Connect with us

News

FG never gave N570 billion to 36 States – Seyi Makinde counters President Tinubu

Following President Bola Tinubu’s announcement that his administration has given a total sum of N570 billion to the 36 states as a palliative measure to ease the citizens’ economic condition, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has come out to say the President’s comments are not accurate.

Tinubu made this statement while addressing the nation last Sunday, appealing that
those protesting halt their demonstration and return to the negotiation table.

According to the president, the State received this huge sum as a grant from the
federal government.

He said, “Also, more than N570 billion has been released to the 36 states to expand
livelihood support to their citizens, while 600,000 nano-businesses have benefitted
from our nano-grants. An additional 400,000 more nano-businesses are expected to
benefit.”

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has countered claims by President Tinubu. In a newsletter signed by the governor and published on the state’s official website on
Thursday, Makinde said the funds disbursed were not a direct allocation from the
federal government.

The governor clarified that the money received by the states was World
Bank COVID-19 funds, with the federal government acting only as an intermediary
between the international creditor and the 36 states.

He further explained that the funding was contingent on what the states had already
spent on COVID-19 programs, meaning the World Bank was simply reimbursing what
the states had used to address the pandemic crisis.

The Statement read as follows:

“Before I speak more on further actions we have taken to show our commitment to
productivity and sustainability, let me respond to a long message I received earlier in
the week from a concerned citizen. The message was about a purported N570 billion Hardship Fund “given” to the 36 States by the Federal Government. I was queried about what I used the money for. Let me state categorically that this is yet another case of misrepresentation of facts. The said funds were part of the World Bank-assisted NG-CARES project—a Program for Results Intervention. The World Bank facilitated an intervention to help States in Nigeria with COVID-19 Recovery. CARES means COVID-19 Action Recovery Economic Stimulus.

“It was called Programme for Results because States had to use their money in
advance to implement the program. After the World Bank verified the amount
spent by the State, it reimbursed the States through the platform provided at the
Federal level. The Federal Government did not give any State money; they were simply the
conduit through which the reimbursements were made to States for money already
spent,” Makinde said.

According to Makinde, the funding from the World Bank that was given to the state was not
a grant, but a loan that is expected to be paid back by each state.
He said the NG-Cares loan, as it is dubbed, predates Tinubu’s administration as the
facilities were received in different batches.
According to him, Oyo State received N5.98 billion in the first instance and N822
million in the second instance as reimbursement which was part of the investment of
the State government under the program.
“It is important to note that the World Bank fund is a loan to States, not a grant. So,
States will need to repay this loan. Note also that NG-CARES, which we christened
Oyo-CARES in our State predates the present federal administration.
So, in direct response to the message, the Federal Government did not give Oyo
State any money. We have reimbursed funds (N5.98 billion in the first instance and
N822 million in the second instance) we invested in the three result areas of NGCARES, which includes inputs distribution to smallholder farmers within our State”
When the World Bank saw our model for the distribution of inputs preceded
by biometric capturing of beneficiary farmers, they adopted it as the NG-CARES
model,” Makinde added.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

10 things To know about The New Pope Leo XIV

Following Pope Francis’s passing, United States Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has emerged as the 267th leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

Senior Cardinal Dominique Mamberti announced Prevost to a cheering crowd on St Peter’s balcony on Wednesday afternoon, saying the famous Latin words “Habemus Papam,” meaning “we have a pope.”

Picking the papal name Leo XIV, the newly elected Pope becomes the first American to occupy the exalted religious position.

Speaking in Italian, the 69-year-old described his predecessor as always “courageous and blessed Rome.”

1. Prevost was born on September 14, 1555, in Chicago, Illinois, to parents Louis Marius Prevost and Mildred Martinez.

2. In 1997, he entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA) and made his solemn vows in 1981.

3. As a former prefect of the influential Dicastery for Bishops, Prevost shared similar views to his immediate predecessor and spent many years as a missionary in Peru before he was elected the head of the Augustinians for two consecutive terms.

4. The Chicago-born prelate earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University in 1977, before proceeding to Catholic Theological Union in Chicago for his Master of Divinity. He subsequently bagged both a licentiate and doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, with a doctoral thesis on “The role of the local prior in the Order of Saint Augustine.”

5. He was ordained as a priest in 1982 and joined the Augustinian mission in Peru shortly after, where he served as chancellor of the Territorial Prélature of Chulucanas from 1985 to 1986.

6. Between 1987 and 1988, he was in his home country of the US, working as pastor for vocations and director of missions for the Augustinian Province of Chicago. In 1988, he returned to Peru, where he spent the next ten years heading the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo and teaching canon law in the diocesan seminary, doubling as prefect of studies. Prevost also served in other capacities there, including as a parish pastor, diocesan official, director of formation, seminary teacher, and judicial vicar.

