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2021 Budget: Magashi Defends Over 340 Billion Naira For Defence

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The Minister of Defence, Maj Gen Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd) has presented and defended the Ministry of Defence budget proposal of Three hundred and forty billion, three hundred and fifteen million, three hundred and fifty nine thousand, two hundred and fifty five naira ninety five kobo.(N340,315,359,255.95) for the 2021 fiscal year.

The Minister made the presentation before the 9 man Senator Aliyu Wamako led Senate Committee on Defence at the National Assembly Complex Abuja.

General Magashi who was supported by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence, Hussaini Babangida said the budget is based on the 2020-2023 Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) as well as anchored on providing adequate security through strengthening the Tri-Services and other institutions under the Ministry to enable them perform their roles with all the necessary requirements.

While giving a breakdown of the budget proposal he explained that two billion, seventy six million, four hundred and nine thousand, eight hundred and forty four naira (N2,076,409,844.00) is proposed under the main overhead cost of the Ministry of Defence for the year out of which the sum of One billion five hundred and twenty million (N1,520,000,000.00) is for the Brigade of Guards. Additionally ,the sum of five hundred and fifty six million, four hundred and nine thousand eight hundred and four naira (N556,409,844.00) is for its regular overhead expenditure to arrive at the grand total of three hundred and forty billion, three hundred and fifteen million, three hundred and fifty nine thousand two hundred and fifty five naira ninety five. kobo( N340,315,359,255.95).

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On Critical Capital Projects to be executed by the Ministry in the 2021 fiscal year,he said in addition to the on-going projects there are other Special projects approved by Mr President which include acquisition of Defence Equipment on government to government basis in the sum of $692,968,573.00 out of which 30% was released by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.

According to the Defence Minister, the Ministry is mandated by the President to execute a stalled contract put at USD269,734,420.50 for the delivery of seven hundred (700) Troops Carrying Vehicles and fifty (50) buses awarded since 2014 by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Retrospectively, the Minister in a 5 paged 2021 budget proposal had earlier summarised the 2020 budget performance as at 26th October which revealed that 88% of the Overhead was utilised while the total Expenditure for Capital utilised stands at 16% owing to what he blamed on four causative challenges. They include, the general effects of Covid-19 pandemic, paucity of funds, late releases of Capital funds and bureaucratic bottleneck associated with procurement process.

While appealing for favourable consideration of the budget proposal by the Senate Committee on Defence, General Magashi said the Ministry under his watch is committed to actualising its core mandate of providing adequate security for a peaceful, stable, secured and united Nigeria.

Responding to questions raised by some members of the Committee who observed that the budget proposal for the Overhead and Capital Projects are low, the Minister said procurement which should be entirely the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence is in the purview and pursuit of the Services.

In a statement by Muhammad Abdulkadiri said the Chairman Senate Committee on Defence Aliyu Wamako while assuring the Minister of Defence that the Ministry’s budget proposal will undergo the usual thorough examination by members of the Committee with a view to doing justice to it, he gave an ikling for possible upward review of the total estimates.

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News Analysis: Emergency Rule on Return to Democracy

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By Abbas Yushau Yusuf

When Nigeria returned to democracy on May 29, 1999, General Olusegun Obasanjo was the first beneficiary of the country’s return to civilian rule. A four-star general who had handed over power to President Shehu Shagari on October 1, 1979, twenty years later, destiny beckoned on Obasanjo, and he took charge again as Nigeria’s President.

But before General Obasanjo’s return in 1999, Nigeria, especially the northern part of the country, experienced serious religious upheavals and uprisings, starting from the Maitatsine riots of 1980 in Kano and the Zangon Kataf religious crisis of 1987 in Kaduna State, in which former Governor of Rivers State, General Zamani Lekwot, was the mastermind.

Then another religious crisis engulfed the city of Kano over the visit of a Christian monk in 1991, Reverend Rent Harnboky. The people of Kano resisted the visit because earlier, a renowned Islamic scholar of comparative religion, Sheikh Ahmad Deedat, intended to visit the state. He was denied, and when that of Rent Harnboky was approved, it turned into serious attacks on non-Muslims in the state.

