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Chime Presents N93.29bn Budget To Assembly

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13 years ago

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The Enugu State Governor, Barrister Sullivan I. Chime, last Tuesday presented to members of the State House of Assembly the  2014 Draft Budget of  N93,287,000,000 for their consideration and approval.

Governor Chime explained that the amount was presented in order to consolidate on the gains of his administration in the past six and half years,  so as to maintain effective service delivery to the people and lay a solid foundation for the next administration.

According to him, this is higher than the 2013 budget size of N83,773,203,408 by N9,513,796,592 representing 11%  increase.

The budget, he further said,  is made up of N39, 342,549,163 as Recurrent Expenditure, which is 42% of the budget, while N53, 944,450,837 is for Capital Expenditure, representing 58% of the entire envelope.

He maintained that government also expected a Recurrent Revenue of N57, 490,114,000, adding that  government also  intends to realize this amount through internally-generated revenue which is estimated at N9,190,114,000) representing 16% and the state share of Federal Revenue put at N48,300,000,000, which is 84%.

“ I want to emphasize that our priority will be to complete on-going urban and rural roads, some of which we are doing in partnership with the affected local government councils on a 70:30 ratio.

“Today, our destination is in sight and as we take a long view at our 2015 transition, I am proud to say that we have done our best to uphold the terms of the social contract with our people”, he said.

On security, Governor Chime said: “To ensure safe neighbourhoods and security for lives and property across the state, this administration has always endorsed giving the law-enforcement agents the tools to combat crimes. Only recently, Government donated another set of one hundred security vehicles fitted with communication gadgets to the Nigerian Police for intra-city surveillance and inter-city monitoring”.

Other priority urban roads to be executed include the dualization of Nike Lake road and the rehabilitation of Abakpa-Nike Road and Ugwuaji-Awkananaw by Kenyatta.

The on-going construction of the new ultra-modern State Secretariat complex, he  said  the project  has reached an advanced stage, pointing out that work has also started on the new Governor’s office (Lion Building) and “is progressing steadily”. Government aims to complete and equip these buildings in the coming year.

His words: “To accomplish these lofty goals, the sum of N15.623 billion was allocated to the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure in the 2014 budget”.

Governor Chime said that the Ministry of Agriculture was allocated the sum of N2.401 billion with a lot of emphasis on the sustenance of the San Carlos Pineapple programme and the completion of work at Heneke and Adani farms as well as the development of the 17 green cities in the 17 local government councils.

“As we reform the education sector, rebuild infrastructure to create the right teaching and learning environment, ensure stricter supervision and sustain the free education policy, we will keep alive the dream to offer functional and qualitative education to our wards at different educational tiers.

The education sub-sector has a total allocation of N5.78 billion in the 2014 budget. This covers allocations to the Ministry of Education, State Universal Education Board, the Post-Primary School Management Board, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), College of Education (Technical), State Scholarship Board and the Science & Vocational Schools Management Board”.

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Association Woos Govt, Coys On  Boat Operators  Employments

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2 days ago

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June 12, 2026

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The leadership of Bonny Maritime Boat Association has called on Rivers state Government and oil companies operating in the state to provide sustainable employment to unemployed boat Operators.
The Association also want the government, companies and other relevant employers of labour to provide trainings for boat Operators to enhance their skills
Safety Officer of the Association, Comrade Kingdom Kingsley made this known in  a  telephone interview with  The Tide.
He noted that most of the boat Operators and owners plying Bonny route lacks jobs due to the fleets of boats introduced by Bonny Road Transport that had taken over the passengers to the Island
He noted that passengers are no longer patronizing boats owned by the Association, thereby rendering the operators redundant
“Most of our operators can not afford to feed their families due to no jobs, we don’t want to indulge in crime, government should fix our members with  sustainable jobs to take care of their immediate needs”
He called on oil companies operating in the state to engage their skilled boat Operators in their companies to reduce the sufferings faced by the Association.
The Safety Officer called on the state government  to made funds available to unemployed youths in the state to start up business than roam the streets.
He noted that provision of funds to youths would reduce crime rates and reposition their mindsets for a better life
“The  youths of Rivers state are suffering, have no job to feed their families, thereby indulging in criminality daily”
“The youths need empowerment,  jobs,  recreational facilities and better things of life as citizens of this Nation”, Kingsley said.
CHINEDU WOSU
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FG Approves $1 Bn AFCFTA Credit Facility For Nigerian Exporters

