News
Security Votes: Governors Meet With EFCC, ICPC, FIRS, CBN On Tuesday

The thirty- six State Governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF have concluded arrangements on how to meet with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) on how to manage their states’ security votes.
Also to be at the meeting slated for Tuesday, April 4th through virtual to brainstorm on thorny issues surrounding security votes allocated to States are the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
According to a statement signed by NGF Director, Media Affairs, AbdulRazaque Bello-Barkindo, the meeting will take place virtually on Tuesday, April 4 and that the Director- General of NGF, Asishana Bayo Okauru said that the agencies expected to be at the meeting include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), the Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIRS) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Security vote is a monthly allocation given to state governments for improved security.
According to Wikipedia, “security vote in Nigeria is a monthly allowance that is allocated to the 36 states within the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the sole purpose of funding security services within such states.
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“The monthly fund runs into billions of naira and vary based on the level of security required by the individual state.”
The statement read, “Governors of the 36 states of the federation are to meet with all the economic and financial agencies in the country, with a view to ironing out thorny issues surrounding their states’ security votes, towards establishing a better option of managing the funds.
“The meeting, which is to take place on Tuesday April 4, according to an invitation issued by the Director General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr. Asishana Bayo Okauru, will be virtual, to ensure full attendance by all the relevant officers in the matter.
“Those invited to the meeting include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
“Furthermore, the meeting will also consider deepening the management and expansion of the cashless policy which took effect from the time of the redesigning of the national currency, the Nigerian Naira, last year, to further the financial inclusion of all citizens in the ensuing scheme of things, going forward.
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“This meeting is called at the instance of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, in its letter of 30th March, which was addressed to the Chairman of the NGF and signed by the NFIU Director, Modibbo Hamman Tukur.
“The letter said that apart from the facilities for national financial inclusion, it is also putting on the table the uniform development and cooperation on the national addressing and post code project, which will put Nigeria on the same pedestal as all advanced countries across the globe.
“Also on the agenda is a consensus on harmonizing and updating the national tax collection and business entry standards and its requirements to help respond to the FATF and the EU grey listing in which Nigeria appeared.
“All Governors are advised to prioritize the meeting as its contents had been discussed at the NGF emergency meeting of Thursday 30th March, where it was unanimously agreed that a meeting with the afore-mentioned agencies was imperative.”
Recall that over the years, whatever Nigerians have heard about the real amount being appropriated to state governors in Nigeria as security has remained a guess work, just as even those in the corridors of power, have described security votes as humongous amount of money that is spent by governors unaccounted for.
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Wikipedia had noted that security votes have not been widely accepted by citizens, as most have claimed that such funds are being abused by the state governments, because how the funds are disbursed is not accountable to any agency.
According to Transparency International, Nigeria allocates an estimated N241.2 billion (about $670 million) to security votes annually.
The international governance and rights watchdog had decried Nigeria’s annual allocation to security votes, saying that it is more than the Nigerian Army’s annual budget, 70 percent more than the Nigerian Police Force annual budget, and far higher than the United States of America and United Kingdom’s security assistance to Nigeria.
Transparency International said that since 2012, the US has spent $68.6 million in security assistance to Nigeria, while the UK has given over $53.5 million (£40 million) in counterterrorism support to Nigeria from 2016 to 2020.
News
Court Dissolves Petitioner’s Marriage Over Lack Of Love, Care

An Area Court sitting at Centre-Igboro, Ilorin in Kwara State, on Thursday, dissolved the four-year-old marriage between Aminat Mustapha and Wahab Adeshina, following the petitioner’s insistence.
The petitioner told the court that she was no longer interested in her marriage to her husband following claims of lack of love and care.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), while delivering ruling, the presiding judge, Mr Toyin Aluko, held that the respondent had written to the court, accepting the divorce application made by his wife.
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Aluko, consequently, dissolved the marriage between the parties, and ordered the woman to observe one month iddah (waiting period) before she could remarry.
Meanwhile, the court granted custody of the two children in the marriage, ages one and three, to their mother.
He ordered the father to pay a monthly sum of N20,000 for the children’s feeding and maintenance.
The court also held that the respondent will be responsible for their education and healthcare.
Again, the court held that the father has unrestricted access to his children, but at reasonable time adding that he should be notified before any decision is taken on his children.
The judge ordered the petitioner to get a copy of the judgment and send same to the respondent.
News
Tinubu Embarks On Three-state Visit

