Reps Target $60 Oil Benchmark, Review Fuel Subsidy Expenditure

The House of Representatives has said it would ensure proper scrutiny of the N4.89trn which the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), planned to borrow in order to fund the 2022 budget deficit.

The Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity Affairs, Benjamin Kalu, stated this while briefing journalists on the activities of the House on Thursday.

The spokesperson added that the leadership of the House had affirmed its position to review the proposed oil benchmark from $56 per barrel to $60 in the 2022 fiscal year.

Kalu also unveiled plans to review the fuel subsidy expenditure being implemented unilaterally by the executive without appropriation.

He said, “Findings by the committee which would occupy front burners as we resume, one of which was data not coherent between the agencies like Customs, PPPRA, NNPC and all the rest of them especially on issues like, what is exactly the amount of crude oil produced per day, what is the level of our PMS consumption per day.

“These things are necessary because there is a determination by the House to close up areas of leakages of funds so that the Federal Government would have enough to take care of the welfare of citizens.”

He expressed concern over the poor level of revenue remittance by Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

He assured Nigerians that plans were underway to review the Establishment Act, with a view to blocking leakages.

He adding that many agencies were merely recycling budgets, while some agencies were spending their internally generated revenue in flagrant disregard to the provisions of the Constitution.

He said, “We have also observed that some MDAs were not remitting sufficiently to the Federation Account, they were under-remitting and there were agencies that were not remitting at all because their establishment Acts do not give them the permission to remit.

“We need to amend some of those establishment acts, because of the impact of COVID, the government is looking for money from left, right and centre and if there are leakages that have been encouraged by the Establishment Act, that piece of legislation will be looked into for possible amendment.

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$114.28m COVID-19 loan: SERAP asks World Bank to make Nigeria ‘publicly commit to transparency’

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has sent an open letter to the World Bank President Mr David Malpass, urging him to use his “good offices to encourage the Federal Government and 36 state governments to publicly commit to transparency and accountability in the spending of the $114.28m credit and grant for COVID-19, which the Bank’s Board of Directors recently approved for Nigeria, including by publishing details on a dedicated websit". SERAP also urged Mr Malpass to “put pressure on authorities and the 36 state governors to accept voluntary scrutiny by Nigerians and civil society regarding the spending of the funds and use of the resources, including on how they will spend the money to buy medical equipment, and improve access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene" The World Bank Board of Directors last Friday approved a $114.28 financing “to help Nigeria prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 with a specific focus on state level...

Two Suspected Robbers Burnt To Death By Angry Mob Over Attempt To Steal Tricycle In Anambra

Two yet-to-be identified men have been burnt by some angry youths around Ekwusigo, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State. They were allegedly caught while they were attempting to steal a tricycle, popularly known as Keke Napep, from its owner. This caught the attention of some people who mobbed and started beating them. The two were beaten to a pulp before they were later burnt to death. Details of the incident were still sketchy as at the time of filing the report.

Shocking pictures of ghost town in Aba, Abia state

Many react as the ever busy Aba market blew dry as citizens massively obey the sit-at-home ordered by the angry Indigenous people of Biafra. From the pictures evidence you can see how deserted the roads looks and how shops are closed up. Contrary to a story that went wild yesterday on the internet Concerning the IPOB canceling the sit!-at-home order, came another which clearly debunked the cancellation of the sit-at-home order as propaganda. According to the Indigenous people of Biafra, the sit-at-home must continue to be observed every Monday until Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is unconditionally release from the DSS custody.

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