News
Tinubu’s trips gulped N3.4bn in six months – GovSpend
The figure is 36 per cent more than the N2.49bn earmarked for the President’s travel expenditure in the 2023 budget.
Though Tinubu inherited the budget halfway, he spent more than what was apportioned for the whole year between June and December 2023.
The President also approved the sum of N3bn for the purchase of three bulletproof Mercedes Benz S-class 580 and the supply of other vehicles to the State House.
Last year, Tinubu’s government attracted public opprobrium for sponsoring at least 1,114 delegates to the United Nation’s annual climate summit, COP28, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
Although the Presidency said it sponsored only 422 delegates, reports say it spent N2.78bn on airfares and estacodes.
However, last week, the Presidency announced Tinubu’s decision to slash by 60 per cent his entourage size for domestic and international travels.
“President Bola Tinubu has approved that anywhere he travels within this country he will no longer accept or allow huge security delegations to be following him from Abuja, which attracts massive bills with respect to estacode and duty allowances,” the Special Adviser to the President on Media, Ajuri Ngelale, told journalists in Abuja.
Meanwhile, checks by our correspondent using GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyses the Federal Government’s spending, showed that a total sum of N1.15bn was spent as provision for presidential trips and other related expenses in the last six months. The figure did not include estacodes of the President’s entourage.
A monthly breakdown of this amount revealed that the government spent N82.2m in June, N393.3m was paid for trips and related expenses in August 2023, and N287.9m was also spent for these expenses in September.
Though no amount was paid in October, President Tinubu spent N314.2m in November and N69.2m embarking on local and foreign trips in December.
Further analysis of the expenses showed that N732.8m was paid to two travel tour companies for the purchase of presidential international and local air tickets. This may suggest that the President has paused the usage of presidential air fleets for his trips. The two companies, Hinterland Travels and Travel Options, were paid N687.7m and N45.1m, respectively.
Also, the sum of N1.53bn was paid for the purchase of forex worth $5.1m, 300 euros during travels.
Specifically, on September 5, 2023, the President spent N791m to purchase forex worth $4m while the President’s wife, Oluremi Tinubu, paid N77.7m to buy foreign currencies worth $94.314.
In his first seven months in office, Tinubu has so far visited Paris, France (twice); London, the United Kingdom; Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (twice); Nairobi, Kenya; Porto Norvo, Benin Republic; New Delhi, India; Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates; New York, the United States of America; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Berlin, German, spending 55 days.
While the Presidency defended these trips as vital for attracting foreign direct investment into Nigeria, critics question the economic impact, particularly the size of the entourage.
Reacting, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Rafsanjani, said the Tinubu administration has not been truthful with its stance to reduce the cost of governance, stressing that if the President meant business, he would have reduced allocations in the recently passed 2024 budget.
The human rights activist in an exclusive interview on Sunday, said, “Everyone knows that the government is lying because first and foremost, you just submitted a budget and it was passed weeks back and no attempt was made to reduce the duplication and waste in the budget. The President should have shown right from the proposed budget that he is serious about reducing the cost of governance so that all the duplication, waste and money meant to be diverted and stolen will be blocked.
“All he said is politics. The Tinubu administration has no regard and respect in terms of public spending. Let nobody be deceived that they meant what they are talking about. It’s sad because everything shouldn’t be political or politicised. There should be sincerity and honesty in everything we do.
“What Tinubu has done is simply to stir up public sentiments and get the public to applaud him for doing nothing. In reality, the President created more ministries and ministers unnecessarily. These are part of what is eating up public funds and not just travel expenses. The President should show his readiness to reduce the cost of governance by reducing budgetary allocations and stop playing public sentiments.”
Meanwhile, at the instance of the President, the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, on Sunday departed Abuja to represent Nigeria at the 2024 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum scheduled to be held in Davos, Switzerland.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, disclosed this in a statement he signed on Sunday titled ‘VP Shettima off to Davos, to represent Nigeria at World Economic Forum.’
Switzerland has become Shettima’s seventh foreign destination since assuming office seven months ago.