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja on Saturday on a working visit to Borno, Bauchi and Lagos.
This is contained in a statement issued by Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on Friday in Abuja.
While in Borno, the President will commission projects executed by the Borno State Government under Gov. Babagana Zulum, in collaboration with the Federal Government.
He will also attend the wedding ceremony of Sadeeq Sheriff, son of former Borno Governor, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, and his bride, Hadiza Kam Salem.
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From Maiduguri, Tinubu will proceed to Bauchi State to condole with the state government and the family of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, the renowned Islamic cleric and leader of the Tijjaniyya Muslim Brotherhood.
Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi died on Nov. 27.
After the condolence visit, the President will travel to Lagos, where he will spend the end-of-year holidays.
During his stay in Lagos, Tinubu is expected to attend several engagements, including the Eyo Festival scheduled for Dec. 27.
The festival, to be held at Tafawa Balewa Square, will honour notable personalities, including the President’s late mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, former Lagos State governors Alhaji Lateef Jakande and Chief Michael Otedola.
News
My Wife Dented My Image, Took Our Marital Crises To Radio Stations — Husband

…He ran away from home after I was delivered of twins —Wife
Grade A Customary Court sitting at Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has ruled that a couple, Folaji and Ifedayo should go their different ways after it pronounced their marriage dissolved.
The court president, Mrs S.M Akintayo, who gave the judgment, stated that this was imperative to dissolve the marriage for peace to reign.
The plaintiff, Folaji, who dragged his wife to court, accused her of not loving him, always fighting him, and sometimes displaying violence.
Folaji explained that the root of their differences was Ifedayo’s bias for his mode of worship.
According to the plaintiff, he attends a white garment church, which mode of worship the defendant abhors and therefore refused to attend services with him.
Folaji also said that Ifedayo concealed from him the fact that she was suffering from a particular ailment, which he became aware of after she was advised at the hospital to carry out series of tests.
Folaji stated that the differences between him and his wife degenerated to the level that he became a regular face at the police station and also at radio stations, where his wife took their matters to.
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The plaintiff told the court that the defendant had done a lot of damage to his image, and thus prayed the court to put an end to their relationship so that he could pick up the pieces of his life.
The plaintiff sought easy access to their children and promised to give them feeding allowance weekly.
He further requested an order restraining his wife from threatening him and from interfering with his private life.
Ifedayo, in her response, agreed that their union be dissolved.
She stated that her husband was inhumane and that he packed out of their house before she was discharged from the hospital after she put to bed a set of twins.
The defendant further said that the plaintiff had never visited her and their children since he walked out of their marriage.
According to her, her husband sent her N20,000 through his counsel after he dragged her to court, but that she declined it because it was a ridiculous amount to feed a set of twins.
Folaji, in his testimony, said: “My lord, my wife, and I had a proper wedding, and I paid her bride price.
“I expected my wife to be submissive to me and do my binding, but the reverse is the case.
“My wife is stubborn and troublesome.
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“She swore never to attend my church because it’s a white garment church and that she loathes our way of worship.
“The more I encouraged her to attend, the more she kept her distance.
“She later reluctantly agreed to attend service once a month.
“My wife is secretive. She hid from me for years the fact that she was nursing an ailment. I only became aware of this when the doctor confirmed it after she went through a series of tests when she took ill.
“My wife, rather than being remorseful, decided to make life tough for me.
“She became troublesome and never ceased to fight me.
“She is violent and always hit and harmed me with any dangerous objects within her reach.
“We always dragged ourselves to the police station where we became a regular face.
“My wife, determined to dent my image, took our issues to radio stations where I was invited and our differences were aired.
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“I walked out of our marriage when I could no longer tolerate my wife’s misbehaviour.
“She reported me again at the welfare office and, after mediating in our differences, I was asked to provide her with foodstuff and not money, which I did on a regular basis.
“But she has insisted that I would not have rest of mind.
“I pray this court to dissolve our marriage and grant me free access to our children. I promise to make provision for their upkeep on a weekly basis.
“I further request an order restraining my wife from threatening and interfering with my private life.”
Ifedayo, in her response, said: “I agree that our marriage be dissolved. My husband is inhumane and has no conscience, which were the causes of the crisis we experienced in our marriage.
“I was admitted in the hospital to be delivered of our set of twins, but I returned to meet an empty house. My husband deserted me and our newborn children.
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“He never checked on them nor gave anything for their upkeep. He only gave them N20,000 of recent through his counsel after he came to court.
“I rejected the money because such an amount can not feed sufficiently two children of their age, not to mention other needs.
“I plead that the court grant me custody of our children and make my husband responsible for their upkeep.
“I want him to give attention to their feeding and pay their school fees as and when due.
“He should likewise be available any time they need medical attention.”
Giving her judgment, Mrs Akintayo said although both had a valid customary marriage and bride price was paid, the court had no choice than to grant their prayers of divorce since they now express their disinterest in it.
Akintayo ruled that they were no longer husband and wife.
She granted custody of their children to the defendant, stating that they were still minors in need of motherly care.
The defendant was granted access to their children on a weekly basis while he was ordered to be responsible for their welfare.
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