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Senate Asks Lai Mohammed to Account for N42m Spent on Travels

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Lai Mohammed
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The Senate on Tuesday drilled Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture, for some hours for spending N19 million on international travel and N23 million on local travel before the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and subsequent lockdown.

Senate Asks Lai Mohammed to Account for N42m Spent on Travels

Lai Mohammed

The Senator Danladi Sankara, All Progressives Congress (APC), Jigawa North West led Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation was baffled when the Minister at 2021 Budget defence disclosed the amount spent by the ministry as contained in its 2020 budget.

After the minister’s presentation, the Senate Committee expressed surprise how the ministry could spend such amount particularly when the country was on a lockdown due to the global pandemic.

Recall that the first phase of lockdown in Nigeria began on the 30th of March.

Trouble started when Senator Francis Onyewuchi, vice chairman of the Committee, PDP, Imo East questioned the minister to explain how such sums of money could be expended on travel against the backdrop that the COVID- 19 did not only affect Nigeria, but the entire world.

Senator Onyewuchi asked Lai Mohammed thus, “Let me take you on this your 2020 overhead. You have here on Local travels and transport appropriated is N30 million you expended N23 million on local transport you received N96 million as appropriated as released you expended N90 million.

“On International travels and transport, you had N43 million, you expended N19 million. So I am wondering this period of lockdown where nobody was able to go to any country during the 2020 appropriation how were you able to embark on international travels and you expended N19 million? So we need to look at that critically and you also tell us here in parliament how you were able to do that?

“Most part of the year we had travel restrictions. I am sure you will remember you did a lot of enlightenment programmes on this and I am sure you will remember that most of us were prevented from moving into other states; so I don’t know how you also had the luxury of spending the entire amount that was appropriated on those travels so those are the information we need to get from your expenditure.”

In his response, the Information Minister who noted that the amount was spent when they travelled for international summits along side an advocacy done in the United Kingdom before March, said, “You will notice that N43m was budgeted but less than 40% was spent precisely because of the COVID-19 and before then remember that we had travelled to attend several international summits starting UNWTO conference, UNESCO in Spain, in the UK. We have done advocacy in the UK at the same time.

“All before the Lockdown, I think our last trip was actually in Addis Ababa when we accompanied the President to the AU that was about March before the lockdown, the lockdown came at the end of March. So whatever we spent here was before the lockdown.”

Consequently, the Committee asked the Information Minister to forward to it, details of its local and international travels in the 2020 budget, just as it also questioned the Ministry for huge increase in its proposed 2021 budget.

In the Ministry’s 2020 budget, N4 billion was proposed, but N2.9 billion was appropriated while in 2021, N400 billion has been proposed.

In his explanation, Mohammed said that the increment was due to the reviewed national minimum wage.

 


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FG Order MDAs to Close Commercial Banks’ Accounts, Enforce TSA Policy

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Federal government has directed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) operating in states to close their accounts with commercial banks and fully comply with the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy.

FG Order MDAs to Close Commercial Banks’ Accounts, Enforce TSA Policy

Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, accountant-general of the Federation,

The directive was issued by Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, accountant-general of the Federation, during a working visit to the Federal Pay Office in Benin, Edo State.

This was disclosed in a statement released on Thursday by Bawa Mokwa, director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to the TSA policy, Madein warned that no MDA should operate accounts with commercial banks unless expressly approved by the President and officially communicated by her office.

The statement reads:

“While reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment to the Treasury Single Account policy, the Accountant-General of the Federation urged the Federal Pay Officers to monitor and ensure that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in the States do not operate any account with the commercial banks or circumvent any provision of the TSA policy.”

She further stressed that any exceptions must follow strict guidelines, requiring presidential approval and formal communication from the Office of the Accountant-General.

Madein also tasked Federal Pay Officers (FPOs) with ensuring compliance, upholding transparency, and maintaining professionalism in their financial operations.

She warned against actions that could undermine the integrity of the Federal Treasury and emphasized the need for accurate financial record-keeping.