7. He returned to Chicago in 1999 and was elected provincial prior of the “Mother of Good Counsel” province in the archdiocese, before emerging as prior general of the Augustinian order and serving two terms until 2013.

8. The American prelate returned to Peru in 2014, following his appointment as the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo by Pope Francis. He was elevated to Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015, where he served as vice-president and member of the permanent council of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference from 2018 to 2023.

9. Prevost served as apostolic administrator of Callao in Peru between 2020 and 2021.

10. In January 2023, Pope Francis appointed Prevost as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a powerful position responsible for selecting bishops. He held this position until his predecessor died on April 21, 2025. On September 30, 2023, Pope Francis elevated Prevost to the rank of Cardinal.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Wizkid Cancels multiple North America dates on ‘Morayo’ Tour, Sparking Online Debate

Nigerian superstar Wizkid has cancelled several dates on the North American leg of his much-anticipated ‘Morayo’ world tour, sparking concern among fans and insiders alike.
The cancelled shows include major venues such as:

June 5 – State Farm Arena, Atlanta

June 7 – Madison Square Garden, New York

June 11 – Scotiabank Arena, Ontario, Canada

June 15 – CFG Bank Arena, Baltimore

While his team has yet to release an official statement explaining the latest development, fans anxiously await clarity and possible new dates.

Despite the setback, sources suggest that the European leg of the Morayo Tour will continue as planned, with no current indications of change.

However, reactions online hint at deeper personal struggles. A close associate, Godson, stirred concern on social media when he responded to a fan’s inquiry about the cancellations by asking for prayers for Wizkid.

“Add him to your prayer. I think he’s still grieving, and nobody is helping him achieve this. Sad,” Godson posted.

Fans have since flooded social media with messages of support, urging the Star Boy to take all the time he needs to heal.

News of Wizkid’s North American tour cancellations has sparked a social media frenzy, with fans and critics flooding platforms like X (formerly Twitter) with mixed reactions, ranging from deep concern to outright mockery

Some fans expressed disappointment over the show cancellations, while others pointed fingers at poor planning, low ticket sales, and questionable timing.

Here are some of the most viral reactions:

@abazwhyllzz: “So none of his fans could buy ticket despite the ticket price reduction??? Brooo, this guy is finished.”

@mafia3O: “Cancelled in the midnight thinking people would not notice.”

@bigHotbaby1: “Wizkid scheduled his tour the same day there’s a big game in New York? Who’s advising this guy?”

@Zillionhood: “WizKid should retire this year with little dignity, by 2026 he will be retiring with mucha shame on him.”

@twnty__one: “Shey dem him fans no see money buy ticket ni or why the cancellation? Lol popsy una.”

Fanbase Rivalries Heat Up
The news also reignited the age-old Stan wars between fanbases, with some accusing media platforms of showing bias in their coverage.

@sakpo0007_: “Nah you guys are unreal. No single post on your page about Davido’s ‘5ive’ Spotify streams deduction but yeah it’s Wizkid news, y’all are active now… Fvckers.”

@bisolaa_0: “You updated this faster than Davido deducted streams on Spotify. Smh.”

@1stsonofdavido: “You see Wizkid downfall? I’m always there like Toyota Hilux. If it was Davido, everywhere for don scatter. Like I said, any Wizkid slander, I’m always there.”

Continue Reading

Celebs

Burna Boy gears up for the release of his 8th album with ‘Sweet Love’

Burna Boy

Grammy award-winning global icon Burna Boy ushers in his highly anticipated eighth studio album ‘No Sign of Weakness’ with today’s release of the seductive new single ‘Sweet Love.’

The song is set to be followed by a music video, which will complement its breezy feel.

The song produced by Major Seven is a romantic, reggae-leaning track that showcases Burna Boy’s unmistakable vocal charisma and signature blend of global influences with melodic pop sensibility.

‘Sweet Love’ continues Burna Boy’s standout year, building on the momentum of No Sign of Weakness’s first single, ‘Update’.

Produced by P2J (Beyoncé, Tems) and built around a sample of Soul II Soul’s iconic 8 the track blends Afrobeats with anthemic, club-ready energy.

The official video, which weaves together powerful visual vignettes inspired by the album’s central themes, has already surpassed 5 million views on YouTube.

Burna Boy has previously released the bubbling ‘Bundle By Bundle,’ which has amassed over 24M Spotify streams and 8.5M video views.

Most recently, Burna Boy joined French-Haitian singer Joé Dwèt Filé for the remix of the viral hit ‘4 Kampé,’ fusing Afrobeats and Haitian Kompa into a cross-cultural anthem that continues to chart across platforms globally.

Last month, Burna Boy became the first-ever cover star of Billboard France, coinciding with his historic, sold-out show at the Stade de France, making him the first African artist to headline the iconic venue.

The multi-award-winning global star followed up on his Stade De France concert with another historic concert in Manchester, where he sold out the Co-op Arena, which is the biggest indoor Arena in England.

Continue Reading

Trending