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Traditional Ruler Decries Misuse Of National Budget

Published

13 years ago

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The Oluwo of Owu-

Ijebu, Oba
Michael Adeshina, in Lagos State, has expressed concern over the misuse of
national budget in the name of constituency projects by lawmakers.

Adeshina expressed the concern in an interview with newsmen
in Abuja on the sideline of a programme organised by the Federal Ministry of
Water Resources on the effective utilisation of water resources in the country.

He said that the diversion of budgetary alloocation to
lawmakers in the name of constituency projects had stalled the completion of
various projects across the country.

“One person because
he occupies a privileged position in the parliament says he wants a
constituency project then you take government money to do a project that
probably doesn’t rhyme into the national water planning and then you say it’s
constituency project.

“Which constituency? Is it operating outside Nigeria? Are you
doing it with your own money, is it something you are bringing back from Abuja
to say this is what I want to do for my people with my own money?

“No. It is the government money, the money that should have
been used to benefit all that a few people say come and do this in my
constituency and that reduces the budget available for the ministry and for the
water corporations in the various states.

“Constituency projects are hardly completed, in fact, less
than 25 per cent are completed and the money is spent.’’

He also urged the Federal Government to continue to maintain
a cordial relationship with other African countries who share trans-boundary
water sources.

“We have a commission where all those countries are but we
must continue to be friends before we can enjoy it.

“In Central Africa, we are bringing water from River Congo,
pumping it through many countries before you recharge it to Lake Chad.’’

Adeshina said that the resuscitation of the Lake Chad basin
would boost agriculture and Nigeria’s economy.

“With the water you are getting in Lake Chad, it’s an
investment.

“If you recharge the Lake Chad, you will do a lot of
irrigation schemes for which you can plant rice, plant wheat instead of
importing and so on, that would offset the cost and it will also provide
employment.’’

Our correspondent reports that Nigeria requires 14.5 billion
dollars to transfer water from Ubangi River in the Congo to recharge the Lake.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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4 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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4 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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4 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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