News

Tinubu’s CoS Gbajabiamila Gets N21bn Allocation From 2024 Budget

Published

5 months ago

December 6, 2023

Editor

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, will get N21 billion from the 2024 budget.

An analysis of the N27.7 trillion budget document recently presented by Tinubu last week revealed this.

The country’s 2024 budget, christened ‘Budget of Renewed Hope’, showed that the figure allocated for the office of the Chief of Staff is a 97.5 per cent increase from the N517.95 million in 2023.

Other allocations showed that the State House headquarters will get N40.61 billion, State House Operations (President) N9.1 billion, and State House Operations (Vice-President) N3.14 billion.

Also, N260.5 billion was provided for the office of the Chief Security Officer to the President, the State House Medical Centre got N1.13 billion, while the State Lagos Liaison office got N632.4 million.

A broader breakdown indicated that the Presidency will get N272 billion, comprising N176.92 billion as personnel costs, N34.22 billion as overhead costs, and N60.53 billion as capital expenditure.

This is an 83.59 per cent increase from the N148.16 billion budgeted for the Presidency in 2023.

Meanwhile, outside the Presidency, the education sector will get N2.18 trillion, the defence and security sector will get N3.25 trillion, the Health and Infrastructure sectors will get N2.66 trillion, and N534 billion for social development and poverty reduction, among other allocations.

Also, N8.490 trillion, representing 30 per cent, is for debt servicing, N9.918 trillion is for recurrent non-debt expenditure, and N7.717 trillion is for contribution to the Development Fund for capital expenditure.

Other highlights include a Crude Oil Benchmark of 77.96 USD per barrel, oil production of 1.78 million bpd and a foreign exchange rate (Naira-USD) of N750.

News

BREAKING: Reps To Probe Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Procurement Process

Published

23 mins ago

May 9, 2024

Editor

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the procurement process of the Lagos Calabar coastal highway.

This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national Importance moved by Austine Achado (APC, Benue) during plenary on Thursday.

Moving the motion, Achado maintained that the contract award did not follow due process and did not get approval from the National Assembly.

However, in its resolution, the House referred the matter to its committees on Procurement and Works.

Details later…

News

Nigerian’s Request To Be Buried Alive For 24 Hours Causes Stir Online [VIDEO]

Published

3 hours ago

May 9, 2024

Editor

A Nigerian man simply identified as Young C caused a stir online on Wednesday, May 8, when he embarked on a challenge to be buried alive in a coffin for 24 hours.

In a post shared on his Instagram page, Young C said he intends to broadcast live footage from the coffin at night.

Sharing a video on his Instagram account, he said

“I am going to be spending the next 24 hours buried in this casket. Guys, this is real, not fake. And the most amazing part is that I am going to go live by night.”

In a subsequent update, Young C revealed that he had been buried for over 8 hours and was experiencing physical discomfort, including excessive sweating.

“Guys, I have been buried alive for over 8 hours now. For those of you who saw my first video, I have been down here. As you can see, my camera is still rolling, and I have my light down there, I am sweating, guys.”

In yet another update, Young C said he has started experiencing heat and that his fear now is for his rechargeable fan not to run out of power. He also showed a container where he has been urinating since he began the challenge.

Watch video below:

News

Nigerian Emerges First Black Woman To Bag PhD In Robotics At Michigan Varsity

Published

15 hours ago

May 8, 2024

Editor

A Nigerian woman, Oluwami Dosunmu-Ogunbi, has made history as the first black woman to bag a PhD in Robotics at the University of Michigan in the United States.

Speaking at the university’s College of Engineering convocation, Dosunmu-Ogunbi, a daughter of Nigerian immigrants, spoke on the support she received in realising her aspirations.

She said, “I do not stand here on my own two feet alone. None of us got here by our individual merit alone, whether it be teacher, friends, family, mentors, or role models, we each have one or multiple people to whom we are grateful for making this moment possible.”

She added that she wants to be remembered as the University of Michigan’s first black woman to get a PhD in Robotics and she wants to use her knowledge in engineering to improve the lives of others.

She added, “A Michigan Engineer is one who does not just provide scientific and technological leadership, but is also one who is intellectually curious, socially conscious, creates collaborative solutions to societal problems, and promotes an inclusive and innovative community of service for the common good.

“We each have a solemn duty to make positive contributions to the world. Well, my reasons for becoming an engineer were initially frivolous, but they eventually moved into something more meaningful. I want to have a positive impact on the world.”

The University of Michigan Robotics Department website describes Dosunmu-Ogunbi’s journey as one shared by many PhD students who initially lack a clear vision for their final goals.

It added that Dosunmu-Ogunbi has been an active community builder in robotics, earning an MLK Spirit Award from the College of Engineering for mentoring and inspiration as well as being named an outreach ambassador by Robotics for three years, 2021–2023.

The Department also disclosed that she was named a runner-up in the
College of Engineering’s three–minute thesis competition and has been inducted into the Bouchet Society, which recognises outstanding scholarly achievement and promotes diversity in graduate education and the professoriate.

Dosunmu-Ogunbi is currently interviewing for faculty positions, the department revealed.