General News
MDAs must be made to generate N1trn annually to fund budget – Lawan
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has said that the National Assembly would mount more pressure on revenue generating agencies to ensure that they remit N1 trillion naira in revenues annually to enable the federal government fund its budget.
Lawan stated this in his remarks after the chamber approved President Muhammadu Buhari’s submission of the revised 2022-2024 fiscal framework.
The Senate President explained that generating more revenues through the agencies will reduce government’s deficit and dependence on external borrowing to fund the country’s national budget.
He noted that increased revenue can be realized, if the Executive and Legislature collaborate to ensure that revenue generating agencies remit all monies collected to the treasury.
He said, “I’m sure that those MDAs that remitted N400 billion could possibly have remitted N1trn naira, if we had pushed harder.
“So, we need to push harder because what this means is a revelation, that many of these MDAs have been cornering funds that ordinarily should have gone to the treasury.
“But for many years, they have been taking the funds unfairly and illegally. So, we should not be content with only N400 billion naira.
“It is a good thing that it happened, because that is an exposure of what they have been doing.
“But we must insist that it goes beyond the N400 billion naira. I’m sure we can get even more than N1 trillion.
“I agree that we need more revenues, so that we are able to fund our budget with less deficit.
“But we can only achieve that if the Executive and Legislature work hard to ensure that the revenue generating and collecting agencies perform their jobs very well and remit the funds to the treasury.”
Speaking on government’s resort to external borrowing, Lawan said, “I also agree that the deficit or the borrowing is a bit high.
“But then again, the choice is limited, because on one breadth we cannot say that we will not borrow because it is becoming too much, when we don’t have ways and means of funding infrastructural development in the country.
“[And] we cannot say we should just fold our arms and not do anything because the country will never move. So, it’s a catch-22 situation.
“I believe that we need to be very mindful that we need to reduce the borrowing, but that means we have to improve on the revenue that we receive.
“I believe that the additional revenues that have not been captured like the TETFUND, Bank of Industry and so on, were before just left out of the federal budget. Now, we can see everything, and we need to see more.”
Contributing to the debate on the revised 2022-2024 fiscal framework, Senator Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu North) advised the federal government to take seriously the issue of diversifying the Nigerian economy.
The lawmaker harped on the need to explore alternative revenue sources such as mining to boost the country’s revenue figures, warning that “the time of oil is over”.
Senator Betty Apiafi (PDP, Rivers West) described the government’s decision to jerk up the 2022 budget projection from 13.98 trillion to N16.45 as over ambitious and a proposal taken too far.
She added that one of the major challenges confronting the national budget is the absence of funds appropriated for under-recovery.
“No matter how much you get in terms of revenue, and we are really struggling, under-recovery can wipe that out”, the lawmaker said.
Apiafi called for sanctions on any Ministry, Department and Agency of Government found to have violated the provisions of the Appropriations Act.
She insisted that the sum of N510 billion for Service Wide Vote in the 2022-2024 revised framework was “outrageous”, adding that the National Assembly must be given a breakdown on how the amount would be used by the executive.
Meanwhile, a total of six bills on Wednesday scaled second reading in the Senate.
The bills are: Disaster and Risk Management Council of Nigeria Bill, 2021; Federal Capital Territory University of Science and Technology Abaji (Establishment) Bill, 2021; and Microbiology Council of Nigeria Bill, 2021.
Others are the Federal Eye Centre, Ochadamu Bill, 2021; A bill to Repeal the Legal Practitioners Act, 2004; and the Legal Education Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
The bills were referred by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, to the Committees on Establishment and Public Service; Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND; Health (Secondary and Tertiary); and Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
The Committees were all given four weeks to report back to the upper chamber.
In a related development, President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for the confirmation of Engr. Farouk A. Ahmed as Chief Executive Officer of the Board of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority was referred by the Senate President to the Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream).
The Committee is expected to report back in four weeks.
Also referred was the President’s request to confirm Hon. Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf as Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Abuja.
The request was referred to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, for it to also report back in four weeks.
…Church leaders accuse Welsh counterparts of “spiritual decadence” and “abandonment of faith”
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has issued a forceful condemnation of the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann, an openly lesbian cleric, as the Archbishop of Wales. The move is the latest in a series of developments that have deepened divisions within the global Anglican Communion over sexuality and doctrine.
In a statement from Primate The Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba, the church denounced the election as a “serious departure from biblical teaching” and a sign of “spiritual decadence” and “an outright abandonment of the faith once delivered to the saints.”
Archbishop Ndukuba warned that Bishop Vann’s elevation compromises the Anglican Church’s global mission and could obstruct evangelism. He compared the situation to the controversial tenure of Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori, former Presiding Bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church, who also faced intense criticism from conservative Anglicans for her progressive views.
The Primate accused Bishop Vann of being complicit in the “ongoing crisis” around same-sex issues, stating that the election is a “clear revelation that many who claim to be members of the body of Christ cannot endure sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3–4).
The Church of Nigeria called on Anglicans worldwide to reject “rebels” and “apostates” and to instead support conservative bodies like the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON).
“The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) condemns, unequivocally rejects, and will not recognize the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales,” Ndukuba declared. He concluded with a solemn warning that without repentance, the Church in Wales risks losing “complete relevance” and its leaders will face judgment.
The Primate of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, has called on political leaders to prioritize the welfare of citizens.
During a recent church service in Abuja, Ndukuba noted that many Nigerians are struggling with challenges brought on by the global economic downturn. He urged state and local governments to implement new initiatives to lessen the impact on their communities.
The Primate also stressed that the federal government must effectively monitor its programs to ensure that Nigerians fully benefit from the nation’s democratic gains. He argued that if the current administration can effectively tackle corruption, the country would significantly benefit from the economic policies of President Tinubu’s government.
Ndukuba concluded by asking the congregation to continue praying for those in authority, remain committed to national unity, and show love and support for the less privileged. He also tasked the newly inducted members of the Church Mothers’ Guild with aggressively spreading the gospel.
Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr. Paul Enenche, has expressed deep concern about the current situation in Nigeria.
Enenche stated that the nation is under an evil spell due to the economic hardship affecting the country. He described Nigeria as being covered by a “blanket of sorcery and darkness,” leading many citizens to endure poverty and hardship in silence.
“There’s a blanket of sorcery and darkness over this nation—an evil spell making people tolerate what should provoke outrage,” he wrote.
In a post on his official X account on Thursday, the cleric highlighted the economic struggles faced by many Nigerians, noting that an increasing number of church members now line up after services not for spiritual counselling or prayer, but to help with basic needs such as rent, school fees, food, and medical bills.
“People are suffering. Pastors are exhausted. Members now queue after service not for prayer, but for assistance,” he lamented.
He also criticised political leaders for their insensitivity and failure to address the dire situation across the country.
“Yet, the leaders act as though nothing is wrong. This is not normal—it is witchcraft. It is a spell of patience in captivity, leading to a demonic tolerance of suffering.”
Calling for divine intervention, Enenche declared, “Let every evil spell over this land be broken! Let those misruling with arrogance and mocking the people’s pain face divine judgment. They shall not see the celebration of their wickedness.”
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