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Osinkolu lauds Tinubu for prioritising defence, economy, youth empowerment in 2024 budget
An All Progressives Congress (APC) Chieftain, Dr. Olusegun Osinkolu, has expressed satisfaction with the budget presented by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly, giving priorities to national defence and internal security, among others.
Reacting to the budget presentation, Osinkolu described it as a budget of renewed hope and a realistic one, looking at its parameters.
“There are various indications that the budget proposal is realistic, looking at the main focus of local job creation, macro-economic stability, investment environment optimisation, human capital development, poverty reduction, and social security, all these are what is needed in the country to place it on a progressive ladder”, he said.
It will be recalled that President Tinubu, while addressing a joint session of the National Assembly on the 2024 Federal budget proposal in Abuja, said that the nation’s internal security architecture will be overhauled to enhance law enforcement capabilities with a view to safeguarding lives, property, and investments across the country.
He said the proposed budget prioritises human capital development, with particular attention given to children, because human capital remains the most critical resource for national development.
Osinkolu, in a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen on Thursday, added that, “with the sectoral allocations, I believe it is a budget for the common man.”
He appealed to the National Assembly to play its role by ensuring that all standing committees worked assiduously to realise an implementable budget.
The Ayede-Ekiti born politician, said the budget proposal was realisable, noting that, “from the presentation, every part of the country got something out of the budget.
“Everybody looking for the prospect of the economy got a glimmer of the hope from the budget proposal presented by the President.
“We need to do what we ought to do not to lose time while we re-organise the budget from January to December, by rolling over some of the projects and plans and all these have been captured in the budget presentation.”
He said the budget proposal by the President demonstrated that he was up to the task for the remaining term he had in office.
“The President demonstrated that he is capable of running another campaign and govern this country for another four years. We believe in his vision for this country. We are his foot soldiers.”
He commended the President “for his resilience and the way he spoke for the period of the presentation.
“It is a good development that we are seeing our president well. I am really happy about that and at the same time, happy that it will emancipate Nigerians.”
He reminded Nigerians that the battle President Tinubu is fighting to rid this country of endemic corruption is a battle that can not be left in his hands alone.
“Therefore, all heads of Ministries Departments and Agencies must stand up to let him know the wrath in their various establishments and let the change begin with them.
“Be the change champion to support President Tinubu in this fight against the scourge giving the country a bad image, let us not allow the cabals, who are making moves to take over the administration from President Tinubu to succeed.
“Rather, we must all rise up and stop their evil moves to ensure that the President delivers to Nigerians his visions and missions and make Nigeria a better place than he met it,”he said.
As Nigerians celebrate Christmas amidst festivities and reflections, the Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo state, Engr. Aderemi Oseni has sent a heartfelt message to Nigerians, emphasising the importance of unity, compassion, and selflessness in nation-building.
In his Christmas message on Wednesday, contained in a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the lawmaker described the season as a time to reflect on the love and sacrifice demonstrated by the birth of Jesus Christ.
He urged citizens to embrace the spirit of giving, kindness, and shared humanity that Christmas symbolises.
“Christmas is a season of hope, joy, and renewal,” Oseni said. “It reminds us of our shared duty to show love to one another, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliations. Let us work together to foster unity and peace in our country, especially as we navigate through challenging times.”
The lawmaker also highlighted the significance of collective responsibility in nation-building.
“As we celebrate, we must remember the less privileged in our communities. Acts of charity and kindness, no matter how small, can make a significant impact on someone’s life,” he added.
The APC chieftain expressed gratitude to his constituents in Ibarapa East/Ido for their unwavering support, assuring them of his commitment to delivering more impactful governance.
He also called for patience and cooperation as the government works towards addressing issues affecting the nation, including infrastructure development, economic stability, and security.
“Let this Christmas inspire us to continue building bridges of hope and fostering the true Nigerian spirit of togetherness,” he stated.
As the year draws to a close, Oseni encouraged Nigerians to remain optimistic about the nation’s future, assuring them that better days lie ahead with collective effort and unwavering faith.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has initiated enforcement action against five airlines—two international and three domestic operators—for various violations of its regulations under Part 19.
The offenses include non-payment of passenger refunds within the stipulated timeframe, non-responsiveness to NCAA directives, mishandling of luggage, short-landed baggage, delayed and canceled flights, among other infractions.
Addressing journalists at the NCAA’s corporate headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, Michael Achimugu, the Authority’s spokesman, stated that airlines must adhere to regulations regarding flight disruptions. He emphasized that failure to comply attracts sanctions.
“Although airlines are not always responsible for flight disruptions, NCAA regulations stipulate actions that airlines must take during such incidents. Failure to comply attracts various levels of sanctions,” Achimugu said.
He reminded airlines of the NCAA’s recent directive mandating refunds to passengers within 14 days for online ticket purchases and immediate cash refunds for tickets bought with cash.
The yuletide season has seen a rise in passenger complaints about delays and cancellations, largely attributed to harmattan-induced poor visibility. Achimugu clarified that airlines are not liable for cancellations due to force majeure but stressed that the enforcement actions are for cases where airlines are found at fault.
“This is harmattan season, so there is poor visibility. Flights must get canceled. This is force majeure, and the airlines do not owe passengers anything in those instances. The enforcement we are initiating today is on cases where the airline is deemed to have been at fault. More will come,” he explained.
Achimugu further disclosed that the NCAA would summon the chief executives of all airlines this week to address flight disruptions and regulatory breaches.
While the names of the sanctioned airlines were not officially revealed, sources close to the Authority identified them as Ethiopian Airways, Royal Maroc Airways, Arik Air, Aero Contractors, and Air Peace.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Nentawe Yilwatda, has announced the Federal Government’s plan to reach 15 million households, representing 75 million people, through its conditional cash transfer scheme.
Speaking on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Yilwatda explained that the initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to mitigating the economic hardships faced by vulnerable Nigerians.
“The president was so specific,” Yilwatda noted.
“There are policies that he brought in to see if that can ease those challenges for people at the lower end of the pyramid. One of those policies is to reach out to 15 million beneficiaries under the conditional cash transfer, targeting households rather than individuals. Each household will receive ₦25,000 monthly, paid three times a year.”
Yilwatda further clarified that the 15 million households being targeted translate to 75 million Nigerians, assuming an average of five persons per household.
So far, the Federal Government has reached five million individuals but is facing challenges in fully sanitizing the social register, particularly with the implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) policy mandating digital identities for transparency and traceability of payments.
“Currently, only 1.4 million people on the social register have digital identities. Many of those we are targeting are outside the formal banking system,” the minister disclosed.
Yilwatda emphasized that women are specifically targeted as household leaders under the program to ensure the funds are used effectively for the benefit of children and other vulnerable members of society.
The conditional cash transfer programme, which is administered under the National Social Investment Programme, had earlier been suspended by President Tinubu in January due to allegations of corruption. However, the scheme was reinstated in February, with plans to extend the initiative to an additional 12 million households.
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