News

CSOs Want Budget Portal Periodical Review

Published

3 years ago

May 26, 2022

A coalition of Civil Society Organizations in Edo State on Friday, tasked the Consultative Forum on Transparency Initiative of National Budget Portal on periodic review of its portal if finally created to enable citizens know how the nation’s budget is spent.

They gave the task at a one day stakeholders interactive session with the Consultative Forum on Transparency Initiative of National Budget Portal held with the Civil Society Organizations in Benin City.

The event was themed: ‘Coordination and Implementation of Open Budget and Fiscal Transparency Commitment: Citizens Engagement Forum in Budget Implementation.’

The interactive session was aimed at giving citizens of the state the opportunity to make their own contributions as regards to what they should expect in the proposed portal.

Speaking at the interactive session, Comrade Itietie Omojevwe of the Edo Civil Society Organizations (EDOCSO), said with the constant review of their portal, it will enable citizens of the state to know and monitor progress of an awarded project, how much was budgeted, released to contractors, who bided for the contract and to what extent has the contract being executed.

He said the consequences of not reviewing the portal are grievous because citizens cannot monitor progress and thereby erroneously accusing a contractor of abandoning his job whereas the said contractor has long completed his job.

Itietie said with constant update of the portal, it would save citizens those shortfalls.

The Interim Chairman of EDOCSO, Bishop Osadolor Ochei, said the importance of creating a portal by the government cannot be overemphasized because it serves as a warehouse of information and that the citizens of the state can easily log into it and source for what ever information they seek about the government.

He said with the Freedom of Information bill that has since been signed into law, had availed citizens the right to ask questions and source for what ever government information they want.

While commending the organizers for the initiative, he said learning is a continuous thing just as he urged the civil rights groups in the state to key into the project with the view of being able to hold their government accountable and ask questions about how their yearly budget is being spent by the government they voted into power.

Earlier, the coordinator, Consultative Forum on Transparency Initiative of National Budget Portal, Mr. Bassey Emmanuel, said the portal is going to be a website where citizens can have easy assess to all government’s budgets and allocations

He also said the portal is not in existence yet, but it is still in the offing adding that, ARZIKI BRAND NIG.LTD, a consortium of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Planning is the one driving the process on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Planning.

Bassey said the consultative forum is to harness expected features and expectations for the proposed National Budget Portal (NBP).

He added that the interactive session has become so imperative as it will give the citizens and the right groups the opportunity to state what they would want to see in the portal as regards the monitoring and implementation of the nation’s yearly budget.

News

Tinubu Approves Portfolios For 5 NCDC Executive Directors

Published

13 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has approved portfolios for five executive directors on the board of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC).

Mr Segun Imohiosen, Director, Information and Public Relations, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), made the announcement in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.

The appointees and their portfolios are: Hajiya Biliquis Jumoke- Administration and Human Resources, Mrs Aisha Rufai Ibrahim-Commercial and Industrial Development.

Others are, Mr James Abel Uloko-Corporate Services, Prof. Muhammad Bashar-Finance and Atika Ajanah-Projects.

The president urged the executive directors to work closely with the governing board of the commission to promote and coordinate sustainable development of the North-Central geopolitical zone.”

News

Court Orders Arrest Of 2 Lawyers Over Alleged Forgery, Impersonation

Published

13 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sitting at Apo, on Monday, issued a bench warrant against two lawyers charged with forgery and impersonation.

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie made the arrest order following repeated failure of the defendants- Victor Giwa, and Ibitade Bukola- to appear before the court to enter their plea to the charge that was preferred against them by the Inspector General of Police.

In the charge marked: CR/150/25, the duo were accused of conspiring to forge a legal document purportedly issued by the chambers of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Prof. Awa U. Kalu, with the intent to mislead the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF.

According to the three-count charge, the alleged offence occurred on June 28, 2024.

The prosecution alleged that the defendants forged and signed a letter on the official letterhead of the SAN, requesting the AGF to suspend a scheduled arraignment.

The contentious letter, titled “Urgent and Solemn Appeal to Suspend the Arraignment of Our Colleague Victor Giwa on Charge Number: CR/222/2023”, was allegedly addressed to the AGF.

It allegedly sought intervention of the AGF to halt an arraignment that was scheduled before trial Justice Samira Bature of the high court.

The IGP, in the charge, maintained that the two lawyers committed offences punishable under Section 97, 179 and 364 of the Penal Code Act, 2004.

At the resumed proceeding of the court on Monday, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Eristo Asaph, noted that the defence lawyer told the court that the 1st defendant was bereaved, hence his absence for the scheduled arraignment.

The prosecution counsel further noted that it was on the strength of an application by the defendant that the case was adjourned.

He, therefore, wondered why the duo were also absent in court for the case to proceed.

Responding, the defence counsel, Mr. Ogbu Aboje, told the court that the 1st defendant, Giwa, wrote a letter that was accompanied with a medical report dated September 3, indicating that he had a health challenge he described as “Degenerative disorder of the lumber vertebrae,” in addition to his hypertensive condition.

He added that the 2nd defendant equally went to the hospital on Monday morning to keep to a routine appointment for the immunisation of her daughter.

More so, he drew attention of the court to an application the defendants earlier filed to challenge its jurisdiction to entertain the case.

Dissatisfied with the developments, the prosecution counsel urged the court to issue a warrant for the defendants to be arrested y security agencies and produced for their trial.

In his ruling, Justice Onwuegbuzie held that having listened to both parties, he was minded to accede to the prosecution’s request.

He court stressed that the medical report did indicate that the 1st defendant would not be able to attend court, adding that the 2nd defendant did not adduce any material to justify her absence.

Consequently, relying on the provision of section 266 (2) and 352 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), Justice Onwuegbuzie issued a bench warrant for the defendants to be arrested and produced before the court on October 8.
(VANGUARD)

News

Community Attributes Access Road To Reduction In Maternal Mortality In Bauchi

Published

17 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

A cross-section of residents in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State has attributed the reduction in maternal mortality to the ongoing construction and rehabilitation of the Kirjaule–Lame roads.

Mr. Samila Jauro, who spoke on behalf of the community, made the disclosure during a media tour of ongoing Bauchi State projects in the area.

He explained that in the past, no fewer than 50 pregnant women and their babies had lost their lives due to delays in accessing healthcare caused by the poor condition of roads.

“We have lost many of our pregnant women and their unborn babies in the past because of bad roads.

“But the present administration has changed our lives through its infrastructural development,” Jauro said.

While commending the state government, he appealed for the electrification of Kirjauke community.

“We are grateful for the road project, but we still call on the governor to provide us with electricity.

For the past 18 years, we have had no source of power,” he added.

The Bauchi State Government, through the Ministry of Works, in 2023 awarded a 40.5-kilometer road construction and rehabilitation projects in the aforementioned sites.

Speaking on the progress of the projects, the Site Engineer, Mr. Ado Shehu, said the project had reached 75 percent completion.

“The Kirjaule–Lame and Magama–Gumau roads were awarded at the end of November 2023.

“Some portions are already completed, while others are at the second layer and shoulder stage to ensure a successful outcome.

“The duration of the project according to the contract is 36 months.

” But with 75 percent already completed, the project will be finished ahead of schedule,” he said.