your areas. Where CSOs are docile, a lot of things will go wrong”, he said.

While noting that Edo State was the first state in the South South geo-political zone to join the Open Governance Partnership (OGP) in 2018, Rev. Ugolor disclosed that the State Action Plan (SAP), has been developed and awaiting the governor’s signature.

He added that government’s commitment for implementation across five thematic areas of fiscal transparency, anti-corruption, service delivery and inclusion, access to information and citizen engagement have been proposed.

While thanking the donors for the opportunity to be part of the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Rule of Law implementation programme, Ugolor said, “we appreciate the support from ROLAC team who have made it possible for ANEEJ to receive this funding. We particularly thank the European Union and British Council for funding ANEEJ work”.

News

Trump’s Airstrikes: Halt Military Cooperation With US Immediately – Sheikh Gumi Tells Tinubu Govt

Published

2 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has called on the Federal Government to immediately halt all military cooperation with the United States following reported US airstrikes.

Gumi warned that American involvement could worsen Nigeria’s security challenges and undermine national sovereignty.

Gumi made the call in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Friday.

He said while Islam permits the fight against terrorism, such actions should only be carried out by what he described as “clean hands,” arguing that the United States lacks the moral authority to lead such efforts because of its global military record.

According to the cleric, Nigeria made a mistake by allowing foreign powers to play a role in its counterterrorism operations, insisting that “terrorists do not truly fight terrorists” and that such interventions often result in civilian casualties and hidden political motives.

Gumi warned that allowing Nigeria to become a theatre of war would attract anti-US forces into the country, further destabilising it.

He also cautioned that US involvement, particularly under claims of protecting Christians, could polarise the country along religious lines.

The cleric further argued that airstrikes alone cannot defeat terrorism, stressing that effective counterterrorism requires strong ground operations, which he said Nigeria has enough personnel to carry out if properly organised.

“This is the mistake Nigeria has made. Terrorists don’t fight terrorists in truth; they may only kill innocent people and have ulterior motives behind the drama of fighting ‘terror’.

“As a principle, no nation should allow its land to be a theater of war. And no nation should allow its neighbors to be their enemies.

“If Nigeria wants military assistance, China, Turkey, and Pakistan can do the job effectively,” part of his statement reads.

News

Shehu Sani Reacts To Trump’s Military Strikes In Nigeria

Published

2 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Former lawmaker, senator Shehu Sani, has reacted to reports of United States military strikes on terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North-West, saying foreign powers cannot permanently handle the country’s security challenges.

Sani made the remarks on Friday via his X handle while responding to a post by the United States Africa Command, AFRICOM, which indicated that the strikes were carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

According to him, if the reported strikes were indeed a joint operation with Nigerian security agencies, then such action was justifiable, given the threat posed by terrorist groups in the region.

He described terrorists operating in parts of northern Nigeria as “cancerous cells,” stressing that they survive through violence and should be confronted decisively.

Sani also dismissed narratives suggesting that terrorist attacks target only one religious group, describing such claims as false and misleading.

He said: “If actually, the military strikes against the terrorists targets in the North Western part of Nigeria were a joint operation with the ‘Nigerian Authorities’ as posted by the US AFRICOM on their verified X handle, then it’s a conscionable action.

“Terrorists have become cancerous cells in our part of the country.They live by the sword.The narrative that the evil terrorists only targets one faith, remains absolutely false and misleading.

“Again, the ultimate security and peace in our country lies with ourselves and not with the US or any foreign power. They can complimentarily or unilaterally strike, but they can’t eternally fight our battles.”