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Lagos Charges MDAs On Procurement Alignment With Budget

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The Lagos State Government has charged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to align their procurement plans with the 2023 budget provisions.
The State’s Head of Service, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, gave the advice in Magodo during the opening ceremony of the 2023 Annual Public Procurement Clinic, organised by the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency (PPA).
Muri-Okunola, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Head of Service, Mrs Olasunkanmi Oyegbola, said officers of the MDAs should ensure that their procurement plans were properly developed and implemented.
According to him, properly developed and implemented procurement plans will ensure that the objectives envisioned in the approved budget are fully achieved.
He said the soundness of the procurement plan goes a long way in determining the success or failure of any budget, since the procurement plan served as the foundation on which the implementation of the budget rest.
According to him, the Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration is very passionate about delivering quality goods and services to every nook and cranny of the state.
“Therefore, all hands must be on deck to ensure that procurement plans of MDAs are properly developed to bring the vision of the state government, as contained in the year 2023 approved budget, to reality.
“To this end, Accounting Officers in all MDAs have important roles to play, as they must all embrace the need to faithfully implement the procurement plans of their MDAs.
“They must carry out the role assigned to them under the Lagos State Public Procurement Law to ensure that the public procurement system continues to work for the benefit of all”, he said.
The Head of Service commended the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency Governing Board and Management, urging them to keep up the good work they were doing in Lagos State.
He said the agency had redefined the procurement processes and the conduct of government businesses in the state.
Muri-Okunola said the agency had strengthened accountability and transparency and further enhanced value for public expenditure in government.
“We, therefore, cannot afford to relent on the gains that have been recorded in public procurement management in the state within the few years of the existence of the agency, even as we continue to strive to improve the knowledge, skills and competences of our procurement officers”, he said.
In his welcome address, the Director General, PPA, Mr Fatai Onafowote, said that during the three-day clinic, procurement plans of all MDAs of the state would be subjected to scrutiny and review by a panel of procurement specialists appointed by the agency.
Onafowote said MDAs whose procurement plans were found deficient would be required to effect corrections where necessary, while those that were found to be in order would be approved by the agency for implementation.

He said the reason why the

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Firefighters battle New Year Day inferno in Abuja, several states

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Federal Fire Service FFS entered the New Year on full operational alert, tackling multiple fire outbreaks across the country from midnight into the early hours of January 1, 2026, in what officials described as one of the busiest festive-season deployments in recent years.
The intensified nationwide response followed a December 2025 directive issued by the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, who had ordered that no firefighter should proceed on leave throughout the holidays.
According to a statement by the National Public Relations Officer and Head of Corporate Services of the FFS, DCF Paul Abraham, the no-leave policy proved critical as the Service moved swiftly to contain fires in several states.
The Federal Capital Territory FCT recorded its first fire incident of the year barely twenty-three minutes after midnight when flames erupted at Cake Hot Restaurant located within River Plate Park, Wuse, Abuja.
Abraham said fire crews from the Federal Fire Service and the FCT Fire Service arrived promptly and were able to stop the blaze before it could spread through the popular recreational centre.
While a section of the garden area was destroyed, no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded.
Officials said property worth an estimated ?1.5 billion was saved, although losses were placed at about ?500 million.
“Preliminary findings suggested that the fire was triggered by objects thrown during New Year celebrations, reinforcing long-standing warnings over the dangers posed by fireworks during the harmattan season”, the Service said.
The Controller General had repeatedly urged Nigerians to avoid fireworks, candles and open flames indoors, warning that the dry winds characteristic of the season allow fires to spread rapidly.
He also warned the public about electrical faults and power surges and advised that electrical appliances be switched off and unplugged when not in use or when occupants leave their homes, stressing that overloading sockets and extension boxes remains a significant cause of domestic fires.
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Enugu North LG chairman presents ?10.8bn 2026 Budget, prioritises roads …Security, Healthcare, Human Capital Development

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Chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area in Enugu State, Dr. Ibenaku Harford Onoh, has presented a Ten Billion Eight Hundred Million Naira (?10.8bn) 2026 budget to the legislative council of the local government.
The budget, tagged “Budget of Continued Growth and Consolidation,” was presented on Wednesday during a plenary session attended by councillors, department heads, and other stakeholders.
Dr. Onoh explained that the 2026 budget is designed to consolidate achievements recorded in 2025 while scaling up development across the council’s 13 wards. Priority areas include road infrastructure, grassroots security, healthcare delivery, youth empowerment, and digital governance.
He also reviewed the 2025 budget performance, highlighting significant revenue growth and successful completion of key projects. Notably, the council’s internally generated revenue more than doubled, attributed to the introduction of digital revenue collection platforms and other innovative measures.
Among the 2025 achievements, Dr. Onoh mentioned the reconstruction of major roads at European Quarters, Hilltop, Coal Camp, and Ukwa Street, Ihewuishi, as well as the upgrade of the local security architecture through the reorganisation of the neighbourhood watch into “The City Watch.”
On the 2026 budget, the chairman stated that projected revenue would come from statutory allocations, VAT, internally generated revenue, and counterpart funding through public-private partnerships.
He noted that capital expenditure would take the larger share of the budget, with over half allocated to the economic sector. Planned projects include:
Completion of transport terminals at Aria Market
Construction and reconstruction of urban roads
Establishment of two sports centres
Healthcare interventions
Youth skills development programmes.
Dr. Onoh emphasised that the projects, policies, and programmes outlined in the budget are aimed at complementing the initiatives of Governor Peter Ndubisi Mbah, who is setting standards for local government councils to follow.
Responding, the Leader of the Legislative Council, Rt. Hon. Chizoba Nnamani, said the budget would be carefully scrutinised in the interest of residents before its passage.
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Christians Convert To Islam or die As ISWAP burns down Christian village

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Christians in Adamawa have been asked to Convert to Islam or die as commanded by the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).
.The ISWAP forcedly burnt down Christian village in Adamawa Nigeria as reported on January 1, 2026.
The Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, has continued to wreak havoc on Christian communities in the Northeast, Nigeria.
This comes as ISWAP burned down a Christian village in Adamawa State.
A security expert, Brant Philip, disclosed this on Thursday in a viral video released by the terrorists.
“ISWAP released an image of one of the Christian villages in Adamawa State burning, alongside a statement saying that all Christians in Nigeria are legitimate targets, and they have an opportunity to “spare their blood” by converting to Islam or paying the jizyah tax to ISWAP,” Brant Philip wrote on X.
The move is perceived as retaliation for recent joint airstrikes by the Nigerian and United States military against a terrorist enclave in Sokoto, Nigeria.
Recall that five days ago, United States President Donald Trump announced that the US military launched airstrikes against terrorists in Sokoto State.
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