Author: user user

Tinubu Asks Senate To Approve $20.5bn, pound 1.04bn Foreign Loans

President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve $20.51bn and pound 1.45bn in external borrowing to address funding gaps in the Federal Government’s 2026-2027 supplementary borrowing plan.

The President’s request was conveyed in a letter which Senate President Godswill Akpabio read during plenary on Tuesday.

According to the letter, the requested funds-specifically $20,517,755,901 and pound 1,045,083,643-are earmarked to address Nigeria’s persistent infrastructure deficit and bridge critical funding gaps across vital socio-economic sectors.

The primary targets for investment include power, transportation, healthcare, education, agriculture, water supply, security, job creation, and financial management reforms.

‘I submit the attached Federal Government 2026-2027 Supplementary External Borrowing Plan for consideration and early approval of the National Assembly to ensure prompt implementation of our projects,’ President Tinubu wrote.

He emphasized that the projects selected underwent technical and economic evaluations to maximize their impact on poverty reduction, skill acquisition, entrepreneurship, and national food security.

‘In light of the need for significant infrastructure investment in the country and the vast financial resources needed to address this gap, it has become essential to pursue prudent external borrowings to close the financing shortfall,’ the President added.

Following the reading of the letter during plenary, Akpabio noted that elements of the borrowing framework had previously appeared in broader government borrowing blueprints.

Akpabio formally referred the request to the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts-led by Senator Haruna Manu-for detailed legislative review, with expected collaboration from the Committees on Appropriations and Finance.

‘The borrowing plan is attached, but of course, this was even earlier approved in our budget, and also the external borrowing plan was approved as far back as 2025 to 2027,’ Akpabio stated.

‘However, this request will be looked at by the Committee on Local and Foreign Debts… to clarify the scope before further action.’

The Senate committee’s upcoming review is expected to determine the exact timeline for disbursements and evaluate how the supplementary request aligns with Nigeria’s existing debt management framework.

Wiretapping: Court fixes Nov 25 for El-Rufai’s trial

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 25 for former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to open his defence in the ongoing trial over alleged unlawful interception of telephone conversations.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik fixed the date on Monday after dismissing a no-case submission filed by El-Rufai, ruling that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to require him to defend himself against the charges.

The court’s decision followed arguments by the defence and prosecution over whether the evidence presented by the Federal Government established a prima facie case against the former governor.

El-Rufai is facing a five-count amended charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations that he unlawfully intercepted telephone conversations linked to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The case arose from comments El-Rufai made during an interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme in February 2026, when he said ‘someone wiretapped’ Ribadu’s phone, enabling him to listen to the NSA instructing security operatives to arrest him.

The Federal Government had called two witnesses before closing its case, prompting El-Rufai to file a no-case submission, asking the court to discharge and acquit him without requiring him to enter his defence.

Moving the application on Monday, his counsel, Paul Erokoro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), argued that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against his client.

He urged the court to uphold the application and discharge and acquit the former governor of the five-count amended charge.

However, prosecution counsel Oluwole Aladedoye urged the court to dismiss the application, arguing that the oral and documentary evidence presented was sufficient to require El-Rufai to defend himself.

In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik upheld the prosecution’s position and ordered the former governor to open his defence.

The court subsequently adjourned the case until November 25 for him to do so.

Kane Wins Ballon D’Or, First Englishman In 25 Years

Harry Kane has won his first ever Ballon d’Or award at the ceremony held in London on Monday night.

The Bayern Munich and England international beat a host of players including Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to the award.

He is the first Englishman to win the award in 25 years, since Michael Owen in 2001. Kane takes over from last year’s winner Ousmane Dembele, and is the first player from Bayern Munich to win the gold trophy in 45 years since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.

Kane wins the award on the back of a free-scoring season that ended with the Bundesliga title, DFB Cup, and a third place finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with England. He scored a record 71 goals in the season to also win the golden shoe award.

Kane, who won the Bundesliga highest goalscorer last season, was also named the best men’s striker of the year at the ceremony.

Other awards of the night included Yamal as the men’s best young talent of the year, while Spain dominated with seven awards.

The men and women World Cup champions won the best coach and goalkeeper awards in both male and female categories, among others.

NFF Charges Flamingos To Maintain Momentum Against Mexico

The Acting General Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, has commended Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos for their impressive 3-1 victory over two-time winners Korea DPR on Friday, which secured their place in the Round of 16 at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

During a visit to the team’s training session on Monday morning, Ikpeme urged the players to carry the same determination into their knockout match against Mexico on Thursday, October 29. He encouraged the team to take each game as it comes and remain focused on reaching the quarter-finals.

The NFF scribe also promised to be present at the Round of 16 match to support the Flamingos as they continue their World Cup campaign.

Nigeria have scored a total of six goals in their three matches so far at the tournament, with Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Oluebube Umejiaku accounting for two each. Precious Oscar scored the second goal against Puerto Rico while Rodiat Kanyinsola Yusuf netted from a free-kick against Korea DPR.

