Category Nigeria News

A bill that seeks to authorize the issuance of 1.48 trillion naira from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for Rivers State’s 2025 fiscal year was passed by the Senate in second reading.

Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, the leader of the Senate, read the bill titled “Bill for an Act to Authorize the Issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State” during plenary.

According to the proposed spending plan’s breakdown:

Debt servicing is a portion of the 122. 8 billion budget.

For recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, 280. 3 billion is designated.

Capital expenditures totaling $1.07 trillion are anticipated.

According to Bamidele, the budget is intended to enable state-wide smooth government operations under an emergency management system.

He added that the proposal places a premium on enhancing residents’ quality of life by promoting inclusive growth and development.

In two weeks, the bill has been moved to the ad-hoc committee on rivers emergency rule to supervise and reverse.

In response to the oil-rich state’s ongoing state of emergency established in the oil-rich state since March 2025, President Bola Tinubu wrote to the Senate and the House of Representatives last week asking for the consideration and approval of the $1. 1.4 trillion Appropriation bill.

Rivers Crisis: Not Beyond Resolution, by Ibas, READ ALSO.

Senator Godswill Akpabio, the president of the Senate, stated in his letter that when the money is approved, the Rivers State Emergency Rule Government will use it to fund education, agriculture, free drug access, and other needs.

The request, in Tinubu’s opinion, is in line with the constitution’s requirement that the state assembly assume legislative responsibilities for any state in a state house of assembly that is suspended or unresponsive.

In a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspended governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, as well as the House of Assembly members of the state, for six months.

According to Tinubu, who relyed on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution to support his position, he can’t continue to observe the political deterioration in Rivers.

Ibas was immediately sworn in as the oil-rich Niger Delta state and given the president’s sole administrator. In order to provide oversight over the state, Akpabio established an 18-member committee under Bamidele’s leadership.

For the upcoming National Industrial Manpower Summit, the federal government has established seven planning committees.

Senator John Enoh, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade, and Investment, addressed the committees in Abuja, stating that the move became necessary to ensure that Nigeria’s industrial growth was supported by both people, skilled, equipped, and globally competitive.

Through one of its most crucial levers: human capital development, this summit is not just an event; it is a declaration of intent,” reads the initiative. The Minister stated that it demonstrates our collective resolve to ensure that people, who are skilled, well-equipped, and globally competitive, are at the center of Nigeria’s industrial growth.

According to him, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment (FMI) is still steadfast in its commitment to making Nigeria the world’s center for industrial excellence, and our reform efforts are aimed at reducing structural bottlenecks, attracting investment, and expanding value-added production.

However, the government acknowledged that having a workforce that is capable of sustaining innovation, manufacturing, and enterprise is insufficient.

READ MORE: NFIU Investigates 48 billion suspicious transfers to Dubai and Hong Kong.

According to him, the summit we are convening will serve as a strategic convergence point where international partners, academia, government, and industry will all work together to reimagine Nigeria’s industrial skills architecture. The Fourth Industrial Revolution’s demands have to be addressed in our human capital pipeline, starting with curriculum alignment and technical certification, digital literacy, and green economy competencies.

The Renewed Hope Agenda has put industrial development at the center of economic policy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visionary leadership. Despite efforts to promote a bold economic trajectory, the National Industrial Policy, the revitalization of industrial clusters, and the creation of the Industrial Revolution Work Group (IRWG), the president is clear-eyed in his conviction that people are the most priceless asset of any nation. “Senator Enoh explained that significant public investments are being made in skill acquisition, vocational training, and workforce modernization across every geo-economic zone of the country,” he said.

He explained that the National Industrial Manpower Summit is more than just a government agenda; it is a national imperative, urging industry leaders, policy makers, labor unions, educational institutions, and international partners to co-create a skills revolution that ensures our industries are supported by competent, competitive, and future-ready Nigerians.

Let us be guided by a singular vision as we introduce this Planning Committee, a Nigeria where all citizens have the opportunity to contribute to the country’s prosperity, and where each of you must challenge traditional beliefs and commit to actions that will outlive us.

The Minister emphasized that “you have the ability to contribute to this summit’s success, along with your expertise, passion, and collaboration, to create a resilient industrial future that secures Nigeria’s position as a participant and as a leader in Africa’s upcoming industrial era.”

Hon. Senior Special Assistant to the President for Industrial Training and Development delivered a warm welcome address. Capacity building is essential to the country’s industrialization and economic growth, according to Adamson Oluwatosin Ayinde.

“Today marks a significant milestone in our collective effort to reposition Nigeria’s industrial sector through the Imperative for Industrial Manpower Development and Strategic Human Capital Development.
“Nigeria is at a turning point in its economic trajectory,” he said.

The industrial sector emerges as a crucial pillar of sustainable growth, he said, “As we strive to diversify our economy and reduce our dependence on oil revenues. However, a skilled, adaptable, and innovative workforce is a key factor in the success of this industry.

Hon. The fourth Industrial Revolution, according to Adamson Oluwatosin Ayinde, has set a new standard for the industry. Our workforce must not only possess technical skills, but also have the ability to think critically, solve problems, and make a commitment to continuous improvement.

