Flowerbud News

Author: Ibrahim Abusadiq

  • NCOP Advocates Increased Cancer Care Funding at National Assembly

    NCOP Advocates Increased Cancer Care Funding at National Assembly

    By Flowerbud News

    The Nneka Chidoka Outreach Program (NCOP), led by its founder, Chief Osita Chidoka, has called on Nigeria’s lawmakers to prioritise increased funding for cancer care in the 2025 budget.

    During a visit on Friday, January 17, to the Senate Committee on Health, chaired by Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo, and the House of Representatives Committee on Special Healthcare, NCOP presented a robust advocacy plan to tackle Nigeria’s cancer crisis during the committees’ budget defence.

    Chief Chidoka highlighted the urgent need to transition the Cancer Health Fund (CHF) into a sustainable Catastrophic Health Insurance Fund (CHIF) which will cover cancer, sickle cell and renal disease with an initial allocation of ₦25 billion.

    NCOP also urged the legislators to prioritise completion and upgrading of six Cancer Centres of Excellence, by providing the ₦97 billion funding gap in the 2025 budget.

    Speaking at the session, Chief Chidoka stressed the devastating impact of inadequate cancer funding, noting that over 124,000 Nigerians are diagnosed annually, with many unable to access life-saving treatment.

    “Cancer treatment must be accessible to all Nigerians, regardless of their location or resources,” Chidoka stated. “Our lawmakers must act decisively to save lives by investing in sustainable and equitable cancer care.”

    As part of its advocacy efforts, NCOP also engaged with various offices and met with Senator Tony Nwoye, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Senator Kenneth Eze, Honourable Uche Okonkwo, Honourable Abel Gwamna, amongst others.

    Every year, over 124,000 Nigerians are diagnosed with cancer, yet limited infrastructure and insufficient funding mean that only a small fraction of patients receive the treatment they need.

    Alarmingly, over $2 billion is spent annually on medical tourism, with cancer treatment accounting for the largest share. This is both unsustainable and inequitable.

    NCOP, which has been working closely with the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), fully supports the Minister’s bold plan to reform the health sector.

    “We cannot continue to watch Nigerians lose their lives due to lack of access to treatment. Cancer is a national emergency, and the time to act is now,” Chief Chidoka stated.

  • Communal crisis: Gov. Adeleke imposes curfew on Ifon- Ilobu Communities

    Communal crisis: Gov. Adeleke imposes curfew on Ifon- Ilobu Communities

    By Flowerbud News

    Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun has imposed a curfew on Ifon and Ilobu communities in Orolu and Irepodun Local Government Areas following a fresh outbreak of communal clash between the two communities.

    A statement on Thursday in Osogbo by Mr Kolapo Alimi, Osun Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, said that the curfew from 7:00p.m. to 7:00a.m., takes immediate effect.

    “Sequel to an outbreak of yet another communal misunderstanding between Ifon and Ilobu communities, the State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has ordered that a curfew be imposed on the two warring communities with immediate effect.

    “To forestall further escalation of the crisis, the governor has approved that a 7:00p.m. to 7:00a.m., curfew be imposed,” he said

    The commissioner added that in order to ensure a lasting peace, a contingent of security personnel, comprising the Army, Police, and Civil Defence has also been deployed to the warring communities to prevent further anarchy.

    He said that indigenes of the warring communities are advised to cooperate with the state government to resolve the issues amicably, to ensure lasting peace.

    Alimi said that a committee of stakeholders consisting of the representatives of the communities, the heads of security agencies, representatives of the State Council of Obas and other relevant bodies, will be immediately constituted to resolve the issue permanently.

    He, however, warned that anyone or group of persons found or caught doing or instigating any further violence, knowingly or unknowingly, in breach of lasting peace would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

    The commissioner said that perpetrators of violence would be apprehended and prosecuted in line with the dictates of the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

