Media
Out-of-school children in Nigeria now 18m from 10.5m in 1999, despite N100tr budget- MacArthur Foundation
***N100b yearly budget for constituency projects
The Deputy Director MacArthur Foundation, Mr. Dayo Olaide has indicated that there is an astronomical increase in the number of out-of-school children from 10.5 million in 1999 to 18 million in 2022 despite N100 trillion budget by the Federal Government within the same period.
Olaide spoke on Thursday in Abuja at a policy dialogue on situating Constituency Projects in the 2023 Electioneering Campaigns organised by OrderPaper in partnership with Budgit and MacArthur Foundation.
He expressed disappointment that lawmakers are rather concerned about commendations that they passed the budget without monitoring its implementation and realtime impact on the citizenry
“So my first observation is to say that when we score ourselves as lawmakers, we should go beyond legislative activities that we are able to engage in – the laws that we are able to give to Nigerians.
“When the National Assembly passes the Appropriation, it is a law but the effect and impact of that appropriation will never be felt by the ordinary Nigerians unless it is implemented and there are clear indicators that are human-centred to show the extent at which they are actually impacting us.
“Between 1999 and as we speak, the Nigeria’s Federal Government has budgeted over N100trillion. This year 2022 is N17trillion, last year N13trillion, 2020 – N11trillion, 2019 – N8trillion, that is already over N40trillion.
“And between 1999 and 2018, it budgeted over N63trillion – that is the federal government.
“But within that same period, out of school children rose from 10.5million to 18million. So ask the question, where are those over N100 trillion gone to.”
He said the tendency is for lawmakers be commending themselves when in real terms the implementation is nothing to write home about
“Otherwise, we will be patting ourselves on the back and say two years ago, the budget was passed March the following year, but this year budget even in December before the end of the current year.
“It is success and progress, yes, we should commend the National Assembly for doing that but Nigerians are not concerned about those passages.
“Nigerians when they wake up every morning, they are asking themselves, what does this budget mean for me as a person.”
“The member of the House of Representatives that spoke before me indicated that in the last couple of years there has been improvement and progress in legislative activities.
“In fact, for many of us, we applauded the National Assembly when the House of Representatives and the Senate commenced the process of developing for themselves a legislative agenda because we all felt this was a turning point and provided an opportunity for us to engage them and to hold them to account.
“I think in terms of making laws, many of us will say, yes indeed, which ever sector or part of the economy you look at there is progress.
“For example the sector that I am very much interested in which is governance, there is progress. You can talk about the Public Procurement Law which was never there. You can talk about the anti-corruption Act and the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the Nigerian Extractive Transparency Initiative Act and several important legislations that are in place.
“But the significance of any law is not in the paper that has been signed. It is in the impact that it is able to make in the lives of the ordinary Nigerians and I think that is why the biggest deficit is.
He said looking at the education or health sectors, it is difficult to argue that there has been progress even though there is progress in the number of laws, whether at federal or state in all the areas
Representative of Budgit Adewale Adejola, who stood in for the Country Director Mr. Gabriel Okiewu in his remarks said despite 469 federal lawmakers, 36 Governors, House of Assembly members and local government Chairmen and Councillors, it is so disheartening that people’s needs are not being captured in the communities. “Sometimes the legislators don’t even know the situation of the people they are representing.That is why needs assessment is important.
“With our Tracker department we monitor constituency projects in 32 states and the FCT. So we have the understanding of what is actually happening across the country.
“We also see that empowerment projects take more than 60 per cent of the N100billion allocation for constituency projects every year.
“Of the amount, the Principal Officers like the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senate Leader and his counterpart in the House etc, take the largest share.
“Like the Speaker, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila his share of projects is more that that of lawmakers from two states combined. I stay in Lagos and if I measure the developments in Federal constituency 1 that he represents, the funds being allocated to the zonal intervention project cannot be compared to the projects on ground. So people don’t know.”
“The biggest challenge we have today is not corruption even though I do say sometimes, is corruption, it is the fast disappearing confidence and trust of citizens in anything that represent Government and democracy now.”
“I think Constituency projects present the unique opportunity for the National Assembly to build and restore that confidence so that when we say we speak on behalf and we appropriate funds on your behalf, we are actually doing that.
“We are ensuring that allocations actually gets to the people and we can tract them. We need to restore citizen’s confidence in Government and democracy and in everything and anyone that represents Government because ultimately citizens will protect democracy and protect those who are driving it.”
“The national Assembly have an immediate responsibility to stop that descent and begin to restore confidence. The easiest way is to begin to respond to the people by doing projects that matters to them, appropriating resources to areas that will touch them.”
