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Why N’Assembly Rejected Solid Mineral Ministry’s 2025 Budget Revealed

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The National Assembly joint committee on Solid Minerals, on Friday, rejected the budget estimates of the Ministry of Solid Minerals.

The committee said that the estimates presented were greatly inadequate.

The Chairman of the joint committee, Sen. Ekong Sampson, stated this after the minister, Dele Alake, presented the ministry’s 2025 budget estimate before the committee.

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The call for the rejection of the budget followed a motion moved by Sen. Diket Plang (APC-Plateau) and seconded by Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP-Kogi).

Moving the motion, Plang expressed displeasure that the ministry got just N9bn as an envelope out of the N539.7bn it proposed for capital expenditure in the 2025 budget.

READ ALSO: Publish Projects You Claimed Are Allocated To Ijaw Communities In 2025 Budget, IPF Tackles Delta Govt

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The chairman also expressed displeasure over the ministry’s budget because of the importance of solid mineral sector to the diversification of the Nigerian economy.

He said, “This is because of the potential in not addressing the key concerns in this sector at a time that Nigeria is in a grand need to diversify the economy.

“The estimates presented before us are grossly inadequate and will not help our economy at this critical period, when we have to invest in the future, consistent with what obtains in other economies.

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“We’ve taken this position in the interest of this country and as a support item to the vision of government as it were that this budget clearly needs a review.

“The need for this review clearly contemplates the peculiarities in the sector.

READ ALSO: FULL TEXT Of Tinubu’s Speech At 2025 Budget Presentation To National Assembly

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“Time has gone by and you have to take a very bold step in exploration, in data gathering, in tackling major drawbacks that have put us in dire situations as a nation richly endowed but faced, as it were with the contradictions in abundance.

“It is the view of the joint committee that the budget of this sector be reviewed upwards.

“I think that is the spirit of the meeting, in the meantime, we will suspend further decisions on this budget unless those steps are taken.

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“The budget for this sector needs radical upward review. So the joint session rejects the estimate before us. We will step everything down.”

The co-chairman, Mr Gaza Gbefwi, representing Keffi/Karu/Kokona Federal Constituencies, also supported the move for the suspension of the budget defence.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Tinubu Presents N49.7tn 2025 Restoration Budget

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“I move that we suspend this budget screening for the Ministry of Solid Minerals for the fact that what is appropriated to them, if it is true, is beyond imagination.

“Also, we are here to pass a budget not for the ministry, not for us, but for Nigerians and the progress of this country.

“I, therefore, propose that we step down this screening of the budget presented to us and request that we invite the Minister of Planning and Budget to appear before this committee,” he said.

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Earlier, Alake said that the ministry in 2025, proposed N539.7 billion for capital expenditure and N2 billion for overhead cost, making it a total budget of N541.7 billion for the ministry.

“In contrite distinction to the avowed objective of the economic diversification of Nigeria away from oil into green energy, into harnessing the solid minerals sector, the envelope that the ministry received was a far cry from our proposal.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Reps Increase 2024 Budget To N35.055 Trillion, Amend Finance Bill

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“We proposed N539.7 billion for capital in 2025, but the envelope that came is a paltry N9 billion,” he said

On the 2024 budget performance of the ministry, Alake said that the overhead cost was 100 per cent performance while the capital was a dismal 18 per cent performance which was based on releases.

“When I did a panoramic view of the entire budget from other ministries, it is a kind of a general problem.

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“The budget releases were not as expected which really hampered the capital budget in 2024.

“We rely on your support and effort to correct this anomaly, because if we are going to achieve all our objectives, there is no way we can achieve them,” he said.

In terms of revenue generated, Alake said that the ministry generated N37.8 billion in 2024 as above the N11 billion projected.

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(NAN)

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Eating Takeout Food Often May Increase Heart Disease Risk — Study

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Research suggests that higher takeout food consumption may increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease, like heart disease.

In a new study, published in Food Science & Nutrition, researchers said eating takeout food too often can influence systemic inflammation that underlies much cardiovascular disease.

The study of over eight thousand people in the 2009 to 2018 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that those who eat greater amounts of takeout food are likely to have various elevated risk factors for heart disease.

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They were interviewed in their homes and also visited a mobile examination centre, where they recalled their food intake, received cardiometabolic health assessments, and had blood collected.

READ ALSO:23 Ships With Fuel, Food Items To Arrive Lagos Ports – NPA

Mammograms may predict heart disease risk in women — Study

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The researchers found a correlation between the amount of takeout food a person consumes and their likelihood of developing chronic low-level inflammation, a key driver of cardiovascular pathology.

Deaths from cardiovascular disease and the consumption of takeout foods are both on the rise, and while that does not prove a causal relationship, the study explores whether there is a connection between the two.

The study tracked degrees of systemic inflammation according to the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), a scale that quantifies the risk of inflammation related to the intake of specific dietary substances.

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READ ALSO:Food Security: 14,000 Smallholder Farmers To Benefit From N4bn Smart Agriculture Training In Bauchi

The three major takeaways from the analysis included that a higher level of takeout food consumption corresponded to an unfavourable cardiometabolic profile consisting of lower HDL, as well as higher triglycerides, fasting glucose, serum insulin, and insulin resistance.

