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Gov Bello presents budget of N172 bn for 2023 fiscal year to Assembly

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By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has presented an Appropriation Bill of N172 billion for 2023 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly for its close scrutiny, consideration and approval.

Presenting the bill to the House at the Speakers’ Lodge on Wednesday in Lokoja, the governor said that the budget had an estimated recurrent revenue and capital receipts of N172,090,787,292.

He said that the total estimated revenue (recurrent revenue and capital receipts) stands at N172,090,787,292 just as the total estimated expenditure (Recurrent and Capital) for the year 2023 stand at N172,090,787,292 making the 2023 Draft Budget a balanced one.

He said that the proposed 2023 budget tagged: “Budget of Transformation” with an estimated out of N172,090,787,292 was N4,788,825,095.00 (2.86 per cent) higher than the 2022 Revised Budget of N167,301,962,197.00.

“This total budget outlay of N172,090,787,292.00 is divided into Recurrent Expenditure of N101,299,129,341 representing 58.86 per cent and Capital Expenditure of N70,791,657,951 representing 41.14 per cent”, the governor said.

Bello said that his administration had tried to ensure that its good governance aspirations found expression in the 2023 Budget, with the specific fiscal objective of effective allocation of scarce resources to identified critical programmes and projects.

“This budget proposal is expected to help us significantly reduce the cost of governance, enhance the ease of doing business, attract more foreign direct investments and block all leakages in our finances.

“It is also expected to help prioritise completion of all on-going projects and even make room to undertake a few new ones which are too crucial to be left undone by this Administration.

“It is in consideration of these and other objectives that we have tagged our 2023 Budget, the ‘Budget of Transformation.’ It focuses on continued provision of physical infrastructure, human capital development, job creation, wealth creation and poverty eradication in our dear State”, he said.

Bello promised to accomplish these through significant upscaling of expenditures in Health, Education, Agriculture, Water Resources, Environment, Housing and Support for Women and Youth Empowerment programmes.

The Governor commended members of the House for its partnership with the Executive and Judiciary saying it had helped to give legal bite to the gradual unfolding of the New Direction Agenda.

Bello said that the state annual budget for the first time was being presented outside the “Purpose-built” facilities of the State House of Assembly due to the inferno that engulfed and burnt down the legislative chamber and gallery on October 10.

He assured that the complex would be reconstructed soon saying, “Let me make an undertaking that your destroyed Chambers will be built back better and that you will soon be able to sit there again to discharge your duties.”

Speaker of the House, Prince Matthew Kolawole earlier in his speech commended Governor Yahaya Bello for the massive infrastructural development being witnessed in the state and promised to accord the bill accelerated passage.

The Assembly also at Wednesday’s plenary adopted a motion to name the first ever flyover constructed in the state capital at Ganaja Junction after Governor Yahaya Bello as moved by the Speaker, Kolawole.

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Don calls for international appreciation of northern Nigerian Literature

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Professor Abel Joseph,
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By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.

Professor of African and Post Colonial Literary Studies, Abel Joseph, has called for International Appreciation of Northern Nigerian Literature for global literary canonisation in view of its contributions to the literary world and historical antecedence.

The Don who is of the Department of English and Literary studies, Federal University Lokoja, disclosed this while delivering the 17th Inaugural lecture series of the university on Thursday in Lokoja.

Speaking on the topic: “Weaving the tapestry of northern Nigeria fictional imaginaries from the provincial to the pluriversal”, the professor described Northern Nigerian literature as a treasure trove of voices and narratives.

He said that in order for the Northern Nigerian literature to find its space within the global literary canon, there must be strategic, deliberate and sustained efforts in terms of collaborations involving authors, publishers, translators, educators, and policymakers.

He advocated for the introduction of Northern Nigerian literature and cultural studies into educational curricula of tertiary institutions if not nationally, at least in the Universities in Northern Nigeria.

“In practical terms, regional literature modules or Courses can be introduced and integrated into existing literature programmes in the Departments of English and Literary Studies.

“Through this, students would be exposed to works from the region to provide a richer perspective of what constitutes the Nigerian literature” Prof. Abel hinted.

He advocated Investments in translation initiatives or projects to make the literature accessible to a wider audience adding that translating works for indigenous languages can break down language barriers and enable global readership.

He also called for organization of literary festivals and events to encourage participation in international literary festivals, book fairs, and events.

“These platforms provide opportunities for authors to present their works and engage with imternational audiences and network with publishers, translators and fellow writers.

Prof. Abel Joseph also called fort the establishment of a Centre for Nigerian Cultural Studies in Federal University Lokoja to midwife a project to canonize Northern Nigerian writers.

He stressed that the FUL could live up to the general and statutory expectations of a “Centre of Learning aware of, and vibrantly responding to emerging ideational values and their nuances for research, Pedagogy, and innovation.