He has represented Nigeria in Italy, Russia, South Africa, Cuba, China and the US, logging 36 days abroad so far.
Nkwocha said this time, the VP would join other political and business leaders across the world at the week-long annual Forum to discuss global socio-economic and development issues.
“Top on Vice President Shettima’s agenda, apart from the plenary session, is the launch of the Private Sector Action Plan for African Continental Free Trade Area at a special session to be co-chaired by him.
“He is also billed to hold high-level discussions with the Managing Director of IFC, Makhtar Diop and the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, among others,” the statement read.
Shettima will also chair a roundtable dialogue on Nigeria’s economic path on the sidelines of the annual meeting.
He will attend a special session dedicated to building trust in the global energy transition programme.
The Vice President is expected to return to Nigeria after participating in the week-long event.
By Chinedu Sabastine
ENUGU — Tension is mounting in Umuchigbo Iji Nike Autonomous Community in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State as hundreds of indigenes have rejected the alleged appointment of a traditional ruler, insisting that only a transparent election can produce their Igwe.
The residents, who gathered at the community square on weekend, declared that the autonomous community has no recognised traditional ruler and appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to direct the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs to conduct an election in line with the community’s constitution.
The protest followed reports that Jude Agu had been presented as the community’s traditional ruler, a move the indigenes described as unconstitutional and capable of causing unrest.
The protesters also cited a subsisting interlocutory injunction of the Enugu State High Court restraining Jude Agu from parading himself as Igwe or Igwe-elect of the community pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The order, delivered on July 25, 2025, by Justice A.A. Onovo in a suit No E/491/2023 filed by Chief Maurice Nonyelum Ekete against Jude Agu and Hon. Kenneth Mbah, directed all parties to maintain the status quo until the case is determined.
The indigenes argued that recognising any monarch without an election amounted to disregarding both the community’s constitution and a valid court order.
Addressing journalists, community elder Chief Gabriel Okoh accused former Town Union Chairman, Hon. Kenneth Mbah, of frustrating an earlier election process.
“Umuchigbo people are against imposition. All we want is election. If Jude Agu wants to be Igwe, he should come to the village square and contest like every other aspirant,” he said.
Youth leader Anthony Ikechukwu Anike warned that imposing a monarch without the consent of the people could trigger avoidable tension.
“The matter is still in court, yet we are hearing that someone has received a staff of office. We will pursue every legal means to protect our rights. The government should come and conduct a transparent election,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of other aspirants, retired Permanent Secretary Chief Maurice Nonyelum Ekete said the community’s constitution clearly prescribes election as the only legitimate process for selecting an Igwe.
“Our demand is simple. Let the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs conduct an election as it has done in other communities. Whoever wins should become the Igwe. We are not against anybody; we are against imposition. We are not against anybody becoming Igwe. We are only saying that whoever wants the throne should submit to a transparent election.” Chief Ekete said.
Other aspirants, Chief Joseph Iloka and Chief Josephat Ezeoha, also backed the call for a transparent election, insisting that the people should be allowed to freely choose their traditional ruler.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to obtain the reaction of the Enugu State Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs were unsuccessful.
Umuchigbo community rejects ‘appointed’ monarch, insists on election
By Chinedu Adonu
ENUGU — Tension is mounting in Umuchigbo Iji Nike Autonomous Community in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State as hundreds of indigenes have rejected the alleged appointment of a traditional ruler, insisting that only a transparent election can produce their Igwe.
The residents, who gathered at the community square on weekend, declared that the autonomous community has no recognised traditional ruler and appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to direct the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs to conduct an election in line with the community’s constitution.
The protest followed reports that Jude Agu had been presented as the community’s traditional ruler, a move the indigenes described as unconstitutional and capable of causing unrest.
The protesters also cited a subsisting interlocutory injunction of the Enugu State High Court restraining Jude Agu from parading himself as Igwe or Igwe-elect of the community pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The order, delivered on July 25, 2025, by Justice A.A. Onovo in a suit No E/491/2023 filed by Chief Maurice Nonyelum Ekete against Jude Agu and Hon. Kenneth Mbah, directed all parties to maintain the status quo until the case is determined.
