Headline
Oil-producing States Borrow N1.3tn Amid N6.4tn Windfall

PANDEF, others ask N’Delta governors to showcase development projects
Oil-producing states received N1.9tn as derivation fund under Buhari – Minister
The total debts of 10 oil-producing states rose from N2.04tn in December 2015 to N3.35tn as of June 2022, according to sub-national debt reports of the Debt Management Office.
This means that a total of N1.31tn was borrowed within a period of about seven years by the states.
The 10 states are: Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Edo, Abia, Ondo, Imo, Cross River, Bayelsa and Lagos.
This came as findings by The PUNCH show that the oil-producing states received the sum of N6.4tn in federal allocation and 13 per cent derivation fund.
The Federal Government disbursed a total of N1.98tn as a share of the 13 per cent derivation fund to oil-producing states, the Minister of Finance, Budget, and National budget, Zainab Ahmed, disclosed on Thursday, at the sixth edition of the PMB Administration Scorecard.
She stated that the amount was paid in seven years despite some of the funds preceding the current administration.
She said, “One of the key functions of the Ministry of Finance Budget and National Planning is in support of states. The President understands very clearly that this economy wouldn’t have been growing consecutively or wouldn’t have been able to pull ourselves out of recession twice.
“We wouldn’t have been able to grow consistently without enabling the states to grow because it is a federation.
READ ALSO: Police Arraign Cryptocurrency Marketer Over Alleged N51.7m Fraud
“Mr. President has been very uniquely generous in his support to states. I can say no president has provided the level of support provided to the states of the Federation.
“He understands that the federating units need to work together as one to achieve the targets that he has set for the country. So, everybody goes to support sub-national governments.
“In seven years, we have disbursed N1.98 trillion in funds to oil-producing states.”
Recall that the 13 per cent derivation fund has been a controversial issue after comments by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, alleging that the oil-producing states had refused to disclose their own shares paid by the Federal Government from 1999 to all the Niger Delta States.
Ahmed further said that the government had supported states of the federation N5.03tn and an additional $3.4bn since 2015.
She said, “With respect to sub-national governments, the ministry goes over and above its statutory role to provide financial support to States:
“A total of N5.03tn plus an additional $3.4bn has been released to states by the Federal Government over the life of this administration.
“Each of these payments has distinct repayment terms with some given as grants and others as loans with favourable repayment terms, including a long amortisation period.
“The support covers the 13 per cent Derivation refund to oil-producing states, refunds for construction of federal roads, ecological support, support from the Development of Natural Resources Fund, Paris Club refunds, support from the Stabilisation Fund, COVID intervention amongst others.”
Reeling out the details, Ahmed said N445bn was given as salary bailout to states except Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Jigawa, Lagos and Yobe in September 2015, while N340bn was disbursed to states except Lagos and Osun as excess crude loan. Also, N610bn was allocated to all states, except Lagos, as a budget support facility.
Other support included: $2.67tn as an outright Paris Club refund; N750m disbursed in 2021 as an SFTAS reward; and N600bn paid as withdrawal from payment of subsidy in April 2022.
Speaking further, the minister revealed that the non-oil sector had continued to maintain high-level performance in terms of revenue generated, adding that it was currently the mainstay of the nation’s economy.
She said that the sector contributed N1.71trn out of the total revenue of N4.19trn, an outturn of 100.7 per cent compared to the budget projection.
READ ALSO: Reactions Trail $1.1bn Derivation Fund In Akwa Ibom
“Today, I call your attention to the very high performance of the non-oil sector of our economy. As of September 2022, the Federal Government’s share of oil revenues to fund the budget was N535.5bn representing 32.6 per cent performance), while non-oil tax revenues totalled N1.71tn an outturn of 100.7 per cent compared to the budget projection.
“The non-oil revenue share of funding the Federal Government has improved. We have been able to move from contributing 35 per cent to the federal budget to contributing 73 per cent to the financing of the federal budget.”
N6.4tn windfall
Oil-producing states got N4.46tn from Federation Account Allocation Committee between 2016 and 2020, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics collated by The PUNCH. When combined with the N1.98tn allocated to oil-producing states as a share of the 13 per cent derivation, the amount moves to N6.4tn.
Within the period under review, Delta got the highest allocation of N804.27bn while Cross River got the least, N147.86bn.
The allocation of other states were as follows: Akwa Ibom, N769.19bn; Lagos, N523.63bn; Rivers, N675.54bn; Edo, N255.32bn; Abia, N225.47bn; Ondo, N250.86bn; Imo, N234.37bn; and Bayelsa, N575.39bn.
According to the NBS, FAAC gets oil revenues and related taxes, revenues from the Nigerian Customs Service, company income tax, any sale of national assets as well as surplus and dividends from state-owned enterprises.
