Economy
Reps Express Displeasure Over FCT Primary Healthcare’s Budget Performance
Reps Express Displeasure Over FCT Primary Healthcare’s Budget Performance
Reps express displeasure over FCT primary healthcare’s vudget performance. The House of Representatives Committee on FCT Area Council and Ancillary Services has voiced disappointment over the 2023 budget performance of the Department of Primary Healthcare under the FCT Area Council Service Secretariat.
During an oversight visit, the Committee identified inconsistencies in the agency’s financial report and directed it to reconcile all relevant financial documents within seven days.
Additionally, the agency was instructed to submit the nominal roll and addresses of all 270 Primary Healthcare Centres in the FCT to the Committee’s Clerk.
Expressing concern over the situation, the Committee’s Deputy Chairman, Hon. Peter Akpanke, criticized the agency’s lack of efficiency. “As a health-related agency, you should be proactive in addressing health issues,” he stated. While acknowledging the agency’s request for increased funding, the lawmakers stressed that improvements in performance were necessary before additional allocations could be considered.
The Committee also emphasized the need to improve welfare packages for corps members working in the agency to enhance their contributions to the healthcare sector.
Budget Challenges and Calls for Increased Funding
Speaking on the agency’s financial situation, Dr. Ruqayya Wamakko, Executive Secretary of the FCT Primary Healthcare Board, revealed that the agency operates on an overhead cost of N4.8 million. She noted that since assuming office six months ago, she had been working on renovating the office for a better work environment.
“There was no inventory when I came,” Dr. Wamakko stated, adding that the agency currently has about 300 staff members, including nine senior management officials. She further appealed for more funding to support immunization awareness campaigns in local communities.
Concerns Over Budget Disbursement and Recruitment Issues
In a related development, the Committee’s visit to the FCT Area Council Service Commission uncovered irregularities in budget disbursement. Lawmakers expressed frustration after discovering that the agency did not receive its approved funds directly.
The Committee has now directed its Clerk to seek an explanation from the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) regarding this indirect disbursement process.
Providing further insights, Acting Administrative Secretary of the Commission, Mrs. Eunice Yakubu, disclosed that while N250 million was approved for overhead costs, only N240 million was disbursed. She clarified that the agency must apply to the FCDA for fund releases rather than receiving direct allocations.

Reps
Additionally, the Committee raised concerns over the agency’s failure to adhere to the federal character principle in its recruitment process.
It was revealed that the last recruitment exercise conducted by the agency took place in 2008.
Unpaid Pensions Raise Alarm
During another oversight visit to the FCT Area Council Pension Board, Director Suleiman Abdulrahman informed lawmakers that several pension payments remained outstanding, raising concerns over the welfare of retirees.
The Committee emphasized the importance of timely pension payments and called for greater transparency in budget implementation across all FCT agencies.
Economy
Deepwater Development on the Cards as GCEO NNPC Limited Meets NAE MD
Deepwater Development on the Cards as GCEO NNPC Limited Meets NAE MD
Group CEO of NNPC Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, received in audience the Vice Chairman/Managing Director of Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited (NAE), Mr. Maurizio Pinna, in Abuja recently.
Eereporter.com
Discussions centred on deepwater development with a focus on the work underway on the acreage held by the two companies as well as expected production.

NNPC, NAE
NAE operates the licences converted from OPL 245 together with NNPC Limited and SNEPCo. The acreage holds the Zabazaba and Etan deepwater fields, estimated at 500 MMbbl of reserves.
Eereporter.com
Economy
NNPC, EITI Strengthen Cooperation on Deeper Disclosures, Global Standards
NNPC, EITI Strengthen Cooperation on Deeper Disclosures, Global Standards
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) have pledged to deepen their cooperation towards deeper disclosures, transparent reporting, and compliance with global EITI standards.
Eereporter.com
The pledge came on the heels of a visit by the EITI Africa Country Director, Gilbert Makore, to the NNPC Towers recently. The visit forms part of the ongoing validation of Nigeria against the 2023 EITI Standard.
Makore particularly commended NNPC Limited’s measurable progress on outstanding validation requirements and with disclosures that now track EITI expectations more closely.
Group CEO of NNPC Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, who described the EITI as a useful platform for attracting investment and building stakeholder confidence, said it allows the company to show its governance and transparency records.

