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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.

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Donald Trump Wins US Presidential Elections, defeats Kamala Harris

Donald Trump has won the US presidential election after securing the over 270 Electoral College (EC) votes required to emerge victorious.

As of this report, Trump has secured 279 EC votes, while his main challenger, incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris, has secured 223 votes.

Mr Trump is also ahead in the popular vote count, securing over 71 million votes to Mrs Harris’s over 66 million.

This election is the first since 2004 in which a Republican presidential candidate will secure more popular votes than a Democratic Party candidate, indicating Mr Trump’s solid performance and Mrs Harris’s sub-par performance.

“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” Mr Trump told a jubilant crowd in Florida Wednesday morning.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Mr Trump had already won in four of the seven crucial Swing states – North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – and was ahead in the remaining three – Michigan, Nevada, and Arizona – BBC reports.

Apart from winning the presidential election, the Republican Party also took control of the US Senate for the first time in four years and maintained its hold of the House.

Several world leaders, including Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, have congratulated Mr Trump on his victory.

According to President Tinubu, Mr Trump’s victory reflects the trust and confidence the American people have placed in his leadership, the president’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, wrote in a statement.

President Tinubu believes that, given President Trump’s experience as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, his return to the White House as the 47th president will usher in an era of earnest, beneficial, and reciprocal economic and development partnerships between Africa and the United States, he added.

“Together, we can foster economic cooperation, promote peace, and address global challenges that affect our citizens,” the Nigerian leader was quoted as saying.

Many other leaders posted their congratulatory messages on X, the social media platform whose owner, Elon Musk, was one of the main campaigners for Mr Trump.

“Ready to work together as we did for four years. With your convictions and mine, with respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X.

“For a long time, Germany and the U.S. have been working together successfully promoting prosperity and freedom on both sides of the Atlantic,” wrote German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on X. “We will continue to do so for the wellbeing of our citizens.”

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Nigerian Chief Of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja Dies At 56

Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, has died at the
age of 56, according to a state house press statement. Lt. General Lagbaja passed away on Tuesday night in Lagos following an illness, as announced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

President Tinubu expressed profound sadness over the loss of a “dedicated servant
of the nation” whose military career spanned over three decades.

Lt. General Lagbaja, born on February 28, 1968, was appointed Chief of Army Staff on June 19, 2023. His service history includes numerous leadership roles in critical security operations such as Operation ZAKI in Benue, Lafiya Dole in Borno, and Forest Sanity across
Kaduna and Niger States. A distinguished alumnus of the U.S. Army War College with a Master’s in Strategic Studies, Lt. General Lagbaja was recognized for his strategic acumen.

Lt. General Lagbaja is survived by his beloved wife, Mariya, and their two children. President Tinubu expresses his heartfelt condolences to the family and the Nigerian Armed Forces during this difficult time. The president wishes Lt. General Lagbaja eternal peace and honors his significant contributions to the nation.

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EFCC Detains Former Governor Of Delta State Ifeanyi Okowa

okowa sacks Latimore Oghenesivbe

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have detained a former governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, for the alleged diversion of N1.3 trillion of the 13 percent derivation fund from the Federation Account between 2015 and 2023.

A source close to proceedings says that Mr Okowa was detained on Monday, 4 November, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when he reported at the Port Harcourt Directorate of the EFCC on the invitation of investigators handling his matter.

The former governor allegedly failed to account for the funds and another N40 billion he allegedly claimed to have used to acquire shares in the UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas.

Mr Okowa allegedly bought N40 billion worth of shares in one of the major banks in Nigeria, representing eight percent equity, to float the offshore LNG.

The funds were allegedly used for other purposes. The anti-graft agency is also investigating the former governor’s alleged diversion of funds to acquire estates in the nation’s capital, Abuja, and Asaba in Delta State.

He is being held at the EFCC holding facility in Port Harcourt.When contacted on Monday evening, the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, confirmed Mr Okowa’s detention but declined to give details.

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