Meanwhile, the total debts of 10 oil-producing states rose from N2.04tn in December 2015 to N3.35tn as of June 2022, according to sub-national debt reports of the Debt Management Office.
A further breakdown showed that in 2015, a total of N1.22tn was from domestic creditors while $1.84bn (or N817.27bn at the Central Bank of Nigeria’s exchange rate of N444.17 per dollar as of November 1, 2022) was from external sources.
By June 2022, N2.42tn was borrowed from domestic sources while $2.31bn was from foreign sources such as the World Bank and African Development Bank.
For sub-national domestic debts, Lagos leads with the most debt, from N218.54bn domestic debt in 2015 to N797.31bn by June 2022.
It is followed by Delta, whose debt rose from N320.61bn domestic debt in 2015 to N378.88bn by June 2022.
Third on the list is Rivers, from N134.97bn domestic debt in 2015 to N225.51bn by June 2022.
For foreign debt, Lagos leads with the most debt, from $1.21bn in 2015 to $1.27bn by June 2022.
It is followed by Edo, whose external debt increased from $168.19m to $268.31m. Cross River is next, from $136.4m to $215.74m within the period under review.
PANDEF, Kio-Briggs kick
The Pan Niger Delta Forum and popular rights activist, Ann Kio-Briggs, have taken a swipe at the Federal Government over claims that the N1.98tn it disbursed to the Niger Delta region was not commensurate with the level of development in the region.
The National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, Ken Robinson, said, “As you know, the fact of the matter is that it is the resources of the Niger Delta people that the Federal Government of Nigeria is plundering, wasting over the years. To say that they have given the Niger Delta N1.98tn as reported and all that is unnecessary. What is N1.98tn?
“How much has been taken away from the Niger Delta compared to the devastation that has been done to the Niger Delta environment and the livelihoods of the people that have been decimated?
“And all these complicate or increase the social and economic challenges of the area. There are more people who ordinarily would have been involved in farming or fishing who are now looking for jobs.”
The PANDEF spokesman explained that no amount of funds allotted to the crude oil and gas-rich region was too much, being the goose laying the golden egg.
He, however, said it was not an excuse for the poor governance in the country, which he said was not peculiar to the Niger Delta alone.
“And I think that some of these governors in the Niger Delta should also do more in terms of showcasing what they are doing with the resources that they got. And that we will say that whether the level of development is commensurate to the amount of money received is relative because of the difficult terrain the Niger Delta is faced with in terms of developmental challenges.”
READ ALSO: Account For 13% Oil Derivation Backlog Paid By Buhari, Wike N’Delta Governors
On her part, Kio-Briggs said the Federal Government must be specific and come up with facts as to which agency or governors the amounts they claimed to have disbursed was given for purposes of accountability.
She said, “First of all, I don’t like it when the government says that they have disbursed so much money.
“When you want to give information, you have to give credible, verifiable, truthful information to people, so that people can make up their minds. You can’t make up their minds for them.
“Why do I say this? You can’t just say you have disbursed so much to Niger Delta, no. Say I have disbursed N2.3trillion hypothetically to the Niger Delta Development Commission; I have disbursed N5. 2tn to the Ministry of Niger Delta.”
Continuing, Kio-Briggs stated that the people of the region were not fools to believe hook, line and sinker anything the Federal Government says.
PUNCH
Headline
UK Police Arrest Asylum Seeker Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed

The UK police on Sunday arrested an Ethiopian asylum seeker and convicted sex offender, whose crimes had sparked anti-immigration protests, after he was accidentally released from prison in an embarrassing blunder by British authorities.
London’s Metropolitan Police said officers arrested Hadush Kebatu in the north of the capital on Sunday morning, nearly 48 hours after he was mistakenly freed around 30 miles (48 kilometres) away.
Kebatu, 38, had served the first month of a one-year sentence for sexually assaulting a teenage girl and a woman, but was reportedly due to be deported when the Prison Service error occurred on Friday.
His high-profile case earlier this year in Epping, northeast of London, sparked demonstrations in various English towns and cities where asylum seekers were believed to be housed, as well as counter-protests.
READ ALSO:UK Police Hunt Asylum Seeker Mistakenly Freed For Sex Offence
Commander James Conway, who oversaw the manhunt for him, said “information from the public” led officers to the Finsbury Park neighbourhood of London, where he was found.
“He was detained by police but will be returned to the custody of the Prison Service,” he added.
Kebatu is now expected to be deported.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Friday he was “appalled” by the “totally unacceptable” mistake that saw him freed rather than sent to an immigration detention centre.
The Telegraph newspaper said he was wrongly categorised for release on licence and handed a £76 ($101) discharge grant.