    NAN

  • 2025 Budget: Osun Govt Targets N109bn IGR

    2025 Budget: Osun Govt Targets N109bn IGR

    By Flowerbud News

    The Osun state government has set a target of N109.8 billion as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to finance its N427 billion budget for 2025.
    The Commissioner for Economic Planning, Budget and Development, Prof. Moruf Adeleke, disclosed this during the analysis of the state’s 2025 budget, on Thursday in Osogbo.
    Adeleke said while the state hoped to generate N109.8 billion internally, N251 billion was expected from the Federation Account to fiance the budget.
    He said that in equally N36 billion was expected from other capital receipts, with N30 billion being the estimated opening balance for the  budget.
    The commissioner said that the budget christened ” Budget of Sustainable Growth and Transformation”  had N236 billion as its recurrent expenditure, representing 55 per cent.
    Adeleke further explained that capital expenditure in the budget stood at N191 billion, being 45 per cent of the total budget.
    The commissioner said that under the recurrent expenditure, N102 billion would be used for personnel cost, comprising salaries, allowances, salary arrears, social contribution and benefits.
    He said that this represented 24 per cent of the budget size.
    Furthermore, Adeleke said that N29 billion under its recurrent expenditure  would be used to service part of the debt incurred by the previous administration, among others
    On the capital expenditure, Adeleke said that N6.6 billion was allocated to health, N27.5 billion to education, while  N6 billion was allocated towater and sanitation
    He said that N106 billion was allocated for  infrastructure development.
    The commissioner said that the ministry would  ensure strict monitoring and implementation of the budget to meet targets and expectations.
    ” Citizens of the State are thereby urged to cooperate with the revenue generating agencies in order to achieve the developmental goal of the state.
    “Proper enforcement towards generating revenue could also be encouraged to block revenue leakages.
    “By implementing these strategies, Osun State can create a more reliable and sustainable source of income to finance the 2025 budget”, he said.
    NAN
  • N-HYPPADEC inaugurates FOI committee to boost transparency

    N-HYPPADEC inaugurates FOI committee to boost transparency

    By Mohammed Baba Busu

    The National Hydro Electric Power Producing Areas Commission, (N-HYPPADEC) has inaugurated an 11-member Freedom Of Information (FOI) committee to boost transparency and accountability in its operations.

    The Managing Director of N-HYPPADEC, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq-Yelwa, said this during the inauguration of the committee and training of members in Minna on Monday that transparency was vital in meeting public expectations.

    The event which had as its theme: “Empowering Accountability Through Freedom of Information FOI“ held in Minna on Monday.

    Sadiq-Yelwa said that this was in compliance with the Federal Government’s policy which mandated all its institutions to constitute the committee as part of civil service reforms.

    He said accountability and transparency in service would promote efficiency in service delivery among Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

    The managing director, represented by his Special Assistant, Prof. Yasin Abubakar, charged the members of the committee to leave up to their responsibilities.

    He assured them of full support in carrying out its mandate successfully.

    Sadiq-Yelwa said FOI was the vital  key  in achieving the mandates of the agency and urged the members to take the training serious.

    In his remarks,  Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, represented by Head of Freedom of Information Unit, Barr. Godwin Garuba, commended the commission for being among the first to inaugurate the FOI committee.

    He urged the committee members to perform optimally in their duties because FOI was expected to play a key role in the fight against corruption in the country.

    NAN

  • Funke Akindele’s Everybody Loves Jennifer rakes in N1.6bn in cinemas

    Funke Akindele’s Everybody Loves Jennifer rakes in N1.6bn in cinemas

    By Flowerbud News

    Actress Funke Akindele’s new film, Everybody Loves Jennifer, has been declared the highest grossing film of all time in West Africa.

    The movie released to cinemas exactly one month ago has raked in N1.6 billion across cinemas.

    Filmone, the film’s distributor, disclosed this on its Instagram page @filmoneng, on Monday.

    The company wrote: “A billy gang, we’re up! Everybody Loves Jennifer has grossed over 1.6 billion Naira at the box office!

    “We can’t thank you enough for showing this movie all your love!”

     

    Also, Akindele took to her Instagram page @funkejenifaakindele to celebrate  the feat and thank her fans.

     

    She wrote: “Na God do am. I am so grateful to you all.

    “I no know wetin I go write again.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that “Everybody Loves Jennifer” was released into cinemas  on Dec. 13, 2024.

    NAN

  • Rivers group rejects Mbata’s election as Ohaneze Ndigbo President

    Rivers group rejects Mbata’s election as Ohaneze Ndigbo President

    By Flowerbud News

    The Rivers Restoration Movement (RRM), an interest group, has announced plans to stage peaceful protests in Abuja, Rivers, and at United Nations offices across Nigeria.

    The protest aims to oppose the election of Sen. John Azuta-Mbata as President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation.

    Azuta-Mbata, an Ikwerre indigene from Rivers, was elected on Saturday, a move that sparked criticism from some of his kinsmen, who argue that the Ikwerre people are not ethnically Igbo.

    Speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt on Monday, RRM’s Director-General, Johnson Georgewill, issued a seven-day ultimatum for Azuta-Mbata to resign, warning of resistance from the Ikwerre people if the demand was not met.

    “We are outraged that the administration of Gov. Siminalayi Fubara supported Azuta-Mbata’s election as Ohaneze Ndigbo President-General purely for political reasons,” Georgewill stated.

    He emphasised that Ikwerres are not ethnically Igbos and questioned why such an important position was given to someone allegedly outside the Igbo ethnic group.

    “The President-General’s primary duty is to represent the interests of all Igbo people within and outside of Nigeria.

    “Are the Ikwerre people Igbos to justify Azuta-Mbata representing them? The answer is a resounding no,” Georgewill declared.

    He noted that the Ikwerre people have consistently rejected claims of being Igbos since the dissolution of the former Eastern Nigeria by Gen. Yakubu Gowon’s administration.

    Georgewill accused Fubara’s administration of trying to use ethnicity to destabilise the Ikwerre people for political gain, vowing that the RRM would resist such attempts.

    “Former Governor Nyesom Wike, who is the political leader in Rivers worked tirelessly to maintain a 50-year political alliance between the Ijaws and Ikwerre’s, which led to Fubara’s election.

    “This move undermines that bond and humiliates Rivers people by attempting to enslave the Ikwerres,” he said.

    Geogewill called on Gov. Fubara to withdraw his congratulatory message to Azuta-Mbata and urged the President-General to step down within seven days.

    He dismissed arguments that Ikwerres are Igbos based on linguistic and cultural similarities, citing examples from the United Kingdom where the Welsh and Scots, despite similarities, do not consider themselves English.

    The director-general also called on President Bola Tinubu, who also congratulated Azuta-Mbata, the Nigerian Police, the Department of State Service (DSS), and political leaders to intervene.

    “Our founding fathers such as Melford Okilo, Obi Wali, Chief Nwaobidike Wonodi, and other great Ikwerre leaders will be turning in their graves by this development.

    “This injustice transcends party affiliation; it concerns the people of Rivers state and their independence within the Nigerian state” Georgewill asserted.

    He urged all true sons and daughters of Rivers to speak out against what he called an injustice.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the rejection of Mbata, an ally of Fubara, may stem from the political disputes between Wike and Fubara.

    Sources suggested that the Wike’s camp views Mbata’s election as a political strategy designed to weaken Wike’s influence among his Ikwerre kinsmen.

    NAN

  • Minimum wage: Lagos State-owned media workers embark on warning strike

    Minimum wage: Lagos State-owned media workers embark on warning strike

    By Flowerbud News

    Workers’ unions in the Lagos State-owned media organisations, on Monday, embarked on a three-day warning strike in protest of non-payment of minimum wage.

    The workers are also protesting  non- inclusion in the state Oracle database for salary payment.

    The workers, under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers’ Union (RATTAWU), Lagos State Broadcasting Corporation, shut down operations.

    The workers comprised staff of Lagos Television, Radio Lagos/Eko FM and Lagos Traffic Radio.

    They said that the strike had become imperative due to state government’s failure to meet their demands.

    The workers, who walked around their various premises, sang solidarity songs for hours. They were also being entertained by a musical band.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protesting workers carried placards with different inscriptions to press home their demands.

    The inscriptions include: “Give us Oracle and take the revenue generated”, “Palliatives and subventions are not working”, “Oracle is the answer”, and “All we need is Oracle! Save our today and secure our future”.

    The others are: ” Non-implementation of new minimum wage is anti-labour”, “Minimum wage, a must! Our sweat is drying up”, “Save us from career stagnation”, and “LTV, Radio Lagos, Traffic Radio are not liability, we are asset to the government”.

    Speaking to newsmen, the  Chairman of the Lagos State Council of NUJ, Mr Adeleye Ajayi, said that the media workers were demanding fair treatment and wages for being at the centre of promoting government policies.

    He said that both the NUJ and RATTAWU had given different ultimatums and had exercised enough patience for the government to meet their demands.

    Ajayi noted that the demands included payment of the new minimum wage and inclusion in the state’s Oracle database for salary payment.

    “Both NUJ and RATTAWU are quite aware of this. We have given different ultimatums – a 10-day ultimatum, a 21-day ultimatum, and the last and final one was a seven-day ultimatum.

    “I think these are ultimatums  for the state government to accede to the requests of our members.

    “Our members are very committed, they are very dedicated; they are very patriotic, they have no closing hours, and I think they should be well-remunerated.

