(FLOWERBUDNEWS) President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday presented a budget of N10.729 trillion to the joint session of the National Assembly for approval for the 2020 fiscal year.
According to the document, some of the ministries witnessed major changes when compared to the 2019 Budget proposal submitted by Buhari
However, the Ministry of Works and Housing had the highest figure in the Budget Bill.
Below is the budget breakdown:
Buhari to present 2020 Budget proposal to NASS Tuesday – Presidency(Opens in a new browser tab)
(FLOWERBUDNEWS) American gymnast Simone Biles has continued to prove that she is a force to reckon with in the sports world. The 2016 Olympic individual all-around, vault and floor gold medalist, and balance beam bronze medalist who has become famous for her sole aim of breaking past records have broken another major record.
Though the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic is just a little less than a year away, 22-year-old Simone Biles is constantly delivering jaw-dropping, historic performances and according to CNN, she just earned the title of the most decorated female gymnast in history by winning her 21st World Championship medal—and 15 of those medals are gold, which is another record.
(FLOWERBUDNEWS) Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi has laughed off the suggestion that he is the ‘second-worst defender in world football’.
The German was selected in a poll by Marca, voted for by over 150,000 people, as the second-worst defensive player of the season, behind Manchester United’s Phil Jones.
While Mustafi admitted his form has suffered in the past year, he stated that the online poll does not bother him.
“But shortly after Christmas 2018 there was a kink. I’ve made a few mistakes and they’ve created a mess that I’ve never experienced before.”
One game in particular where Mustafi endured a torrid night was during a 5-1 defeat to Liverpool in December 2018, but the centre-back has revealed he was not fit to play in that encounter and only featured as a favour to manager Unai Emery.
“I had missed three weeks injured and then went into the game without training with the team because the coach needed me,” he said.
“At half-time it was 4-1, I had a few bad moments and injured myself again. Afterwards, I got a lot of negative comments from Arsenal fans on Instagram and Twitter, and articles were written in which I was harshly criticised.
“I’m self-critical enough to realise that I made mistakes,” he added. “I can also deal with tough criticism. But the criticism has become escalated and irrational. I have become a target. At some point, people even blamed me for a defeat I had not played in at all.”
Despite Mustafi’s poor recent showings, the former Valencia man has said he still believes in his own ability.
“There were days when I really doubted something about myself. But at some point I realised that I am mentally strong.
“Something my wife said helped me a lot: ‘If you were really as bad as people are making you out, you would never have been a world champion and Arsenal player, something must have brought you here’. Since then I can handle it better.”
Much of the criticism aimed at the Germany international has come from social media and Mustafi believes many football fans only use the online platforms to poke fun at players.
“Football has become more inhumane,” he said. “Social media has also contributed to this, because anyone can comment, without names. People can unload their frustrations directly on us.
“It is no longer about the sport, but only to discredit someone to get as many likes as possible. I would like to see more restrictions in the future. What’s on the internet will never disappear. And I’m worried that this will eventually affect my children.”
(FLOWERBUDNEWS) The Senate on Wednesday commenced debate on the general principles of the 2020 Appropriation Bill.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on Tuesday presented an estimate of N10.33trillion as proposed aggregate expenditure for 2020 to a joint session of the National Assembly.
Leader of the Senate, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, had moved a motion that the a Bill for an Act to authorize the issue from the consolidated revenue fund of the Federation the total sum of N10,330,416,607,347.00 of which N556,700,827,235.00 is for statutory transfers, N2,748,598,930,000.00 is for Debt Service, N4,880,309,549,778.00 is for Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure, while the sum of N2,144,807,300,334.00 is for contribution to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure for the year ending on the 31st December, 2020, be considered for second reading.
(FLOWERBUDNEWS) A Spiritual Leader, Sat Guru Maharaj Ji, has advised the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), in the last election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to accept the outcome of the election as well as the ruling of the Presidential Election Tribunal and move on with his life.
On Tuesday, Guru Maharaj ji gave this advice in a Press Conference at his Spiritual Centre in Lagos.
He urged Atiku to congratulate President Buhari and move on in good faith.
He said there was the need to inform all contestants not to institute any further appeal in the Supreme Court.
Maharaj said;
“Rather they should congratulate and give support to Mr. President to allow him proceed in earnest to tackle matters of State which require urgent attention.”
“I would like to also congratulate all present for cooperating with me to disgrace the enemies of the people who predicted that there would be war in Nigeria before, if not during and or after the just ended general elections.
“I singularly led the team to advise the blacks in the Diaspora right from the word not to vote for any other contestants other than President Buhari because we do not need any egregious leader who would wire, transform and steal all your wealth for developing Middle Eastern and European countries, as discovered during the first term of Mr. President.
“I am therefore congratulating the Judges in the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal for a job well done to confirm that the election of President Buhari was fair, free and conducted in an atmosphere of peace.
