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2023 APPROPRIATION BILL: ABIODUN PROPOSES N472.25 BILLION

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Dapo-Abiodun
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun
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Ogun State Government has proposed a total expenditure of N472.25 billion for the 2023 budget, comprising N201.84 billion and N270.41 billion as Recurrent and Capital expenditures respectively.

The State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, who made this known in Abeokuta, during the presentation of the “Budget of Continued Development and Prosperity” to the State House of Assembly, said the ‪2023-2025‬ Medium-Term Fiscal Framework of his administration was hinged on the five development pillars of ‘ISEYA’ mantra.

Abiodun noted that the present government would give more attention to the completion of ongoing projects, such as those with revenue potentials, employment generation to align with the seven thematic areas contained in the Medium-Term National Development Plan ‪2021-2025‬, namely, Economic Growth and Development, Infrastructure, Public Administration (Governance, Security, and International Relations), Human Capital Development, Social Development, Regional Development, Plan Implementation, Communication, Financing, Monitoring and Evaluation.

Governor Abiodun while disclosing that his administration would continue to focus on improving its revenue base, added that in doing this, government would rely on the provisions of the section 23 (1 & 2) of the fiscal responsibility law, 2020 (as amended) with a view to increasing the State’s Internally Generated Revenue, alongside with the Medium-Term Revenue Strategy (MTRS), to drive its Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

Governor Abiodun while highlighting the 2023 key capital projects, said his administration would develop a Dry Port at Kajola to leverage on the existing rail network in the axis, adding that rehabilitation, reconstruction and maintenance of roads across the State, as well as the completion of Agro Cargo Airport and the construction of Pilot Rural Road of 13.1km at Alapako-Oni and Mosa Junction would be prioritised.

GOV. ABIODUN’S 3-YEAR ADMINISTRATION UNPRECEDENTED
— SPEAKER.

The Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olakunle Oluomo, has said the last three years of the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration had witnessed unprecedented development in all areas of human endeavour.

Oluomo stated this in Abeokuta at the presentation of the year 2023 Appropriation Bill christened, “Budget of Continued Development and Prosperity” by Governor Abiodun before members of the State House Assembly.

The Speaker, who highlighted the various legacy projects executed by the present administration to include, construction of rural, urban, intra-city and inter-state roads across the nooks and crannies of the State, Agro Cargo Airport, Remo Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone, among others, said “the Governor is indeed worthy of the National Honour of the Best Governor in Industrial Revolution in Nigeria bestowed on him by the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR”.

According to Oluomo, “You have succeeded in ensuring that Ogun State maintains its pride as the educational capital and industrial hub among the comity of States in the Country. Without mincing words, the good people of Ogun State, the entire citizenry of Nigeria, and by extension the whole world are all living witnesses to Your Excellency’s ongoing monumental achievements and how you have been turning your dream for a prosperous Ogun State into reality”.

The Speaker noted that the Ninth Assembly had been maintaining cordial relationship with the Executive Arm of Government, which had reflected in the level of achievements recorded by the present administration since its inception in 2019, commending the State Governor for approving the release of fund for the year 2022 Constituency Projects in the State.

Responding shortly after the Governor’s presentation, Speaker Oluomo said the State deserved nothing less than a vibrant and articulate Legislature, an innovative leadership as the head of the Executive arm and a fearless Judiciary as being witnessed in the Gateway State through the various completed and ongoing projects, assuring that the Legislative arm would redouble its efforts towards retaining its pride of place among other States in the Federation.

He promised that the State lawmakers would ensure timely passage of the bill to facilitate the provision of the needed facilities that would add value to the quality of lives of the people.

The budget presentation had in attendance the former Military Administrators, Col. Daniel Akintonde, Oladehinde Joseph and Navy Captain Rasheed Raji, the former Deputy Governor, Yetunde Onanuga and Salimat Badru, former Speakers Suraju Adekunbi and Tunji Egbetokun, State Head of Service, Dr. Nafiu Aigoro, the Chairman, Governor Advisory Council, Chief Olu Ogunboyejo, members of the State Executive Council, traditional rulers including the Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, the representatives of Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, as well as Olu and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, the body of Permanent Secretaries, captains of industry and party stalwarts, among others.

