The alleged cold war between Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State and George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, seems to have faded.

Ekwutosblog reports that the governor fell out with Akume, his political godfather, a few months after the 2023 elections.

The rift was reportedly connected to a battle for control of the state structure, which led to a split within the All Progressives Congress, APC.

However, the reconciliation process began when President Bola Tinubu visited the state recently following the deadly attacks in Yelwata, where over 200 unsuspecting residents were massacred.

The Nigerian senate on Wednesday, passed the 2025 budget of Rivers State, to the tune of N1.485 trillion.

The passage came after the third reading of the appropriation bill on the Senate floor.

This came after the upper chamber considered the report of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State during the Committee of Supply session.

Ekwutosblog reports that the bill seeks to authorize the issuance of N1,485,662,592,442 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025.

According to the approved budget breakdown, N120.8 billion is for debt servicing, N287.38 billion is for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, and N1.077 trillion is for capital expenditure.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central), while supporting the passage of the bill, however, raised a concern regarding the additional 50 billion naira earmarked for the payment of outstanding pensions and gratuities.

The lawmaker charged the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee to carry out more rigorous oversight to ensure that the funds reach the rightful pension beneficiaries without delay.

Ekwutosblog reports that with the passage, the Rivers State 2025 budget will now proceed for assent and implementation.

It will be recalled that President Bola Tinubu in May submitted the 2025 Appropriation Bill for Rivers State to the National Assembly for consideration, after the suspension of the state’s House of Assembly.

In a letter addressed to the Senate President, Goodwill Akpabio, the proposed budget totals N1.481 trillion, with major allocations aimed at revitalizing key sectors.

The president also wrote to the House of Representatives for the Rivers State budget approval, reminding the House that the Supreme Court had nullified the 2025 budget presented by suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday declared that the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Umar Damagum, can’t direct the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu to resume his duties at the party’s National Secretariat.

Wike said Anyanwu is not Damagum’s appointee, hence the acting PDP national chairman cannot direct him to resume his duties.

The minister spoke during the commissioning of the newly constructed interchange bridge of Arterial Road N20 (Wole Soyinka Way) over Outer Northern Expressway (Murtala Mohammed Expressway).

Wike said: “I watched on national television and heard when the Acting National Chairman of PDP was directing the National Secretary to resume.

“The National Secretary is not your appointee, he has been doing his work, so you can’t call him to resume because of the illegalities you perpetrate.

“You didn’t show leadership that is why you put yourself where you are. It’s nobody’s making because the National Secretary has been working and will continue to work, he doesn’t require anybody to direct him to resume his work.”

The minister also faulted the recent visit of PDP leaders including Damagum to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

He noted that Damagum’s ignorance and that of PDP leaders is not an excuse.

“If because of your ignorance of the law – too bad- the law does not recognize your ignorance. That you are ignorant of the law is not an excuse.

“I feel so bad when people can now move to INEC to direct them to obey Supreme Court judgment, it’s most unfortunate.

“A political party will now go and ask from INEC what should we do and INEC will direct them to obey Supreme Court judgment.

“You see, when you shoot yourself; you say it’s somebody that shot you. Continue to shoot yourself, I will not be a party to those that will shoot themselves.

“When you don’t know something, ask the right person – don’t because of ego, don’t because of monthly allocation, money does not solve all problems. If you want to learn come and meet us, we will teach you how to go about it.”