READ ALSO:Alleged Misappropriation: MFM Accuses UK Agency Of Discrimination
Police had appealed Saturday for Kebatu to turn himself in, after reports emerged that he had appeared confused and reluctant to leave the prison in Chelmsford, eastern England.
A delivery driver described seeing Kebatu return several times in a “very confused” state, only to be turned away by staff and directed to the railway station.
The driver told Sky News he saw Kebatu outside the jail, asking, “Where am I going? What am I doing?”
“He was starting to get upset, he was getting stressed,” the driver said.
READ ALSO:UK Is A Home, Not Hotel, Kemi Badenoch Tells Immigrants, Starmer’s Govt
The father of Kebatu’s anonymous teenage victim told the broadcaster that “the justice system has let us down.”
Police arrested the asylum seeker in July after he repeatedly tried to kiss a 14-year-old girl and touch her legs, and made sexually explicit comments to her.
He also sexually assaulted an adult woman, placing a hand on her thigh, when she intervened to stop his interactions with the girl.
He was staying at the time at Epping’s Bell Hotel, where scores of other asylum seekers have been accommodated, and which became the target of repeated protests.
AFP
Headline
Madagascar Revokes Ousted President’s Nationality

Madagascar’s new government has stripped ousted president Andry Rajoelina of his Malagasy nationality in a decree published Friday, 10 days after he was removed in a military takeover.
According to AFP, the decree means that Rajoelina, who was impeached on October 14 after fleeing the island nation in the wake of weeks of protests, would not be able to contest future election.
The decree published in the official gazette said Rajoelina’s Malagasy nationality was revoked because he had acquired French nationality in 2014, local media reported, as photographs of the document were shared online.
READ ALSO:Madagascar’s President Denounces ‘Coup Attempt’ As Gen Z Protests Escalate
French broadcaster RFI said it had confirmed the decree with the entourage of the new prime minister, Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo, who signed the order.
The decree cited laws stipulating that a Malagasy who voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality loses their Malagasy nationality.
Rajoelina’s French nationality caused a scandal when it was revealed ahead of the November 2023 elections, nearly 10 years after it was granted.
READ ALSO:Madagascar Passes Bill To Castrate Child R*pists
It triggered calls for him to be disqualified but he went on to win the contested polls, which were boycotted by opposition parties.
The 51-year-old politician fled Madagascar after army Colonel Michael Randrianirina said on October 11 his CAPSAT unit would refuse orders to put down the youth-led protest movement, which security forces had attempted to suppress with violence.
Rajoelina said later he was in hiding for his safety, but did not say where.
Randrianirina was sworn in as president on October 14, pledging elections within two years.
Headline
Kamala Harris Hints At Running For President Again

Former US vice president Kamala Harris said in a British television interview previewed in Saturday that she may “possibly” run again to be president.
Harris, who replaced Joe Biden as the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate but lost to Donald Trump, told the BBC that she had not yet decided whether to make another White House bid.
But the 61-year-old insisted she was “not done” in American politics and that her young grandnieces would see a female president in the Oval Office “in their lifetime, for sure”.
READ ALSO:FULL LIST: Trump, Kamala, Netanyahu, Others Shortlisted For 2024 Time’s Person Of The Year
“I have lived my entire career a life of service, and it’s in my bones, and there are many ways to serve.
“I’ve not decided yet what I will do in the future, beyond what I am doing right now,” Harris told the British broadcaster in an interview set to air in full on Sunday.
The comments are the strongest hint yet that Harris could attempt to be the Democratic Party nominee for the 2028 election.
READ ALSO:Kamala Harris Secures Democratic Presidential Nomination
The interview follows the release of her memoir last month, in which she argued it had been “recklessness” to let Biden run for a second term as president.
She also accused his White House team of failing to support her while she was his deputy, and at times of actively hindering her.
AFP
News5 days agoBREAKING: Edo LG Commission Orders Heads On Compulsory Leave
Headline4 days agoUK Cuts Post-study Work Period For Foreign Students
Headline5 days agoUK Links Nigeria, Others To Poisonous Alcoholic Drinks
News4 days agoBREAKING: Tinubu swears In New INEC Chairman, Amupitan
Metro4 days agoDrama As Kanu Lists Danjuma, Wike, Sanwo-Olu As Witnesses
Headline4 days agoOne Dies As Woman Trying To Kill Cockroach Sets House On Fire
Headline4 days agoAmerican Pilot Kidnapped In Niger Republic – Report
News4 days agoNnamdi Kanu: Court Summons Wike, Buratai, T. Y Danjuma, Uzodinma, Others As Witnesses
News3 days agoJUST IN: Tinubu Sacks CDS Musa, Names New Army Boss
Metro4 days agoJUST IN: Police Arrest Sowore














