Issa Aremu say ‘Budget Insufficiency’ Is Affecting Nigeria’s Economy - really making point?

Issa Aremu, former Vice President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has linked the Nigeria’s plunging economy to the ‘insufficiency of the budget’ speaking on a shown sunrise in Channel Television.

He decried the plans of the Federal Government to have a budget of eight trillion Naira and later came to the floor of the House to announce a budget of 6.3 trillion Naira.

“I think there were lots of excitements that the country would have an expanded budget – a budget that would be big enough to drive recovery.

“The Vice President (Yemi Osinbajo) also said that the budget would be between the range of eight trillion Naira, but when it was formerly announced by the President (Muhammadu Buhari) to the National Assembly, it was about 6.3 trillion Naira which is an improvement from where we are coming from.

“But honestly speaking, I would commend the National Assembly for the excitement to debate the budget”, Mr Issa Aremu said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday.

The former Vice President of the NLC said: “If you ask me what they are debating – 6.3 trillion Naira is extremely very token for the recovery of 197 million people”.

Giving suggestions on how the government could  make the budget bigger, Mr Aremu was of the opinion that the debate should be taken outside the box of sharing something which was far from being enough and thinking of how to grow the base.

“I find the budget is quite exciting, the President spoke of job creation, growing the economy among others, but honestly, I haven’t seen practical policies that will drive this.

“I think President Buahri should call a stakeholders’ meeting for the manufacturers,” he said.

He strassed that the government could help key sectors that would drive the recovery of the economy and support the budget with a practical force.

“I look forward to seeing the practical effects to be reflected in the budget.

“The government needs to focus on key ministries that must drive recovery – Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, and Ministry of Labour,” he stressed.

Saraki warns senators against financial inducement

The Nigerian Senate has threatened to sanction any Senator who received financial inducement from government agencies during the budget defence.

This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, at the upper House of the National Assembly in Abuja.

This caution also came at the end of the 2016 Budget debate, as the Senate passed the budget through its second reading.

Senator Saraki asked the Committees on Budget and Appropriation to reflect the concerns which lawmakers raised during the budget debate, as the committees worked on the budget.

He told the lawmakers at the upper House that they would be under heavy scrutiny in order to bring forth, a budget that the Senate would be proud of.

The Senate had said that it would conclude work on the budget before the end of February.

With Channel Television

Boko Haram: At Least 14 killed In Chibok Suicide Attack

At least 14 people were killed on Wednesday when two male and three female suicide bombers blew themselves up in a market in Chibok, Borno State. according to Channel Television.

The attack occurred nearly two years after 200 girls were abducted by Boko Haram militants in the town.

About 60 people, including two soldiers injured in the attack are receiving treatments in various hospitals in the state.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the attack bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram, which has been using suicide bombers since the Army expelled the group from much of the northern territory it had captured previously.

Boko Haram has been waging a six-year armed campaign in the north eastern part of Nigeria to build an Islamic state and also end Western education in the region.

Thousands have been killed and more than two million people displaced by the campaign.

Reports say the suicide bombers stormed the sub market in Chibok on motorcycles at about 12.54PM local time, after which explosions were heard.

In April 2014, Boko Haram militants raided a government secondary school in Chibok taking away girls that were taking their examinations at that time.

They loaded 270 of them into trucks and disappeared, though about 50 escaped soon afterwards.

The others have not been seen, but the government has continued to promise that the girls would be rescued.

Kanye West blasts Wiz Khalifa in epic Twitter rant after renaming his upcoming album ‘Waves’

The always-outspoken Yeezy, who had just changed the title of his new album from “Swish” to “Waves” at the eleventh hour, blasted fellow rapper Wiz Khalifa on Twitter Wednesday afternoon for suggesting West had no claim to the concept of “waves.”

“Bro first of all you stole your whole s--- from (Kid) Cudi,” West began his 27-tweet tirade.

“Second, your first single was corny as f--- and most there after.”

“3rd no one I know has ever listened to one of your albums all the way through.”

“4th you let a stripper trap you,” West wrote, presumably referring to the Pittsburgh rapper’s relationship with stripper-turned-model Amber Rose, whom West also dated from 2008 to 2010.

He even went so far as to claim that he "owned" Khalifa's 2-year-old son with Rose.

"You wouldn't have a child if it wasn't for me," he wrote. "You own waves???? I own your child!!!!"


Khalifa had griped Tuesday night after West announced his album’s name change, throwing credit to imprisoned Harlem rapper Max B for pioneering the laid-back, melodic Wave style.

“Please don't take the wave,” Khalifa tweeted. “Max B is the wavy one. He created the wave. There is no wave without him.”

He also tweeted “Hit this kk and become yourself,” apparently a reference to his own strain of “Khalifa Kush” marijuana — but West assumed it referred to his wife, Kim Kardashian.

“Like, oh that’s Ye and I can put his wife’s initials on my twitter,” West fumed.

The 38-year-old seemed to cool down half an hour later, returning to Twitter to wax positive about "good energy."

"What’s sad is I love Wiz and I love all all my brothers and all people," he wrote."I love the world bottom line and all I want is peace and positive energy."

West is set to debut the highly anticipated “Waves” with a live Feb. 11 performance at Madison Square Garden.

Chelsea's Ramires joins Jiangsu Suning in £25m move

The 28-year-old Brazil midfielder agreed a new four-year deal in October but has only started seven Premier League games this season.

Jiangsu finished ninth in China's top tier in 2015 and are managed by former Blues defender Dan Petrescu.

Ramires has helped the Blues win the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League and Europa League.

In total he made 251 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 34 goals, after joining from Benfica for about £17m in 2010.


With BBC Sports