The Joint National Assembly Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee Emergency Rule in Rivers State will hear testimony from the governor of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retired), and other important officials.

Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central, the leader of the Senate/Chairman of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee Emergency Rule in Rivers State, made this known at the committee’s inaugural meeting in Abuja’s New Senate Wing.

The upper chamber in Abuja made this claim in a statement released on Tuesday.

The Senate reportedly assured Nigerians that it would do everything to ensure that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “proclamation of emergency rule on March 18” was kept to himself.

In response to the oil-rich state’s ongoing state of emergency established in the oil-rich state since March 2025, President Bola Tinubu wrote to the Senate and the House of Representatives last week asking for the consideration and approval of the $1. 1.4 trillion Appropriation bill.

Rivers Crisis: Not Beyond Resolution, by Ibas, READ ALSO.

President Tinubu stated in the letter read by Senator Godswill Akpabio, the president of the Senate, that the money would be used by the Rivers State’s Emergency Rule Government to fund education, agriculture, free drug access, and other needs when it was approved.

The request, according to President Tinubu, is in line with the constitution’s requirement that any state under the state house of assembly be suspended or unresponsive.

The Senate President, President Godswill Akpabio, appoints an 18-member Committee on Emergency Rule, led by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, after President Tinubu declared an emergency in Rivers State.

A suspected bandit was killed in a military operation aimed at restoring peace to the Taraba State area of Operation Lafiyan Jamaa and the Nigerian Army Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS).

Following the recent killing of 57 villagers in Karim-Lamido’s Munga Community, the operation took place.

On May 26, 2025, the troops neutralized the bandit and recovered their weapons and motorcycles.

Captain Olubodunde Oni, the Army’s Assistant Director of Public Relations, made the disclosure in a statement on Tuesday, claiming troops made contact with armed bandits while conducting a fighting patrol and immediately pursued them in a hot pursuit.

READ ALSO: Police Demand Officers Stop Viral Video From Trying to Extort a Car?

One of the troops’ motorcycles developed a fault while they were pursuing this, and it was temporarily secured in the village to allow the operation to continue. When the motorcycle was returned, it was discovered that it was missing. The troops went immediately to the store to retrieve the item as a result of this.

“During the search, soldiers came across three policemen and a civilian named Alhaji Munga who was being interrogated at the scene. According to the statement, another interaction resulted in the placement of a call to Alhaji Lamido, who is alleged to be in possession of the missing motorcycle.

It claimed that Alhaji Lamido claimed to be in Mutum Biyu while the motorcycle had been transported to Kudeh Village, a riverbank, during questioning.

“Troops arrived in the area right away. As the armed bandits rushed to the location, they suddenly opened fire. The soldiers engaged the criminals in a fierce encounter and immediately opened fire on them. The bandits abandoned their positions as they fled in disarray.

Some police officers have been detained by the Edo State Police Command for allegedly smashing into vehicles in the state.

On May 20, 2025, the officers were attacked by a mob at the Okhuimwun Community in the Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.

The policemen reportedly encountered a mob close to the University of Benin (UNIBEN) axis when they were passing through Edo from Lagos.

The mob reportedly assaulted the officers with stones, sticks, and other dangerous objects while blocking a road close to the UNIBEN axis.

READ ALSO: Police Demand Officers Stop Viral Video From Trying to Extort a Car?

The Command’s spokesman, Moses Yamu, claimed the officers had been apprehended for “unprofessional conduct” and were facing disciplinary actions in a statement on Tuesday.

You may recall that some protesting youth attacked IRT personnel on May 20, 2025 while they were traveling from Lagos to Edo State, injuring at various levels and wrecking their car.

A reinforcement team that was dispatched to the scene successfully rescued these officers and made some of the attackers’ miscreants arrested. However, some officers were videoed smashing a car parked nearby with their own unprofessional behavior, the statement read.

The command condemns the IRT personnel’s actions, but it also sees the police’s actions during the rescue as highly unprofessional. These individuals have been detained and are currently going through disciplinary procedures as required by the Police regulations and have been identified as members of the Command’s Quick Response Team.

According to the statement, “CP Monday Agbonika, fdc called for mutual accountability from the general public to demonstrate the Command’s commitment to providing policing services in accordance with best practices.”

See the following statement in its entirety:

OFFICERS VANDALISING A CAR IN BENIN ARE THE FIRST TOLERANCE FOR UNPROFESSIONALISM.

You may recall the unfortunate attack on IRT personnel by some young protesters traveling from Lagos to Edo State on May 20, 2025, which left them with a variety of life-threatening injuries and their car vandalized.

These officers were successfully rescued by a reinforcement team that was on the scene, and some of the attackers’ miscreants were arrested.

However, some police officers were videoed smashing a car that was parked nearby and acting improperly.

The command condemns the IRT personnel’s actions, but it also sees the police’s actions as being highly unprofessional during the rescue. These individuals have been detained and are currently going through disciplinary procedures as required by the Police regulations and have been identified as members of the Command’s Quick Response Team.

As he assures the good people of Edo State of the Command’s commitment to providing policing services in accordance with best practices, CP Monday Agbonika, fdc called for mutual accountability from the general public.