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Loan: Buhari, NASS risking lives of future generations – Civil Society warns
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and the Transparency International Nigeria have sounded a stern warning that President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the upper and lower legislative houses are risking the future generations of Nigeria, if incessant loan approvals are not stopped.
The group called on the National Assembly to stop approval of loan requests from the executive arm of government to save Nigeria’s future generations.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Executive Director of CISLAC, Mr. Auwal Ibrahim Musa said, audit reports of government agencies and parastatals have revealed endemic corruption of a government that pride itself as allergic to corruption.
The Executive Director of CISLAC, further maintained that government agencies are now chesspool of corruption to an extent that government has become incapacitated in investigating them as a result of its systemic nature that involves ‘who is who’.
Musa who was flanked with officials of Transparency International Nigeria made a ‘carpet sweeping’ statement that, “there is no sector in Nigeria which audit has not revealed humongous financial sleaze”, a situation, he maintained, tainted the integrity of the present administration.
The group recalled how they persuaded the federal government to utilise recovered loots, but regretted that, “recovered loots have been relooted”, as reports have now been in the public domain.
“Time and again, Civil Society Organisations and other stakeholders have called for accountability and transparency in the management and utilisation of recovered funds, yet the story remains the same as recovered loots are re-looted.
“We,therefore, called on the leadership of the National Assembly to restrain from further approval of borrowing and mandate the executive to recover misappropriated and mismanaged funds.”
Musa further explained how agencies of government have become evasive in the submission of their audited accounts as required by law, saying that it was a deliberate attempt to keep their questionable finanacial transactions from the prying eyes of the public.
Stating further, he said: “In 2018, findings from a series of audits of the oil and gas sector carried out by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) showed that Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its upstream arm, NPDC had failed to remit $21.778 billion and N316.074 billion to the Federation account.
“These were amounts due from three main sources: Federation assets divested to NPDC and Nigerian National Petroleum Development Company’s (NPDC) legacy liabilities; payments for domestic crude allocation to NNPC; and dividends from investment in Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG) paid was withheld by NNPC.”
Alarmed by the loan development of the present administration, Musa said, CISLAC has had a meeting with the World Bank to be wary of sending money to Nigeria without a clear blueprint of how it would be expended in favour of citizens, noting that government officials are notorious for pocketing public money.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Governor of Katsina State, Malam Dikko Umar Radda, over the passing of his mother, Hajiya Safarau Umar Baribari.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, Dr. Ganduje described Hajiya Safarau’s death as a profound loss that has left a deep void in the hearts of her family, friends, and the people of Katsina State.
Extending his sympathies, the APC National Chairman condoled with Governor Radda, the bereaved family, and the entire people of Katsina State during this difficult time.
He acknowledged the remarkable contributions of the late Hajiya Safarau and prayed for Almighty Allah (SWT) to grant her eternal rest in Jannatul Firdaus while strengthening the family to bear this irreplaceable loss.
Dr. Ganduje urged Governor Radda and others affected to find comfort in the cherished memories and enduring legacy of the deceased.
Reaffirming the APC’s support, the former Kano State governor assured the people of Katsina State of the party’s solidarity in their time of grief and prayed that Allah (SWT) grant the departed soul Al-Jannah Firdaus. Ameen.
The wife of Senator Isah Jibrin (Echocho), Hajia Aishat has offered cash and food items worth millions of naira to widows and vulnerable women across Dekina local government Councils, promises to take similar gesture across the nine local government in Kogi East.
The exercise which was tagged: “Widows Empowerment”, saw the Senator’s wife distributing cash and food items to cushion the effect of Ramadan.
Items distributed are bags of rice bags of salt, cartons of seasoning, maggi etc, which were evenly distributed to widows and vulnerable women across party lines.
A beneficiary who spoke with our correspondent at Odu in Dekina Local Government Council, Hon Fitumi thanked Hajia for her continuous effort in coming through for widows and vulnerable regularly.
She acknowledged similar gesture by Senator Isah Jibrin (Echocho), a fortnight ago at Ankpa when youths in their numbers from three Local Government Areas were trained in Agriculture and empowered, stressing that people are now living testimony to the effort of the lawmaker.
“”We are aware of several intervention projects, empowerment and developmental projects of Senator Echocho and we are not surprised seeing Hajia toeing the similar path.
“The distribution of food items and cash today is not only a rekindling of hope to the beneficiaries, but an encouragement that despite their condition, they were not forgotten.
Hajia Labran, and other APC Women leaders who spoke on behalf of women, applauded Hajia Aisha Echocho and pray Allah to strengthen her to carry on, urged others to emulate her sustainable initiatives.
The women advised other political office holders to emulate what is good and just, which they believed would strengthen the party.
As part of the activities to celebrate the golden anniversary of the University of Calabar, the wife of the President of the Senate, Mrs Ekaette Unoma Godswill Akpabio was on Saturday, March 22, 2025 conferred with an honorary doctorate degree in Education Management.
The ceremony held at the main campus of the institution in Calabar, Cross River State also saw the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike awarded the honorary doctorate degree in Law.
Other awardees included Major General Moses Bisong Obi (rtd) (Doctor of Peace and Conflict Studies) and Supreme Court Justice, Emmanuel Akomaye Obi (Doctor of Law).
In her acceptance speech after the conferment by the 15th Emir of Kano and Chancellor of the University, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, the wife of the Senate President, Mrs Akpabio thanked the Governing Council and Management of the University for finding her worthy of the honour.
A statement by the Special Assistant on Media/communication to the President of the Senate, Anietie Ekong quoted Mrs Akpabio as saying “I am happy to be honoured with this award from the prestigious University of Calabar that I have heard so much about from my dear husband, an alumnus of this great institution.
“I was wondering when I will join him as a great Malabress and that day has come and I am grateful to the University for this honour,” she said.
Mrs Akpabio promised to work with other awardees especially the Minister of the FCT to provide infrastructural assistance to the university.
In a citation the University extolled Mrs Akpabio for her philanthropic and humanitarian efforts towards uplifting the lives of women and the vulnerable of the society through her non governmental organisation, the Family Life Enhancement Initiative.
She was also recognized as a Champion of women’s rights and as one who used her position as the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State to fight for the inclusion of more women in governance.
On his part, Chief Wike said he was honoured to be among the recipients of award. He extolled the Visitor of the University, President Bola Tinubu for working tirelessly to promote tertiary education in the country.
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