The indigenes argued that recognising any monarch without an election amounted to disregarding both the community’s constitution and a valid court order.
Addressing journalists, community elder Chief Gabriel Okoh accused former Town Union Chairman, Hon. Kenneth Mbah, of frustrating an earlier election process.
“Umuchigbo people are against imposition. All we want is election. If Jude Agu wants to be Igwe, he should come to the village square and contest like every other aspirant,” he said.
Youth leader Anthony Ikechukwu Anike warned that imposing a monarch without the consent of the people could trigger avoidable tension.
“The matter is still in court, yet we are hearing that someone has received a staff of office. We will pursue every legal means to protect our rights. The government should come and conduct a transparent election,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of other aspirants, retired Permanent Secretary Chief Maurice Nonyelum Ekete said the community’s constitution clearly prescribes election as the only legitimate process for selecting an Igwe.
“Our demand is simple. Let the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs conduct an election as it has done in other communities. Whoever wins should become the Igwe. We are not against anybody; we are against imposition. We are not against anybody becoming Igwe. We are only saying that whoever wants the throne should submit to a transparent election.” Chief Ekete said.
Other aspirants, Chief Joseph Iloka and Chief Josephat Ezeoha, also backed the call for a transparent election, insisting that the people should be allowed to freely choose their traditional ruler.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to obtain the reaction of the Enugu State Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs were unsuccessful.
Umuchigbo community rejects ‘appointed’ monarch, insists on election
By Chinedu Adonu
ENUGU — Tension is mounting in Umuchigbo Iji Nike Autonomous Community in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State as hundreds of indigenes have rejected the alleged appointment of a traditional ruler, insisting that only a transparent election can produce their Igwe.
The residents, who gathered at the community square on weekend, declared that the autonomous community has no recognised traditional ruler and appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to direct the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs to conduct an election in line with the community’s constitution.
The protest followed reports that Jude Agu had been presented as the community’s traditional ruler, a move the indigenes described as unconstitutional and capable of causing unrest.
The protesters also cited a subsisting interlocutory injunction of the Enugu State High Court restraining Jude Agu from parading himself as Igwe or Igwe-elect of the community pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The order, delivered on July 25, 2025, by Justice A.A. Onovo in a suit No E/491/2023 filed by Chief Maurice Nonyelum Ekete against Jude Agu and Hon. Kenneth Mbah, directed all parties to maintain the status quo until the case is determined.
The indigenes argued that recognising any monarch without an election amounted to disregarding both the community’s constitution and a valid court order.
Addressing journalists, community elder Chief Gabriel Okoh accused former Town Union Chairman, Hon. Kenneth Mbah, of frustrating an earlier election process.
“Umuchigbo people are against imposition. All we want is election. If Jude Agu wants to be Igwe, he should come to the village square and contest like every other aspirant,” he said.
Youth leader Anthony Ikechukwu Anike warned that imposing a monarch without the consent of the people could trigger avoidable tension.
“The matter is still in court, yet we are hearing that someone has received a staff of office. We will pursue every legal means to protect our rights. The government should come and conduct a transparent election,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of other aspirants, retired Permanent Secretary Chief Maurice Nonyelum Ekete said the community’s constitution clearly prescribes election as the only legitimate process for selecting an Igwe.
“Our demand is simple. Let the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs conduct an election as it has done in other communities. Whoever wins should become the Igwe. We are not against anybody; we are against imposition. We are not against anybody becoming Igwe. We are only saying that whoever wants the throne should submit to a transparent election.” Chief Ekete said.
Other aspirants, Chief Joseph Iloka and Chief Josephat Ezeoha, also backed the call for a transparent election, insisting that the people should be allowed to freely choose their traditional ruler.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to obtain the reaction of the Enugu State Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs were unsuccessful.
News
The Great Recalibration: How President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Is Restructuring Nigeria for a Stronger Tomorrow
By RT HON
CHINEDUM ENYINNAYA ORJI
“You cannot build a house for tomorrow on the weak foundation of yesterday. We must lay new blocks, even when the rain is falling.”— Adapted from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Three years into his presidency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has embarked on what may be the most deliberate economic and governance recalibration Nigeria has seen in a generation.