2023 BUDGET: ABIODUN EARMARKS N66B FOR EDUCATION, PROMISES CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has earmarked a total amount of N‪66.793.498.512.13‬ as the proposed budget for the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, representing 14 percent of the total appropriation bill of N472.25 billion for the fiscal year 2023, to continuously promote education development in the State.

Presenting the 2023 budget proposal before members of the 9th legislature of the State House of Assembly in Abeokuta, the Governor said the aim of the budget was to further ensure development and prosperity for the citizenry, as well as to maintain and enlarge the economic base of the State.

Prince Abiodun noted that the government was committed to the provision of technical workshops, science laboratories, distribution of furniture and other equipment for public primary and secondary schools across the geo-political zones in the State, to aid good teaching and learning activities.

The Governor said “we will ensure provision of key infrastructure intervention for tertiary institutions, as well as supply, installation and provision of smart classroom equipment for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teaching, to keep the existing legacy of the State as number one in education and to enhance the knowledge of learners.

He reviewed the achievement of his administration in the education sector to include, construction and rehabilitation of about 1,000 classrooms, distribution of 25,000 furniture, repositioning of Education Management Information System (EMIS) for data gathering, processing and presentation.

Others are; prompt and regular payment of subventions to the State-owned tertiary institutions, recruitment of 5,000 Ogunteach interns, regular promotion of teaching and non-teaching staff, distribution of wheelchairs and white canes to special needs learners, as well as resuscitation of braille book production centres among others.

OGUN 2023 APPROPRIATION BILL: AGRIC, INDUSTRY GULP N16B

A total of N16,482,708,788.43 has been proposed for Agriculture and Industry by Prince Dapo Abiodun’s administration for the 2023 Fiscal Year.

In his presentation of the 2023 budget to the State House of Assembly at Oke- Mosan, Abeokuta, Abiodun disclosed that the dream of his administration was gradually becoming a reality with the recent ground breaking of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ), aimed at implementing road map on job creation, food security and poverty alleviation through Public Private Partnership initiative.

The State helmsman said the initiative would not only support smallholder farmers, but other value chain actors for increased agricultural productivity in crop, aqua-culture and livestock sectors, thereby turning Ogun to the food basket of South West.

“We have deployed agriculture for the effective implementation of our road map on job creation, food security and poverty alleviation by massively activating Public Private Partnership. We believe that this initiative would not only support smallholder farmers and other value chain actors, it will also boost job creation through agricultural value chain development”, he said.

Abiodun reeled out ongoing World Bank financed projects such as Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP) which targets 40,000 smallholder farmers, Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) project, domesticated as Ogun-CARES for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

He added that the recently commissioned dairy hub at Eweje Farm Institute in Odeda Local government area in partnership with Fan Milk/Danone was expected to train and empower 1,500 local farmers in the area, as well as free distribution of 100 million tomato, cocoa and cashew seedlings and cassava stems to farmers.

HOUSING, COMMUNITY DEVT RECEIVE OVER N29B IN 2023 FISCAL YEAR

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun said his government is determined to pursue an ambitious housing scheme in the coming year, with N29,102,408,070.75 allocated for housing and community development sectors in the 2023 fiscal year.

Abiodun stated this in Abeokuta during the presentation of the year 2023 Appropriation Bill at the Ogun State House of Assembly.

The Governor said the number of houses built by the present administration was more than the total housing units constructed by the previous administrations since the creation of the State in 1976, noting that about 1,500 housing units had been constructed and sold out across the three Senatorial Districts of the State.

He added that patronage of subscribers had propelled the present administration to build more 2- and 3-bedroom bungalow apartments in various locations across the State.

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Police Arrest 5 PakistanI Nationals, Recover 35 Phones in Benue Intelligence Ooperations

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August 8, 2026

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The Benue State Police Command has arrested five Pakistani nationals and recovered thirty-five mobile phones in separate intelligence-led operations in Otukpo and Ugbokolo areas of the state.

The arrests were disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday, August 7, 2026, by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Orchia Peter Aondongu.

According to the statement, operatives acting on credible intelligence arrested three Pakistanis at Adoka Motor Park, Otukpo Local Government Area, on August 4, 2026.