It took the military Governor of Kano state retired Major General Idris Garba to deploy soldiers in Mosques and churches across the city.

Another deadly religious riot that shook northern Nigeria again was the 2000 religious Shariah crisis in Kaduna when former Governor Ahmad Makarfi intended to introduce Shariah in the state. An unaccounted number of people were killed during the Obasanjo regime. Another killing took place in Lagos by the Odua People’s Congress during the time of Governor Bola Ahmad Tinubu, now President Tinubu, in the year 2000.

In 2001, the once peaceful northern city of Jos, Plateau State, was rocked with a serious crisis of unprecedented proportion in which many Muslims and Christians were killed.

During the second term of President Olusegun Obasanjo, a local government in the depths of Plateau State, Yelwa Shendam, was thrown into religious conflict during the time of Governor Joshua Chibi Dariye, where Muslims were killed in unprecedented proportions.

On May 11,2004 , the Yelwa Shendam crisis spilled over to Kano, where reprisal attacks took center stage, in which many Christians were killed.

On Tuesday, May 18, 2004, President Olusegun Obasanjo addressed the nation, in which he declared a state of emergency in Plateau State and removed democratic structures in the state.

President Obasanjo accused Governor Joshua Chibi Dariye of aiding the Plateau crisis. He appointed General Chris Alli as the administrator of the state for six months, where it ended on November 18, 2004.

Analysts say the removal of Governor Dariye by President Obasanjo was because the crises were threatening the whole country, hence his decision to take decisive action.

In his address, Chief Obasanjo said the crisis had already reverberated to Kano and was now threatening the FCT and some parts of Katsina State. While his state was boiling, Governor Joshua Dariye was somewhere in Abuja attending the National Sports Festival.

Another political crisis in 2006 engulfed Ekiti State, where President Obasanjo suspended democratic structures, including Governor Ayodele Fayose, and appointed an administrator.

Obasanjo’s state of emergency differs from that of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who declared a state of emergency in three northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe in 2013 as a result of the Boko Haram crisis that turned the states into a killing field.

Governors Murtala Nyako, Kashim Shettima (now Vice President), and Governor Ibrahim Gaidam were not affected, as President Jonathan did not suspend the democratic structures, only massively deployed the military.

Jonathan’s approach, analysts say, is more in tandem with Nigeria’s constitution than Obasanjo’s. Now, President Tinubu’s declaration in Rivers State, where Governor Fubara and the state assembly were suspended on March 18, 2025, through a presidential broadcast, has sparked debate.

Some lawyers flayed President Tinubu’s declaration as autocratic and partisan because the Minister of the FCT is being accused of fueling the Rivers crisis due to the lack of influence he has over his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara. Many international human rights associations did not back President Tinubu’s declaration in Rivers State because they see it as more political than aimed at returning peace to the oil-rich state.

Of the four Presidents Nigeria has had from 1999 to date, only the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and President Muhammadu Buhari did not declare a state of emergency in crisis states like Zamfara, Borno, and Yobe during the term of President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023, when banditry took a serious toll on the lives of many.

 

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Fubara’s Whereabouts Unknown As Military Moves Trucks Into Rivers Govt House

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The movement of Governor Siminalayi Fubara was unknown on Tuesday night when the military moved trucks into Rivers Government House in Port Harcourt.

The trucks were placed within and outside the Government House on the first night of the State of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu declared emergency rule amid the attacks on oil installations in Rivers State.

Some militants groups had threatened to blow up pipelines if the Rivers House of Assembly impeach Fubara.

However, hours after the lawmakers served the governor with notice of alleged misconduct, the militants carried out their threat.

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Breaking :President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency in Rivers state,Removes Democratic Structures

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The president made the announcement on Tuesday in a nationwide broadcast over the political crisis and instability in the state.

Tinubu said Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state; his deputy, Ngozi Odu; and all members of the Rivers assembly are “hereby suspended for an initial period of six months”.

“Having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State and the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State having failed to make a request to me as President to issue this proclamation as required by section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, 18th March, 2025 and I so do,” the president said.

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