Jayne Morgan, MD, cardiologist and Vice President of Medical Affairs in a reaction, who was not involved in the study, explained that “Takeout food raises the cardiovascular risk not because of one ingredient, but because of a predictable combination of nutrients, additives, and preparation methods that adversely affect blood pressure, lipids, insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and endothelial function.”

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This includes excess sodium that increases blood volume and blood vessel stiffness, and unhealthy fats, usually saturated fats or trans fats, that increase cholesterol level and atherosclerosis, a condition that can lead to heart attack and stroke.”

Michelle Routhenstein, Preventive Cardiology Dietitian at Entirely Nourished, also not involved in this study, declared, “It is also important to recognise that frequent takeout use often reflects broader lifestyle pressures such as demanding schedules, limited access to cooking resources, irregular meals, and disrupted sleep, all of which can quietly compound cardiovascular risk.”

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How To Identify Fake Kiss Condoms In Circulation

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has recently warned Nigerians about the circulation of counterfeit Kiss brand condoms in major markets across the country.

Contents
Original DKT Kiss condoms
Fake Kiss condoms

In a public alert published on its website recently and referenced as Public Alert No. 042/2025, the agency said the warning followed information received from DKT International Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation involved in contraceptive social marketing and HIV/AIDS prevention.

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NAFDAC stated, “The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control is notifying the public about the sale and distribution of fake Kiss condoms in various Nigerian markets.

“The information was received from the MAH-DKT International Nigeria, a leading non-governmental organisation focused on contraceptive social marketing. Its mission is to provide Nigerians with affordable and safe options for family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention.

“The fake Kiss condoms have been reported to be found in Onitsha Market, Idumota Market, Trade Fair Market, and various markets in Kano, Abuja, Uyo, Gombe, Enugu, and others.”

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READ ALSO:Married Man Denies Wife At Brazil Concert To Kiss Tems On Stage [VIDEO]

Kiss condom is a brand of male latex condoms designed to offer sexual protection, including the prevention of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, gonorrhoea and syphilis.

To help consumers avoid counterfeit products, NAFDAC outlined key differences between original and fake Kiss condoms.

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Original DKT Kiss condoms
The original product comes in a light red box pack with clear instructions printed on the lower part of the pack, including single-use warnings and storage and caution information. The box contains detailed medical device information, including MDSS GmbH, Germany, and a complete Nigerian address at Isolo Industrial Layout, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.

The condom pack is light red, with the word “Kiss” closely written on six lines. The wallet outer pack is lighter red, carries the Oshodi-Apapa address, manufacturer details, and a clear product description beside the condom image. The hidden flap includes revision dates, medical device details, and caution information, while the wallet inner contains detailed instructions and eight bullet points under important notes.

READ ALSO:Lagos Names Mandy Kiss Anti-drug Abuse Ambassador

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The original condom is large, oval-shaped, well-lubricated, and has a large teat end for semen collection.

Fake Kiss condoms
In contrast, fake Kiss condoms come in darker-coloured box packs with little or no additional information. Some boxes are plain white inside and lack condom images. The address is wrongly listed as 42, Montgomery Road, Yaba, Lagos, while the manufacturer’s address is incomplete or missing. Storage and caution information is absent.

The condom pack is darker, with “Kiss” loosely written on five lines and wide spacing. The condom strip is longer than the original. The wallet outer pack is also darker red, carries incorrect or missing addresses, lacks colour wave designs, and shows inconsistencies in barcode lines. Medical device and caution information are missing, and the hidden flap contains no details.

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Inside the wallet, information is summarised with only six bullet points. The fake condom is thinner, round-shaped, less lubricated, and has a smaller teat end.
(TRIBUNE)

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Lagos: Police Arrest 14 Suspected Traffic Robbers On Lekki-Epe Expressway

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Fourteen persons suspected to be involved in traffic-related robbery have been arrested at various points along the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos over the past two weeks.

The arrests were confirmed on Tuesday by the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, via a post on her official X handle, @AbimbolaShotayo.

According to her, operatives of the Command’s Tactical Squad based in Elemoro carried out the operations that led to the suspects’ apprehension.

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READ ALSO:VIDEO: Chaos As Last-minute Shoppers Overwhelm Lagos Balogun Market

She explained that the arrests followed sustained patrols and intelligence-driven operations aimed at curbing criminal activities associated with traffic congestion and improving the safety of motorists and other road users along the busy corridor.

Adebisi noted that the development reflects the Command’s determination to strengthen security and uphold law and order on the Lekki-Epe axis, adding that the Tactical Squad has continued to proactively identify crime-prone areas and respond swiftly to threats posed by criminal elements.

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She called on residents and commuters to support police efforts by providing timely and credible information that could assist in preventing and detecting crime.

READ ALSO:VIDEO: Chaos As Last-minute Shoppers Overwhelm Lagos Balogun Market

Security is a shared responsibility. Members of the public are encouraged to stay alert and promptly report any suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station,” she said.

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The police spokesperson further reassured residents and road users of the Command’s commitment to maintaining aggressive patrols and security operations to protect lives and property in the area.

She reiterated the Command’s community policing message, “See Something, Say Something,” stressing the importance of cooperation between the police and the public in sustaining peace and security.

 

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