The suspects were identified as Younas Mohammad, 36; Ahmad Nunil, 38; and Aslam Muhammad, 46. They were intercepted while attempting to board a vehicle to Adoka village.

During preliminary questioning, the suspects claimed they were in Otukpo to market cosmetics and mobile gadgets, none of which were found in their possession.

“This made their explanation, activities and movements within the area suspicious, requiring more clarification,” the PPRO stated.

In a separate operation on August 5, 2026, two other Pakistanis, Juma Sharif, 30, and Muhammed Sharif, 25, were arrested at a local hotel in Ugbokolo following another credible intelligence.

The two claimed to be dealers in Android phones. A search of their belongings led to the recovery of eleven Tecno Camon 50 Pro mobile phones.

Further investigation and operational follow-up resulted in the recovery of an additional twenty-three Tecno Camon 50 Pro phones and one Infinix Hot 60 phone, bringing the total number of recovered mobile phones to thirty-five.

The five suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Makurdi, where discreet and comprehensive investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding their presence, activities and movements within the state.

The Command said it strongly suspects that the possession of the mobile phones may be a decoy for clandestine activities in rural areas of the state, noting that the suspects “hardly speak or understand English.”

The Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, CP Cletus C. N. Nwadiogbu, commended the officers involved in the operations and members of the public whose timely information contributed to the arrests.

He reassured residents that the operations form part of the Command’s proactive, intelligence-led policing strategy aimed at identifying potential security threats, preventing criminal activities and safeguarding lives and property across the state.

CP Nwadiogbu further urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons, movements or activities to the Police.

“The Command will continue to work with relevant stakeholders and members of the public to maintain peace and security across Benue State. The public will be updated as the investigation progresses,” the statement added.

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HURIWA Calls for Probe of Adeyemi’s Govt Collaborators

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August 8, 2026

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Human Right Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA
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The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has dismissed the interim report of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), alleging that its findings have raise more questions than answers.

HURIWA, National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, on Friday, argued that the report appeared to focus largely on alleged offences committed by one individual while failing to establish how a purportedly non-existent government agency operated within official circles for an extended period.

The organisation therefore opposed the prosecution of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, ICPC’ sole accused for forging documents, falsely presenting himself as Director-General of the PFIPC, creating additional agencies, opening bank accounts with forged instruments and exploiting weaknesses in government institutions.

HURIWA insisted that the alleged activities of Adeyemi could not, on their own, explain how the PFIPC acquired the appearance of an official government institution.

In HURIWA’s view, the central issue was not merely who allegedly forged documents, but how such documents were accepted and acted upon by government institutions.

It asked how a non-existent agency could acquire official legitimacy, who admitted its operators into government circles, who authorised meetings and engagements with public institutions and why elementary verification procedures failed to detect the alleged fraud.

The group also questioned how the PFIPC found its way into the 2026 Appropriation Act with a budgetary allocation running into billions of naira if it did not legally exist.

“The questions confronting Nigeria are neither difficult nor complicated,” HURIWA said.

It said there is a need to establish who processed documents linked to the agency, who ignored red flags and who enabled it to operate without challenge.

The organisation expressed concern that the ICPC’s interim findings could give the impression that the scandal was essentially the work of a lone individual.

It argued that such a conclusion would be difficult to reconcile with the scale and duration of the alleged activities, particularly given the involvement of multiple Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

“HURIWA refuses to accept the proposition that one private citizen, acting entirely alone, successfully penetrated multiple Ministries, Departments and Agencies, operated for an extended period, secured official interactions and allegedly built an elaborate structure involving forged instruments without significant failures or possible complicity within the public service,” Onwubiko stated.

The association noted that the ICPC itself had identified weaknesses in inter-agency coordination, verification mechanisms and internal controls, arguing that such weaknesses required further investigation.

It said Nigerians deserved to know whether the failures were merely administrative lapses or whether some officials deliberately facilitated the activities of the alleged fake agency.

HURIWA was particularly critical of any recommendation for administrative sanctions against public officers whose negligence may have enabled the operation.