Executive Director, OrderPaper Advocacy Initiative, Oke Epia, said, as lawmakers have come to the season they need Nigerians to remain in the chambers, there was need to evaluate almost four years they have done.
“That is the mandate we have brought upon ourselves at OrderPaper in the last couple of months to do some form of appraisal, it may not be very exhaustive, around the core functions of the legislature – Law making, performance of oversight and representation.
Kaftan TV has engaged the professional services of a veteran broadcaster, Reuben Okala, to lead the Abuja office as head of station.
The move by the station is to reposition the quality of news reportage, current affairs and other interesting programs for satisfaction of it’s viewers
Reuben Okala, who is expected to resume with emmidiate effect, is bringing on board his wealth of experience that spans close to thirty years, as a multitasking professional in journalism trenches at Nigeria’s premier television station, the Nigeria Television Authority-NTA.
Chief Executive Officer of Kaftan tv, Waheed Odusule, unveiled the new station helmsman, on Tuesday, at a general meeting with staff of the fast rising television station.
He admonished them to continue to work hard, while promising to look into their welfare and other emoluments. Odusule who said that their is no room for laziness at Kaftan tv, as hard work will be rewarded just as any staff that engages in professional misconduct will be shown the way out.
In his brief remark, representative of the founder of Kaftan tv, who also doubles as it’s consultant, noted that the founder, Prince Adewale Adebayo, places greater premium on professionalism for the overall success of the station, and that was why the decision to bring Reuben Okala becomes more than imperative.
In his bief remark, the new head of Abuja station, Reuben Okala, expressed satisfaction with the facilities he’s seen at the station when he was conducted round on a facility tour.
He urged them to be creative by carving a nitch for themselves, noting that collectively Kaftan tv can be taken to greater hieghts.
The new head of station admonished them to believe in themselves and their creator if they must achieve individual success, promoting that hard work will be rewarded under his watch as head of station in Anuja.
The Senate has officially unveilled its in-house publication, “10th Senate,” to the public as it expressed the believe that its story can’t be better told by the third party
Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu who unveiled the magazine on the floor of the upper Chamber said the new publication”is an embodiment of the Senate’s commitment to open dialogue and effective communication with Nigerian people within and outside. “Within its pages, you will find a tapestry of stories, insights, and ideas that reflect the rich chronicle of our nation. It will serve as a platform for the Senate to share its legislative achievements, initiatives, and aspirations, while also providing a voice to the diverse voices of our citizenry. ”
“As we embark on this journey together, let us embrace the power of knowledge and dialogue. Let us seize this opportunity to strengthen the bond between the Senate and the people, as we work hand in hand towards a brighter future for our beloved nation. ”
Addressing newsmen shortly after plenary, Senator Adaramodu, who incidentally is the Editor-in-Chief of the magazine said the lawmakers are anxious to drive their own narrative in the public, conscious of the space constraints in the traditional media.
He said:” It will be a quarterly magazine to chronicle activities of the Senate which the traditional media may not give attention.
“Today, at the chamber, the Media Committee birthed a magazine to show the other areas that you our partners haven’t been able to showcase.
“We know that in the newsrooms there are deluge of news items fighting for space. You pick the ones that are immediate. That’s why we come up with this quarterly magazine , Tenth Senate.
Our story can’t be better told by the third party, we want to tell it ourselves
“We want the people of Nigeria to know that we are representing them adequately. We don’t want to restrict ourselves to just the hallowed chamber.”
Asked by journalists, if fund for publication of the magazine would be from public fund appropriated for the National Assembly, Adaramodu clarified that individual lawmakers would finance the publication.
“It is to be financed by Senators, we are contributing to run it to shore up our image, we aren’t going to take money either through Appropriation or other sources.”.
The Special Adviser on Media to Kogi State Governor, Ismaila Isah has expressed sympathy with the Chief Executive Officer of an online television channel in the state, Akoni TV, Deborah Agbonika, over the robbery attack and vandalisation of the Online Television Studio in Lokoja.
Some yet to be identified hoodlums were reported to have gained access to the property of Akoni TV by 200 unit housing estate junction in Lokoja on Sunday night, vandalized the studio and carted away equipments worth millions of Naira.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Lokoja, the Special Adviser to Governor Usman Ododo condemned the act describing it as an affront on journalism in the state.
He urged the management of the online TV channel not to be deterred by the incident as it is only a set back which is incapable of retarding its effort to disseminate factual and timely information to its audience and teeming followers within and outside the state
While calling on security agencies to investigate the attack and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice, the Media adviser restated that the administration of Governor Ododo would not condone criminal elements and their nefarious activities especially where it tramples on the symbol of freedom of expression any where in the state.
Ismaila assured that the organization would be given needed support to ameliorate immediate challenges faced as a result of the robbery and damage to its facilities.
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