As part of ongoing reforms, she revealed that the Federal Government is constructing new Federal Pay Offices in some states to address infrastructure and operational challenges.

She assured that her office remains committed to the welfare of its personnel while enforcing compliance with financial regulations, including the Public Procurement Act and the Constitution.

Her visit to the Benin Federal Pay Office was part of a nationwide tour to assess the operations and challenges of Federal Pay Offices across the country.


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NBRDA Investigates Biocatalysts for Bioethanol Production

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National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA) is investigating the development of biocatalysts from underutilised bioresources through its Young Researchers Forum (YRF) research group for bioethanol production.

NBRDA Investigates Biocatalysts for Bioethanol Production

Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, director general, NBRDA sated this in an interview conducted in Abuja on Wednesday

Biocatalysts, which can be either bacteria or enzymes, are biological entities that accelerate chemical reactions.

An alcohol-based fuel derived from renewable resources such as plants and algae is called bioethanol. It can be blended with petrol or used in place of it to cut down on petroleum use.

He asserted that bioethanol is crucial and that Nigeria has the means to fully investigate its possibilities, noting that the production of bioethanol will be helpful in setting up bioethanol plants.

“However, the catalyst for the fermentation of sugar to produce ethanol is what we are after, and we have it locally.

“When we isolate the biocatalyst, it is going to be useful in helping to establish a bioethanol factory, which will function very well due to our varying weather conditions,’’ he said.

Bioethanol has similar uses to fuels used to generate other classes of energy like heat, motor power, transportation, and electricity, the NBRDA chief added.

According to him, bioethanol is the most widely used biofuel in modern civilisation, and the process of turning biomass into bioethanol is receiving a lot of attention.

“Biological energies are renewable fuels with minimal pollution and play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas pollution, and one of them is bioethanol, which is obtained from fermentation operations.

“The world’s attention to the use of bioethanol as an energy source is focused on reducing the cost of production and increasing the efficiency of the ethanol industry.

“By consuming ethanol fuel instead of fossil fuels, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions known to be the cause of global warming will be somehow reduced,’’ Mustapha said.

According to the D-G, the creation of the Young Researchers Forum (YRF) demonstrates the agency’s efforts to support nation-building.

He added that young biotech innovators chosen from across the agency’s departments will use the conference as a training ground and launching pad.

The YRF, according to Mustapha, was a manifestation of his wish to establish an institutional framework for mentoring that would close generational divides.

He stated that one of the projects the YRF would concentrate on was the development of biocatalysts for the manufacture of bioethanol.


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NDLEA Says 14m Nigerians Affected by Consumption of Harmful Drugs

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National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), said no fewer than 14 million Nigerians are estimated to be involved in and addicted to the consumption of harmful drugs.

NDLEA Says 14m Nigerians Affected by Consumption of Harmful Drugs

Mrs Yetunde Joyifous, deputy commander, Ondo State Command of NDLEA, made the disclosure at a drug abuse awareness programme organised by Oijefon Youth for secondary schools in Ile Oluji/Oke-Igbo Local Government Area of the state on Wednesday.

Joyifous said that the drugs consumed were mostly chemical substances capable of negatively altering the minds of users.

According to her, the only way to curb the menace is to engage all stakeholders in the community and encourage them to partner with the authorities in the fight against the dangerous trade.

“I want to thank the Oijefon Youth Council for partnering with the NDLEA in the fight against drug abuse in society,” she noted.

She described younger people, especially those at the secondary school level, as the most vulnerable victims of drug abuse, adding that efforts must be intensified to rescue them from involvement.

In his welcome address, Adedokun Adeyonu, president, Oijefon Youth Council, said the council organised the sensitisation programme to discourage youths from drug abuse.

“Drug abuse means using harmful substances like alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs in a way that harms the body and mind,” he noted.

He explained that many people use drugs out of curiosity, peer pressure, or in an attempt to overcome problems in their lives, believing it to be the only solution.

Adeyonu also identified peer influence, as well as exposure to certain films and music, as factors that push youths into drug abuse.

He urged members of society to help create a prosperous future for the younger generation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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