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Why Alia revamped Abandoned Benue N70bn Taraku Mill After 40 Years

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August 8, 2026

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The Benue State Gov. Hyacinth Alia  says he revived the N70 billion moribund Taraku Mill after 40 years because the state could no longer afford to waste its economic potential.
Alia made the disclosure on Friday in Makurdi during a media chat with the Renewed Hope Ambassadors Presidential Media Team.
The team was led by Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President Bola Tinubu on Media and Strategy.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the team was in Benue to inspect completed and ongoing federal and state infrastructure projects, including the Taraku Mill, located in Gwer East Local Government Area.
The governor said the revival of the mill, located in Taraku, was part of his administration’s broader strategy to establish sustainable economic structures capable of surviving changes in political leadership.
He said previous administrations had lacked a comprehensive development plan, resulting in projects being initiated without adequate consideration for continuity and the actual needs of citizens.
“​​There has to be a direction. There has to be a mission and there has to be a vision,” Alia said.
According to him, his administration’s development blueprint was designed after consultations with communities to distinguish between what people wanted and their actual priority needs.
He said that the approach required government to understand the needs of market women, farmers and other residents before committing resources to projects.
Alia said the objective was to move Benue from  “a glorified village status” and improve the state’s towns and economic centres.
He said sustainability was built into the projects being implemented, stressing that government must put measures in place to ensure investments remained productive after the tenure of the current administration.
The governor argued that government could not completely stay away from business when strategic investments were necessary to create employment, retain capital and stimulate the local economy.
He cited the newly established Benue Brewery, juice factory and concentrate factory as examples of investments intended to process local agricultural products and strengthen the state’s value chain.
Alia said Benue produced sorghum, cassava, maize, oranges and soybeans in large quantities, but needed industries capable of converting the agricultural produce into finished products.
He said the development of such industries would create markets for farmers, generate employment and reduce capital flight caused by importing products that could be produced locally.
The governor said farmers with orchards and farms had been identified and organised into cooperatives, enabling them to access support while providing industries with dependable sources of raw materials.
He said the improved road network linking Benue with Abuja would further enhance opportunities for farmers to take fresh agricultural produce to the federal capital and other markets.
Alia said the revival of Taraku Mill was particularly significant because Benue was previously a leading soybean-producing state, but the collapse of the mill disrupted the market for farmers.
He said the return of the mill would provide a sustained market for soybean farmers, adding that his administration had begun providing incentives and farm inputs to identified producers.
The governor said the revival was, therefore, not limited to restoring the factory but was aimed at rebuilding an agricultural ecosystem in which farmers could consistently earn income from their produce.
Earlier, the inspection team visited the Taraku Mill, where the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Tersoo Kula, explained that production had continued until around the mid-1990s.
Kula said the factory subsequently became moribund until the Alia administration decided to revamp it, with the machinery serviced and currently undergoing test runs.
He commended residents of the area for protecting the abandoned facility over the years, saying they collectively ensured that no equipment was removed from the premises.
According to him, the mill will produce soybean and groundnut oil, process maize and manufacture animal feeds, thereby restoring its former role as an economic booster for the area.
Kula also attributed the revival to improved economic conditions and support from the Federal Government, saying major investments of that magnitude required adequate resources.
He said the administration had also rehabilitated the Otobi Waterworks and its treatment plant in Otukpo Local Government Area to provide water needed for operations at the mill.
Mr Terngwu Kyuve, General Manager of the mill, said the revived facility would create no fewer than 2,000 direct and indirect jobs when fully operational.
Kyuve said the plant comprised oil, maize and animal-feed divisions, adding that its maize plant had a capacity to process 72,000 metric tonnes annually.
He said the animal-feed plant could process 172,300 metric tonnes annually, while the oil division had mechanical pressing, flaking, solvent extraction and refining facilities.
According to him, the mechanical press can process 200 metric tonnes of seeds daily, solvent extraction 320 metric tonnes daily, while the refinery can process 100 metric tonnes of oil daily.
Kyuve, a pioneer staff member, said maintenance and test-running were ongoing, adding that dry and wet testing would precede actual production.
He expressed optimism that products would begin coming out of the factory within two months, marking the return of Taraku Mill to industrial production after decades of inactivity.

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