“In this center, scholars can research on significant historical and archaeological aspects of Nigeria’s fast disappearing cultural ethos”, he said.

The Don held that the Center would further secure for the University that capacity for knowledge production and the possible canonisation of Northern Nigerian literary writers.

“Same in much the same instances that, for example, Universities of Ibadan, Lagos, Nigeria (Nsukka), Benin, Obafemi Awolowo, have succeeded in canonising Nigerian writers like Achebe, Clark, Soyinka, Okigbo, Okpewho, Osundare, lyayi, Ojaide, and a host of others.

“It would help rein in other gifted but neglected Nigerian Writers from within the immediate valance of central Nigeria and beyond”, he said. (Ends)

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Food Crisis: Obi raises f alarm over terrorists, bandits effect

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The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 General election has expressed apprehension over looming hunger and famine acasioned by tye activities of bandits and terrorists. That have continued to deny farmers access to their farms

Obi who was reacting to publications and the international agency’s warning on the matter, said the alarm should be given adequate attention.

Writing on his X handle the LP standard bearer said “I just read on the daily this morning, about the concerns being expressed by stakeholders in our agriculture sector over the worsening food insecurity in Nigeria.
“I have remained consistent in public voicing out my worries over this growing food crisis, which has even continued to claim the lives of our fellow citizens.
“I do believe that the urgency required to address these issues cannot be over-emphasized.

“The report this morning reads, in part, “The number of food-insecure Nigerians increased significantly, from 66.2 million in Q1 2023 to 100 million in Q1 2024 (WFP, 2024), with 18.6 million facing acute hunger and 43.7 million Nigerians showing crisis-level or above crisis-level hunger- coping strategies as of March 2024.

“While the above report gives an understanding of the present and impending food crisis looming large on the nation, the present realities show that we are already in a worse situation than is presented in the report.

“An earlier similar report by Cadre Harmonise stated that about 31.5 million Nigerians are projected to face acute hunger by the June-August of this year.

“What is now very worrisome is that many Nigerians have lost their lives in their quest to find food, reflecting a very acute level of hunger not yet captured in the media. We are gradually descending to the level of the survival of the fittest, where, driven by hunger and a quest for survival, one loses every sense of order to do the unthinkable.

“With the recurrent bandits and terror attacks on farmers, many of them have abandoned their farms. It is reported that in a state like Sokoto, farmers have paid an accumulated sum of N3 billion in ransom to bandits, others pay as high as N100,000 to bandits to gain access to their farmlands. About 165 farmers have reportedly lost their lives to insecurity this year alone.

“It is, therefore, a matter of urgency, for the government to solve the problems of insecurity in the country. This will in turn reduce the problems of food insecurity when farmers safely return to their farms. A New and hunger-free Nigeria is Possible.

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Slain Soldiers: Tinubu at funeral, announces death benefits, scholarship for children

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President Bola Tinubu has led top government officials, including service chiefs and other heads of security agencies to the funeral rites for the soldiers gruesomely murdered in Delta State at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja.
At the commencement of the rites, prayers were rendered for the repose of the souls of the slain soldiers.
It would be recalled that 17 personnel, comprising four officers and 13 soldiers, were murdered in Delta state during a peace mission
Tinubu at Burial of Slain Soldiers
President Tinubu use the ocasion to confer national honours on the 17 slain members of the Nigerian Army who were killed in Delta State on March 14, 2024.

This was as he announced the provision of housing facilities for the surviving family members and scholarships for all their children to the university level.
He also directed the payment of death benefits to the family members within 90 days.
He announced these during the burial ceremony of the slain servicemen at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja.
The President, who arrived the venue exactly 4:10pm, was accompanied by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
State governors on his entourage include: Abba Yusuf (Kano), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Usman Ododo (Kogi), Hope Uzodinma (Imo) and their Bayelsa State counterpart, Duoye Diri.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-General Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, and Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla were present to pay final respects to the fallen heroes.

The Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau; and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas led members of the upper and lower chambers to honour the slain military personnel.
The slain military personnel responded to a distress call after a communal land dispute when they were gruesomely murdered.
The beheaded corpses of the slain soldiers were later recovered from a neighbouring river, while the stomachs and hearts of others were ripped off.

The Defence Headquarters later released the list of 17 military personnel killed in the attack.

The Defence Headquarters said 17 personnel including the Commanding Officer of 181 Amphibious Battalion, two majors, one captain, and 12 personnel of the battalion were killed.
Authorities in Nigeria have continued to condemn their brutal murder
Tinubu had described it as an attack on the nation and gave marching orders to security agencies to fish out the masterminds of the attack. The President also said the slain military personnel will be conferred with national honours.

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