Thursday’s encounter is a clash of former FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup bronze medallists. Nigeria picked up the bronze medals after a dramatic penalty-shootout win over Germany in the third-place match in India four years ago, while Mexico defeated Brazil 3-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to win bronze medals at last year’s tournament also staged by Morocco.

Zamboanga braces for arrival of 10,000 deportees from Malaysia

The city government is mobilizing an inter-agency unit to assist 10,000 arriving Filipino deportees, as Malaysia began their repatriation on Friday.

City administrator Percival Ramos said the help was based on the request of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for assistance in transporting all the deportees.

Mayor Khymer Olaso has committed to assist the DSWD and ensure the welfare of the deportees, who will use the city as a drop-off point.

Reports from the Bureau of Quarantine here indicated that the repatriation from Malaysia would be done in batches of 800, beginning last Friday and with an interval of seven days.

Data from the DSWD-Protective Service Division showed that up to 50 percent of the repatriates are from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

EDITORIAL – Budget accountability

As the Senate continued deliberations on the proposed national budget for 2027, watchdogs upped their tally of insertions and discretionary funds prone to political patronage in the version of the outlay passed by the House of Representatives.

The amount flagged by the budget watchdogs in the House version of the General Appropriations Bill or GAB has reached about P1 trillion, out of the P7.2 trillion proposed by the executive.

Whether the flagged items can still be corrected remains to be seen. The Senate is still hammering out its version of the GAB. The two chambers of Congress will reconcile their versions during the bicameral conference.

Several senators vowed that this year’s bicameral conference would be marked by genuine transparency rather than token shows of openness before the wheeling and dealing takes place behind closed doors.

The bicam will be taking place as the government appeals a Supreme Court ruling declaring as unconstitutional the General Appropriations Acts of 2024 and 2025 and portions of the 2026 GAA, mostly over unprogrammed appropriations and lump sums.

Watchdogs have flagged lump sums still embedded in the House version of the 2027 GAB as well as issues related to unprogrammed appropriations.

The SC struck down the pork barrel system way back in November 2013, prohibiting lump sums and the earmarking of projects for funding after the GAA has been enacted.

Yet recent developments have shown that Congress and Malacañang kept finding creative ways of going around the SC prohibition, with the practice reaching unconscionable proportions under the current administration.

People are wondering whether anyone can be held accountable for creative budgeting designed for political patronage and kickbacks. There ought to be a law – but those responsible for mangling the budget can’t be expected to pass it.

The Office of the Ombudsman is reportedly studying the SC ruling on GAAs, for possible moves related to public accountability. Unless penalties are imposed, the nation will not see the end of lawmakers taking liberties with people’s money.

As Dizon exits, DPWH reinforces LGU role in projects

Outgoing Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said Tuesday, October 27, that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has revised its project approval policies to require coordination with local government units (LGUs), as Giovanni Lopez prepares to take over as the department’s chief.

During a joint press conference with Lopez on Tuesday, October 27, Dizon said the department instituted a formal mechanism earlier this year to involve LGUs in public infrastructure development, with the goal of including local governments in the planning process as early as the budgeting phase.

“At the minimum, a Certificate of No Objection is required from the LGU; either (a) Certificate of No Objection, local masterplan or regional masterplan. These were not required in the past, but they are now,” Dizon said in Filipino.

“Hindi na puwede ‘yong mga DE (district engineer) gagawa na lang ng project kung saan-saan na ‘di alam ng mga mayor,” he added.

(District engineers can no longer get away with implementing projects wherever and without the knowledge of the mayor.)

These changes echo Malacañang’s directive to strengthen LGU oversight of DPWH projects, issued after Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando claimed that around P41 billion worth of flood-control infrastructure in the province had not been coordinated with local governments.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. previously ordered a revamp of the approval process in September 2025 to address the removal of a rule requiring local governments to officially receive projects under former president Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. The revision ensured that infrastructure projects could only be tagged as completed after they had been accepted by the concerned government units.

Uncompleted structures marked as finished by the DPWH helped expose alleged ghost flood-control projects and prompted parallel investigations by the House and Senate into various projects, several of which were in Bulacan province.

State witness Henry Alcantara notably certified some of these structures as completed during his tenure as Bulacan 1st District engineer, including a P55-million flood-control project in Baliwag. Alcantara’s former aide, Wirt Walter Rosales, confirmed on October 23 that he delivered billions of pesos’ worth of alleged kickbacks from flood-control projects to fugitive former party-list congressman Zaldy Co from 2022 to 2024.

Included in the “acknowledgment receipts” signed by Co’s aides were separate sheets of paper indicating the project and the percentage of the kickback.

Carlo Rivera, an engineer alleged to have run errands for Alcantara, testified earlier Tuesday in the bail hearing for former House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s plunder case involving the alleged P7.4-billion government infrastructure kickback scheme.

Pre-election cases stall ex-Warri refinery MD’s N1.339bn fraud trial

The trial of Jimoh Yisawu, former managing director of Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited, over alleged N1.339 billion money laundering has been adjourned until January 2027, following the inability of the Federal High Court in Abuja to proceed with the case amid pre-election matters.

Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed January 18, 19 and 20, 2027, for the commencement of trial after proceedings could not begin on Monday.

The adjournment also comes amid courtroom renovations, which have forced the judge to share a courtroom with Justice Chigozie Onah of Court 15.

Yisawu is facing an eight-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged money laundering offences linked to his tenure at the Warri refinery and previous service with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

He pleaded not guilty to all eight counts when he was arraigned before Justice Ekwo on July 20.

Following his plea, Ekele Iheanacho, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and counsel to the EFCC, requested a trial date, while Wale Balogun, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and defence counsel, sought the court’s permission to move the defendant’s bail application.

The prosecution opposed the application, but Justice Ekwo granted bail, holding that the alleged offences were bailable.

The court admitted Yisawu to bail in the sum of N500 million, with one surety in like sum.

The judge directed that the surety must be a responsible citizen who owns landed property within the court’s jurisdiction. The property documents are subject to verification.

Yisawu was also ordered to deposit his international passport with the court and barred from travelling outside its jurisdiction without permission.

The case had earlier been scheduled for trial on October 25, 26 and 27.

In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/361/2026, dated and filed on June 22 by Iheanacho, the EFCC alleged that Yisawu laundered public funds and used part of the proceeds to purchase treasury bills for himself.

The commission said the alleged offence contravened Section 18(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and was punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.

The delay in Yisawu’s trial comes as a related prosecution involving Ahmed Dikko, former managing director of Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited, also awaits trial.

Justice Ekwo adjourned Dikko’s case from October 14 to November 24 and 25.

Dikko was arraigned on July 8 alongside Masterpiece Projects and Investment Limited over alleged money laundering. Both defendants pleaded not guilty.

The court admitted Dikko to bail in the sum of N50 million, with one surety in like sum.

In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/360/2026, the EFCC named Dikko and Masterpiece Projects and Investment Limited as the first and second defendants, respectively.

The commission alleged, among other offences, that Dikko used N218 million to purchase property in Abuja.

The prosecution said the alleged offences contravened Sections 2(1)(a) and 19(1)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and were punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the same Act.

Bonoan: Estrada has over P7 billion ‘initiatives’ in 2025 budget

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada has over P7 billion in ‘congressional initiatives’ in the 2025 budget, former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said in written testimony submitted to the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division Tuesday.

The anti-graft court is currently conducting a hearing on Estrada’s bail petition where Bonoan stands as a witness.

Estrada’s lawyer Lawrence Arroyo objected to the inclusion of this amount in his written testimony, citing relevance.

However, special prosecutor Reza Derayunan said: ‘It is not irrelevant since it is part of the congressional initiatives allocated to Senator Estrada for fiscal year 2025.’

But Arroyo said: ‘While they are part of the 2025 GAA [General Appropriations Act], they are not part of the allegation in the amended Information.’

Arroyo noted that the subject amount in Estrada’s case is only around P2 billion.

‘There is an excess of P5 billion in the testimony,’ Arroyo said.

Ultimately, Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses said the court would still allow the inclusion of the amount in Bonoan’s testimony.

Hidayat Heydarov ends speculation over move to heavier judo category

Azerbaijani Olympic judo champion Hidayat Heydarov has decided to continue competing in the under-73kg weight category, ending speculation over a possible move to the heavier under-81kg division.

Heydarov is also scheduled to compete in the under-73kg category at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, which will take place in the capital of the United Arab Emirates from October 29 to 31. The tournament will provide the Olympic champion with another opportunity to test his form against international opponents and continue his preparations for upcoming competitions.

The decision follows concerns raised by Richard Trautmann, performance director of Azerbaijan’s national judo teams and head coach of the men’s squad. Speaking at a press conference in Baku reviewing the results of the World Judo Championships, Trautmann said Heydarov was experiencing significant difficulties with weight management and faced a choice between remaining in the under-73kg division and moving up to under-81kg.

The two categories present different physical and competitive demands. Remaining at under-73kg allows Heydarov to continue competing in the division in which he established himself as one of Azerbaijan’s leading judokas, while a move to under-81kg would require adjustments to his physical preparation, tactics and competitive approach.

Weight management is a particularly important consideration in elite judo, where athletes must meet strict limits before competition while maintaining the strength, endurance and explosiveness required for successive bouts. A carefully managed approach can help athletes balance their competitive weight with their physical condition throughout a demanding international season.

Heydarov’s decision also carries significance for Azerbaijan’s national team, which continues to rely on his experience and international standing in the under-73kg category. His participation in Abu Dhabi will attract attention from Azerbaijani judo fans as he seeks to maintain his competitive rhythm on the international circuit.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam is part of the International Judo Federation’s World Judo Tour, bringing together competitors from different countries across multiple weight categories. The event offers valuable ranking opportunities and a chance for athletes to assess their progress against high-level opposition.

For Heydarov, the immediate priority will be to compete effectively at his established weight and demonstrate that his preparations are progressing in the right direction. His decision provides clarity for the upcoming tournament, while his performances over the coming months will help determine how his weight-category strategy develops in the longer term.