He came into office on May 29, 2023 with a clear declaration: “Fuel subsidy is gone.” In that single sentence, he signaled that the era of deferring hard choices had ended.
Restructuring, at its core, is about rearranging the house so it can stand longer and serve more people. For Nigeria, that meant confronting distortions that had weakened public finances, scared investors, and made planning impossible.
The first pillar of this restructuring is fiscal discipline. By removing the costly petrol subsidy and cutting electricity subsidies, the administration stopped the bleeding of trillions of naira that once vanished into opaque payments.
The results are already visible in the numbers. The fiscal deficit narrowed from 5.4 percent of GDP in 2023 to approximately 3 percent in 2024, while federation revenue rose from ₦16.8 trillion to ₦31.9 trillion.
That new revenue is not sitting idle. It is being channeled into roads, rails, power, and social programs that touch ordinary citizens directly. More than 2,700 kilometers of roads are under construction or rehabilitation nationwide.
The second pillar is monetary credibility. The unification of exchange rates and clearing of a $4 billion FX backlog restored confidence in the naira and in Nigeria’s commitment to market-based policies.
That credibility has produced tangible dividends. The stock market surged nearly fivefold to a record 250,000 points, market capitalization grew, and international rating agency Fitch upgraded Nigeria from B- to B in April 2025.
Foreign investors, who had stayed on the sidelines, are returning. New oil and gas investments are being announced, domestic refining capacity is rising, and fuel imports are falling, easing pressure on our foreign exchange.
The third pillar is sectoral transformation. Recognizing that oil alone cannot carry Nigeria’s future, President Tinubu approved a Presidential Petroleum Reform and Value Optimisation Taskforce to design the next phase of structural reforms in that sector.
The Taskforce is not another talking shop. It is a time-bound technical body charged with delivering execution-ready blueprints to unlock capital, improve transparency, and position Nigeria as a leading global energy investment destination.
Beyond oil, the February 2026 launch of the Nigeria Industrial Policy marks a decisive shift toward manufacturing, value addition, and job creation. The goal is a $1 trillion economy in five years, driven by inclusive and decentralized growth.
This is restructuring with a human face. Through NELFUND, millions of Nigerian students now have access to loans to stay in school. The CNG program is reducing transport costs and easing the burden of subsidy removal on households.
Governance itself is being rewired. The Renewed Hope Ward Development Plan is mapping economic potential across all 8,809 wards, ensuring that planning starts from the grassroots and moves upward to the state and federal levels.
Such decentralization matters. When wards have data, they have a voice. When local governments have more resources, service delivery improves. That is how accountability becomes real, not theoretical.
On security, the administration has intensified operations against banditry, insurgency, and criminal gangs. The link is clear: no investor builds factories where there is no peace, and no farmer feeds the nation where there is no safety.
A good example is the renewed engagement with Ogoni communities. By addressing historical grievances, the government is creating the conditions to restart oil exploration in a way that benefits both the people and the treasury.
Critics are right to point out the hardship. The cost-of-living squeeze has been severe, and inflation remains a challenge. But restructuring is not magic. It is medicine, and medicine often tastes bitter before it heals.
What distinguishes this moment is political will. Previous administrations discussed these reforms for decades. President Tinubu chose to act in the first week, knowing the political cost, because the economic cost of delay was higher.
The international community has noticed. The World Bank’s April 2026 Nigeria Development Update and the IMF’s 2025 Article IV Consultation both acknowledge significant progress in restoring macroeconomic stability.
More importantly, Nigerians are beginning to see the logic. A stable currency means businesses can plan. More revenue to states means more projects in communities. More transparency means fewer excuses.
The central test ahead is jobs. With 3.5 million Nigerians entering the labor force each year, the restructuring must now translate into employment-intensive growth. The industrial policy and infrastructure push are designed for exactly that.
This is not about one man or one party. It is about laying a foundation that no future government can afford to ignore. Institutions, rules, and incentives are being reset.