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2 days ago

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June 12, 2026

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The Federal Government has approved a whooping $1bn credit facility to support Nigerian exporters and small scale businesses to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in order to boost production, competitiveness and intra-African trade.
The $1bn AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility is also expected to address some of the financing gap being faced by Nigerian exporters and enhance the competitiveness of African businesses within the continental market.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, disclosed this  during the second quarter 2026 meeting of the AfCFTA Central Coordination Committee held in Abuja.
According to a statement issued by the ministry’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Obilor-Duru Okechi, Oduwole said the financing facility represented a major opportunity for Nigerian businesses seeking to expand operations, modernise production processes and increase exports to African markets.
The statement partly read, “?The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating Nigeria’s export-led growth agenda under the African Continental Free Trade Area, unveiling opportunities for businesses to access a US$1 billion AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility aimed at boosting production, competitiveness, and intra-African trade.”
She noted that despite the progress Nigeria had made in implementing the continental trade agreement, many local businesses continued to face obstacles that limited their ability to take advantage of the single African market.
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“Many businesses still face challenges relating to export documentation, certification, standards compliance and market access,” the minister said.
She explained that the Federal Government was addressing these bottlenecks through enhanced trade facilitation measures, simplified AfCFTA guidance tools, stakeholder engagement programmes and stronger collaboration with institutions such as the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
Oduwole stressed the need to strengthen Nigeria’s legal and regulatory framework by domesticating key AfCFTA protocols, particularly the Digital Trade Protocol, to position the country as a major player in Africa’s growing digital economy.
The minister also highlighted some of the gains recorded in Nigeria’s AfCFTA implementation efforts.
According to her, the expansion of Nigeria’s Air Cargo Corridor Initiative to Rwanda, increased collaboration with development partners and private sector players, as well as sustained engagement with state governments, were helping to deepen awareness and participation in the continental market.
In her welcome address and first-quarter update, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, Mrs Patience Okala, provided details of the financing initiative.
Okala said the $1bn AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility was targeted at large African businesses with a minimum financing capacity of $10m.
She revealed that the National AfCFTA Coordination Office was working closely with fund managers to facilitate access for eligible Nigerian companies and had begun assembling a pilot group of businesses to ensure that Nigeria maximised the opportunities provided by the facility.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NIWA Harps On  Avoidance Of Leaking Boats

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2 days ago

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June 12, 2026

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The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has advised Nigerians against boarding boats that require constant bailing of water in the interest of their safety.
 NIWA Area Manager for Cross River and Ebonyi, Mr Stanley Onuoha gave this warning in an interview with Newsmen in Calabar.
Onuoha who spoke on waterway
safety, said that passengers should take responsibility for their safety by inspecting boats before embarking on any journey.
According to him, repeated scooping of water from a boat is a clear indication that the vessel may be leaking.
“If you are entering a boat and see people using a bailer to remove water, it is the first signal that the boat is leaking,” he said.
He urged passengers to check the integrity of boats, including seating arrangements and other visible safety features.
The Manager restated the importance of using safety jackets, saying that damaged jackets may fail during emergencies.
He further said that passengers should ensure that safety jackets were appropriate for their body sizes in order to guarantee effective flotation.
 Onuoha reiterated the need for passengers to fill manifests before departure to aid accountability during emergencies.
The NIWA official further advised travellers to monitor weather conditions and avoid boarding boats when the weather is unfavourable.
According to him, poor weather conditions can trigger strong tidal waves capable of affecting small boats commonly used on inland waterways.
He said that waterway journeys should be embarked upon between 6.00a.m and 6.00p.m for clearer visibility.
Onuoha said  the Authority had continued to sensitise riverine communities to the need for safety precautions during waterway journeys.
He stated that sustained awareness campaigns and enforcement measures had contributed to safety waterway safety in Cross River.
CHINEDU WOSU
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