“This was given credence by all the local and foreign observers.
“I would like through this medium, to allay the fears of the other members of the opposition groups who have been fingered for diverting money meant for public utilities for private use, not to be afraid,” Guru Maharaj ji said.
Maraha Ji called on all corrupt Politicians to surrender their loot to the government, else they would be prosecuted by the law.
“All they need do is to come out one by one to confess and handover what is left of how much they stole and they would be given soft landing, otherwise, they should be prepared for the worst should they wait to be caught unawares. IBB and Abdulsalam Coup cannot happen at this time”, he said.
(FLOWERBUDNEWS) Some irrigation farmers in Damaturu, Yobe, on Tuesday appealed to government to support them with water pumps and other farm inputs to enhance the state agricultural revitalization programme .
The farmers made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Mamudu Sani, a farmer in Damaturu , said floods had adversely affected his farm and would like to make up,the loss through irrigation farming.
“I lost substantial part of my farm to the flood, l will go into irrigation immediately after the rainy season.
“We need water pumps and seedlings to be fully engaged in dry season irrigation farming to recover from our loss”, he said.
Usman Bukar, another farmer, said that he needed support to produce vegetables adding that such produce was more rewarding after the rainy season.
On his part, Modu Liman said he intended cultivating wheat, rice and vegetables, while Abubakar Saleh, another farmer in Damagum, said the downstream of river Ngeji had enough water suitable for irrigation.
“The Ngeji wetlands has potentials for irrigation as the volume of water on the Ngeji plains is much and would keep soil wet for a long time, making the area suitable for irrigation.
‘We have similar wetlands in Ngalda, Gashua, Nguru, Giedam, Muguram and Jakusko, among others, that are suitable, ” Saleh said.
Other farmers who spoke to NAN also solicited for the support of the state government to enable engage in dry season farming activities.(NAN)
(FLOWERBUDNEWS) Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to invest in agriculture, particularly cassava, soybean, cowpea and plantain to help Africa cut down annual food imports estimated at $50billion.
A statement by Mr Godwin Atser, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Digital Extension and Rural Advisory Services Specialist, said Obasanjo made the call on Tuesday.
The forum was the official inauguration of IITA Kalambo research station in Bukavu, DRC, by the country’s President, Felix Tshisekedi.
The statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan said the research station was named Olusegun Obasanjo Research Station in honour of the former president, an IITA Goodwill Ambassador.
Obasanjo, according to the statement, emphasised that if Africa could invest in these crops, the continent would be able to reduce the $50billion that was being spent annually on importing food.
The former president underlined the importance of research to agricultural transformation, citing the Nigerian example where his administration was able to raise cassava production by 20 million tonnes during his eight year-tenure.
He commended Dr Nteranya Sanginga, the IITA Director General, for his leadership, and the institute for its excellent research in addressing the problems facing Africa.
The IITA ambassador congratulated Tshisekedi for providing the enabling environment and support to IITA to establish the centre, adding that he felt deeply honoured to be part of it.
The statement also quoted Sanginga as saying that the research station was in dedication to IITA and its partners’ mission of fighting hunger and poverty in Africa.
He added that it would contribute toward boosting agricultural productivity in DR Congo and the region.
“The station is a symbol of our dedication and commitment to building the research and development capacity in DR Congo and the Great Lakes,” he said.
He reiterated the importance of research to agricultural transformation and cited the progress made by Nigeria in cassava to the role of research innovations developed by IITA and its partners.
Also speaking, the IITA Director for the Central African Region, Dr Bernard Vanlauwe, said that the lab building was built in record time using modern methods and materials.
“Indeed, the first stone was placed in October 2017 and the building completed in 18 months.
“This speed and efficiency symbolise the nature of the activities taking place in the lab, namely the rapid and large-scale production of healthy planting materials of crops of key importance to the DRC as well as the production of bio-fertilisers to ensure the growth and quality of these crops,” he said.
According to the statement, the station in Kalambo for many years operated in project mode.
He said the IITA Board of Trustees in 2011, however, decided to elevate it to become the focal point of the institute’s regional hub for natural resource management in the Great Lakes.
The station, he said, now features a first-class tissue culture lab for the vegetative multiplication of cassava, banana, coffee, yam, and potato.
At the inauguration were Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn, among others.
(FLOWERBUDNEWS) The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured an order of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Bwari, to detain former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Mr Abdulrasheed Maina, and his son, Faisal, in its custody pending the conclusion of ongoing investigation.
The order which was given on Oct. 7, 2019 following an exparte application by the anti-graft agency, empowered the Commission to remand the defendants in its custody for an initial period of 14 days.
The court however noted that the order is “subject to be reviewed if necessary,” the commission said in a statement.
It would be recalled that Maina and his son were arrested in an Abuja hotel by the Department of State Services (DSS) following a request by the Commission.
They were subsequently handed to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution on allegations of fraud and money laundering.