History will judge this period not by the pain of the transition, but by whether we used the pain to build something durable. The early signs suggest we are.
President Tinubu’s restructuring is far from complete, but it has already changed the trajectory. Nigeria is no longer drifting. It is recalibrating, with purpose, toward a future where our resources work for our people, and where governance finally matches our potential.
RT HON
Chinedum Enyinnaya orji
APC House of Representatives Candidate for Ikwuano Umuahia Fed. Constituency writes from Amaokwe Ugba Ibeku, Abia State.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has announced the demise of its Enugu State Sector Commander, Corps Commander Franklin O Agbakoba.
This is contained in a statement issued by FRSC Deputy Corps Commander in-charge of Enugu State Operations, DCC Kyrian C Okolo, on Friday in Enugu.
“FRSC Enugu State Sector Command received the sad news of the demise of CC Franklin Agbakoba on Thursday, July 30,2026.
“The late Sector Commander died at Niger Foundation Hospital, Enugu where he was receiving treatment.
“His corpse have been deposited at the Eastern Medical Center, Enugu,” he said.
Until his death,CC Franklin Agbakoba made inter-agency collaboration and partnership his legacy and promoted safer roads within Enugu State.
The family’s head, Imo Aguiyi-Ironsi, made the demand during an interview with Arise News on Thursday.
“I think the family needs apology. The family needs to be compensated. We need sincere apology. We need sincere reconciliation,” he said.
He described his uncle as a visionary leader who was wrongly punished for a coup he had no role in.
“He was a man of vision. He was a detribalized Nigerian. He was a good leader,” he said.
Imo Aguiyi-Ironsi noted that his uncle’s tenure as Head of State was brief and ended violently.
“He occupied the seat of head of state for only six months, and he was taken away from us.
“Not because of a sin he committed, because he wasn’t part of the January 1966 coup.”
According to him, Aguiyi-Ironsi’s death resulted from his position rather than any wrongdoing on his part.
“Only because of his position as the most senior military officer, he was told to take charge. And then that cost him his life,” he said.
He expressed hope that his appeal would reach those with the power to act on it.
“Well, I hope there are people who are in positions to make this happen that are listening to you tonight,” he said.
Aguiyi-Ironsi served as Nigeria’s Head of State from January 16 to July 29, 1966, taking charge in the aftermath of the January 15, 1966 coup that had claimed the lives of the country’s political leadership.
He survived that coup and helped crush the mutiny, but his later decision to centralise power under Decree 34, along with his failure to prosecute the plotters, fuelled resentment among northern officers.
He was killed on July 29, 1966, alongside his host, Lieutenant Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, in a mutiny by northern soldiers that became known as the July counter-coup
The directive was contained in a memorandum dated July 13, 2026, and signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Kabir Akanbi.
Addressed to litigation staff, legal practitioners, court registrars and lawyers, the circular said the order took immediate effect and formed part of efforts to uphold professional standards within the apex court.
The memorandum read, “I am directed by the Honourable the Chief Justice of Nigeria to notify all Litigation Staff, Legal Practitioners, Court Registrars, and Lawyers that the use of the title ‘Barrister’ as a prefix to names is inappropriate and inconsistent with the standards of professionalism expected within the Supreme Court of Nigeria.”
It further directed all affected officers to immediately stop using the title in official correspondence and other official materials.
The memo stated, “Consequently, all officers concerned are hereby directed to discontinue the use of the title ‘Barrister’ before their names in all official correspondence, records, documents, identity materials, and any other official engagements with immediate effect.”
The memorandum added, “Heads of Departments and Unit Heads are requested to ensure strict compliance with this directive by all officers under their supervision. Please be guided accordingly.”
The directive comes weeks after the Council of Legal Education cautioned prospective lawyers against wearing wigs and gowns or presenting themselves as qualified legal practitioners before they are formally called to the Nigerian Bar.
The council said such conduct undermined the dignity of the legal profession and warned that violators could face disciplinary measures.
It also reminded candidates that the use of legal regalia is governed by the Rules of Professional Conduct and is reserved for duly qualified legal practitioners
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