    “Our members should be integrated into the Oracle database. Oracle database is like the IPPIS system in the Federal Civil Service that creates a seamless way of paying workers’ salaries and other benefits,” Ajayi said.

    According to him, the government should look into the issue of minimum wage which is being enjoyed by other state workers.

    “Our workers here are not benefiting from the minimum wage like other state workers. Workers of the state broadcast corporations should benefit from the minimum wage.

    “In the last three or five months, they have not benefited a dime from the minimum wage, and this should not be the case,” he said.

    Ajayi said that the state government should be more media-friendly and attend to the needs of the media so that the media could further propagate its policies and activities.

    He expressed the optimism that the state executive council would address the issues.

     

    The Lagos State Chairman of RATTAWU, Mr Ishola Adejumo, said that workers deserved due wages.

    Adejumo said that workers in the state-owned media workers had not been enjoying the N85,000 minimum wage approved by the state government.

    Adejumo said: “This is premised on the fact that the running of these stations is based on IGR (Internally Generated Revenue).

    “This determines what they will do with salaries and other expenses.

    “To us, this is no longer sustainable.
    “For the past 12 years or thereabout, we have been demanding for migration of the workers here to Oracle database to guarantee regular payment of workers’ salaries and other benefits, along with their counterparts in the ministries; yet this has not been done.

    “We are calling on the government and all the agencies concerned to migrate workers here to Oracle. Once they migrate them, we disperse and every problem will be solved.”

    According to him, if the government refuses to meet the workers  demands after the warning strike, the unions will go on an indefinite strike.

    “There is no retreat, no surrender,” Oladejumo said.

    NAN

  • Lagos Speaker impeached, elects deputy as replacement

    Lagos Speaker impeached, elects deputy as replacement

    By Flowerbud News

    The Lagos State House of Assembly has  impeached  its  Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa .

    The House impeached Obasa at an emergency plenary  in Ikeja on Monday.

    The  Deputy Speaker, Mrs Mojisola Meranda(APC-Apapa 1) was  subsequently elected and  sworn in by the lawmakers as new Speaker .

    NAN reports that the Clerk of the House, Mr Olalekan Onafeko ,was also  suspended indefinitely, while the Chief Whip of the House, Mr Mojeed Fatai, was  elected  the new Deputy Speaker.

    NAN reports that security officials have taken over the premises of the Assembly to forestall any breakdown of law and order

    Details surrounding Obasa’s impeachment had yet to emerge as at the time of publishing this  report as  official statements were yet to be issued by the Assembly or its leadership.

    However, insiders suggest  allegations of financial impropriety may have played a significant role in his removal.

    Obasa (APC-Agege I), a sixth term lawmaker, had held the speakership position for years, and had been enmeshed in  controversies in the past over alleged mismanagement of Assembly funds.

    Obasa’s impeachment has opened  a new chapter in the annals of the House

    NAN

     

  • Tax returns: FCT-IRS gives MDAs, employers of labour Jan. 31 deadline

    Tax returns: FCT-IRS gives MDAs, employers of labour Jan. 31 deadline

    By Flowerbud News

    The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) has urged private companies, government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other employers of labour in the territory to file their employee annual tax returns for 2024.

    The acting Executive Chairman, Mr Michael Ango, who made the call in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, said that the employers have up to Jan. 31 to comply.

    In the statement, signed by the service’s Head of Corporate Communications, Mr Mustapha Sumaila, the FCT-IRS boss said that the returns should be filed using the prescribed forms provided by the service.

    This, he said, was in compliance with Section 81 of the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) 2011 (as amended) and the Pay As You Earn  (PAYE) Regulations.

    He explained that the PITA Act mandates all employers of labour in the FCT to file annual returns of all emoluments paid to their employees and the total taxes of the preceding year, not later than Jan. 31 of every year.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ango had during the 2025  stakeholder’s engagement, emphasised that filing of employee annual returns by all employees was mandatory as provided by law.

    He added that failure to file the returns would attract penalties and other sanctions, which the FCT-IRS would not hesitate to impose on any defaulters.

    According to him, the best form of compliance is voluntary, which the FCT-IRS expects from all taxpayers in the FCT.

    “I, therefore, enjoined all private organisations, MDAs, government owned enterprises, including sole proprietorships who are employers of labour in the FCT to comply with their tax obligations to avoid sanctions.

    “More importantly, the support will contribute to the development of the FCT and the efforts of the Minister of FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, to transform the territory into a modern city,” he said.

    NAN