Buhari to stay additional week in London • As Tinubu jets off to Europe on “working visit”

By Egena Sunday Ode

President Muhammadu

Buhari will stay back in London, United Kingdom, for an additional week, at the behest of his Dentist, who has started attending to him.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina on Wednesday.

Adesina noted in the statement that the Specialist had required to see the President in another five days for a procedure already commenced.

The statement recalled that President Buhari had joined other world leaders to attend the coronation of King Charles lll on May 6.”

Meanwhile the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Wednesday afternoon left Nigeria for Europe on a working visit.

A statement signed on behalf of his office by Tunde Rahaman said Tinubu would use the opportunity of the trip to finetune the transition plans and programmes, and his policy options with some of his key aides without unnecessary pressures and distractions.

During the visit, the statement said, the Presidentelect would engage with investors and other key allies with the goal of marketing investment opportunities in the country and his administration’s readiness to enable a businessfriendly climate through policies and regulations.

“Already, meetings with multi-sectoral actors in Europe’s business community including manufacturing, agriculture, tech and energy have been lined up.

“Asíwájú Tinubu hopes to convince them of Nigeria’s readiness to do business under his leadership through mutuallybeneficial partnerships premised on jobs creation and skills acquisition.

“Reviving the country’s economy forms a major plank of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda and the meeting is part of his efforts to re-establish Nigeria’s importance in the global economic chain and create empowering opportunities for the country’s huge youth population.

“The President-elect has hitherto promised to hit the ground running and the visit is reflective of his commitment to the promise as he has already begun talks with global actors in the important areas of the economy and security,” the statement noted.

It added that before he left the country, Asíwájú Tinubu met with the House of Representatives candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker endorsed by his party, the All Progressives Congress, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who were presented to him by Joint Task Team of the House.

He is scheduled to return shortly for preparations towards his official swearing in as the 16th President of the country on May 29, 2023, the statement noted.

Accountability: KDSG presents implementation, utilization of 2022 budget to citizens

From:

Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Kaduna state government yesterday

Presented implementation and utilization of the 2022 budget, tagged, ‘Budget of Sustainable Growth” through the Citizens’ Accountability Report (CAR) in its move for accountability and transparency.

Speaking at the Citizens’ Accountability town-hall engagement held at the Ministry of Local government Affairs, the Permanent Secretary State Ministry of Finance, Muhammad Mahmud Shu’aibu said, the engagement which is the third edition is necessary, because accountability, Transparency and inclusiveness are the watchwords of the state government led by Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai thus, the reason he signed the Open Government Partnership

(OGP) policy in the state.

He explained that the aim of the engagement organized by the ministry is to give the public feedback on the funds that are appropriated in the year 2022

“We engaged the general public through a town hall meeting with, what requiring the budget, we captured and harvested their inputs, they critique, we harvested their inputs and then factored them into the budget and presented to the State house of Assembly. After passage, the excellency assented to law, now we have implemented, and in 2022 and passed, it is our responsibility to give the public feedback on how we have implemented and utilized it.

“That is why we invited members of the public to come and critique, ask questions and seek clarity on the implementation and utilization of the budget” he said

Presenting the CAR on the 2022

Mr. Bolaji Osho of Skills Future Nigeria said the 2022 budget of Kaduna state was passed, and implementation commenced on the 1st January 2022, saying that the aggregate CASH revenue performance was 74.8%of the budgeted N309, 871 Billion in the final budget this is equivalent to N78.183 billion shortfall.

Osho explained that Federation account revenue out performed expectation and stood at 106.4% whilst IGR performance was below budget and stood at 87.1%

“On the expenditure side, the actual total expenditure is about N55.011 billion (17.8%) less than the budgeted amount which was N309, 879 billion.”

He stressed that capital expenditure was impressive during the period under review and with a performance of 84.1. % of budgeted amounts, saying, ” much of the capital expenditure in 2021 were fresh projects and programmes; some were also continuation of existing projects

In her remark, the citizens cochair, Social Protection , (OGP), Philip Yatai said the presentation shows that Kaduna state as an OGP, is working with the citizens in the budgeting process and implementation.

He therefore craved for the sustenance of such healthy, and positive relationship between the govt and citizens.

The Citizens’ Accountability Report (CAR) is a series of graphic and tabular illustrations of the contents of the Audited financial statements (AFS) prepared by a government agency (state Audit office) on behalf of the state government to the citizens to ensure accountability of public funds.