Politics
Senate Calls For Restructuring Of Budgeting Model
The Nigerian Senate has called for a complete restructuring of the nation’s budgeting model.
The members of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, Mines, Steel Development and Metallurgy, who raised concerns on the annual envelope budgeting system of the federal government also condemned the lack of political will to revamp the Ajaokuta Iron and Steel project which could generate thousands of jobs for Nigerians.
The proposed N23.4 billion 2022 budget estimates enveloped for the ministry of mines and steel development was presented by the Minister of State, Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, for consideration by the senate.
Dr Ogah who represented the Minister, Mr Olamilekan Adegbite, said that: ”Out of the N23.4 billion budget profile for the ministry in 2022, N10 billion is for personnel cost, N1.47 billion for overhead cost and N11 billion for capital projects.”
Members of the committee who expressed dissatisfaction with the minister’s presentation decried the meagre budgetary allocation for the sector which, according to them, should rank second after the oil and gas sector.
The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, said; ”The yearly ritual called budget, is garbage in, garbage out, which will not take the country to anywhere as far as required diversification is concerned.”
“The type of budgeting process being carried out in this country over the years is stereotypic one. It is wrong for a budget to be conceptualised in the ministry, enveloped and forwarded to the national assembly for approval,” he added.
Senator Smart Adeyemi, while describing the present budgeting model as undemocratic, said the economic team of President Muhammadu Buhari was clearly out of tune with the realities on ground as regards the needs of Nigerians.
“How on earth would a minister propose N82 billion for procurement of mosquito nets and a sector as important as the solid minerals be given N10 or N11 billion?
“Ajaokuta Iron and Steel Complex that can give jobs to about 50,000 Nigerians is lying fallow in a country with army of unemployed youths who can stage revolution at any time. Nigeria is bleeding from this envelope form of budgeting riddled with repetition of line items and allocations on yearly basis.
“Government may be building infrastructure, but building infrastructure is not as good as creating wealth through diversification of the economy. The best way of doing this is to remove whatever bottleneck hindering continuation of work on Ajaokuta Steel complex and get it completed,” he explained.
The minister in his response however said that the envelope budgeting was not the creation of the ministry as it affects other government agencies.
“My appeal to you distinguished Senators on the current model of budgeting is for the National Assembly to seek the attention of the President.
“Operating with envelope as far as yearly budget is concerned, doesn’t make one think out of the box. It makes one looks stupid. We have the passion to drive the development of the country and transform into reality, the vision of Mr President like other patriotic Nigerians in one public office or the other,” he stressed.
He added that even with the envelope budgeting and lean resources, ”The ministry has changed the narrative of low internally generated revenue to very appreciable figures now.”
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has appointed Nigerian music legend, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as TuFace, as his Technical Adviser on Entertainment and Community Outreach.
In a viral video on Wednesday, Governor Alia praised TuFace for all the support towards his administration.
The Governor stated that TuFace can do more.
He stated, “On behalf of the Benue State Government and our very good people, we want to give you some more responsibility plus the ones you have been doing because you have the capacity to do some more and help us chart a way forward to improve other people’s lives and to gain more from your wisdom and advice as well.
“So, I’m pleased to announce that we will make you a Technical Adviser to the Governor on Entertainment and Community Outreach.”
Governor of Delta State, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The announcement was made following a closed-door meeting at the Government House in Asaba on Wednesday.
The Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, confirmed the development in a telephone conversation with The Tide’s source.
Similarly, the defection of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was announced on Wednesday in Asaba by Senator James Manager, following a meeting that lasted over six hours at the Government House.
Senator Manager said all PDP members in the State, including the Governor, former Governor Okowa, the Speaker, the state party chairman, and all local government chairmen, had agreed to join the APC.
“We cannot continue to be in a sinking boat,” he said.
The decision to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) followed extensive consultations with political stakeholders and was made in the interest of Delta State’s long-term development.
Governor Oborevwori, who won the 2023 gubernatorial election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was received by senior APC officials in what political analysts are already describing as a strategic realignment with far-reaching implications ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria has condemned the recent wave of killings in Plateau, Borno, Benue, Niger State and most recently, Kwara State, calling on the federal and state governments to take urgent steps to stem the tide.
Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Adebo Ogundoyin, stated this in a statement issued in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Rt Hon. Ogundoyin, who is the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, said the gruesome killings had led to tragic loss of lives, widespread displacement, and unimaginable trauma for thousands of Nigerians.
“We are alarmed by the escalating insecurity in the land and the seeming helplessness with which these attacks are met. The time for mere condemnation and rhetoric has passed; urgent and coordinated action is now required at all levels of government to end these bloodbaths and restore peace and order.
“While we acknowledge that defence and national security fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal Government, we must stress that every level of government bears responsibility for the security and welfare of the people. State governors, in particular, must rise to the occasion and fully understand that governance is not limited to road construction and ceremonial functions. True governance is rooted in the protection of lives, the preservation of order, and the alleviation of suffering,” he said.
He called on state governments to complement the efforts of the Federal Government by making and enforcing enabling laws for community policing and other grassroots-driven security models.
According to him, States must develop proactive frameworks that integrate local intelligence, social support systems, and youth engagement in the fight against insecurity.
The conference also urged the Federal Government to meaningfully engage the citizenry and introduce bold, practical measures to cushion the hardship caused by its current economic policies.
“Millions of Nigerians are groaning under the weight of inflation, unemployment, and a cost-of-living crisis. It is imperative that relief initiatives—targeted, transparent, and impactful—are rolled out without delay. Dialogue, not distance, must define the relationship between the government and its people at this critical time.
“The Conference of Speakers affirms its commitment to supporting all legislative actions necessary to restore security, promote justice, and foster inclusive governance across the country. The killings in Benue, Niger, Plateau, Borno, Kwara, and any part of Nigeria must not be allowed to continue unchecked. Justice must prevail, and peace must be restored.
“Let it be known: the safety, dignity, and well-being of every Nigerian must remain the top priority of all arms and levels of government,” Rt Hon. Ogundoyin said.