NNPC
Makore was accompanied on the visit by the EITI Validation Lead, Riley Zecca; the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Director, Policy, Planning and Strategy, Dieter Bassi; Director, Technical, Sa’ad Balarabe; and Director, Communications and Stakeholder Management, Obiageli Onuorah.
Technical sessions with the NNPC’s Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Division were held to review the work done to close identified validation gaps.
Eereporter.com
Crime
EFCC Commences Investigations of Suspect, $73,000, £15,957 & 827,800 SAR Intercepted at Kano Airport
EFCC Commences Investigations of Suspect, $73,000, £15,957 & 827,800 SAR Intercepted at Kano Airport
The Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced investigation of a suspect, Haruna Yusuf and multiple undeclared foreign currencies, , $73,000( Seventy Three United States Dollar) £15,957 ( Fifteen Thousand, Nine Hundred and Fifty Seven Pound Sterling) & 827,800 Saudi Riyal intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA.
Eereporter.com
The investigation commenced after the handover of the suspect and the undeclared currencies by the Acting Customs Area Comptroller of the Kano/Jigawa Command, Deputy Comptroller U. U. Adamu at the Customs Area Command in Kano.
The intercepted currencies, which exceeded the legally permitted threshold, were discovered during routine primary and secondary screenings of arriving passengers between August 8 and August 12, 2026.
The Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC, Kano Directorate, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Friday S. Ebelo, received the suspect and the recovered funds on behalf of the Commission.
According to Adamu, the Customs made two separate interceptions.
On August 8, 2026, “at approximately 14:20 hours, officers conducting passenger screening at the baggage seat of MAKIA intercepted an unaccompanied Saudi Air luggage containing 827,800 Saudi Riyals and $53,300 The currencies were found concealed inside a footwear.” Adamu stated.
Similarly, on August 12, 2026 “at approximately 13:50 hours, officers of the Nigerian Custom Service also flagged a luggage belonging to one Mr. Haruna Yusuf, who arrived at MAKIA on board Ethiopian Airlines flight ET941. During secondary screening using Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology, $20,000 USD and £15,957 were found concealed inside sportswear shoes”, he said.
Adamu thereafter formally handed over the suspect, Mr. Haruna Yusuf, alongside all recovered exhibits to Ebelo for further investigation and prosecution. He noted that the handover was in accordance with Section 4(f) of the NCS Act 2023, which empowers the Service to collaborate with other border regulatory agencies.
Adamu further explained that, “these interceptions demonstrate the readiness and vigilance of our officers in detecting cross-border movement of undeclared foreign currencies above the allowed threshold. The Command will continue to deploy technology, professional expertise, and intelligence-driven measures, including inter-agency collaboration to strengthen border controls and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s financial systems.”
Receiving the suspect and exhibits on behalf of the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, Ebelo expressed profound gratitude to the Customs Service for its professionalism and cooperation with EFCC officers recently deployed to the airport.
“We must sustain this vigilance at all our entry points to counter the illegal movement of currency. The failure to declare large sums of currency and its equivalent is a violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” he said.
He urged the public to comply with the law, emphasizing that declaring currency attracts no penalty, only the source of undeclared funds may raise legal concerns.
“Once more, we call on the general public: as much as we are Nigerians and we encourage trade in and out of the country, people must adhere to the laws of the land. You must declare the currency you are carrying. If you declare it, nobody will seize your currency,” he said.

EFCC
Ebelo reaffirmed the EFCC’s commitment to thorough investigations and prosecution, stating that the Commission would continue to follow the law diligently
Both Ebelo and Adamu applauded the longstanding synergy between the EFCC and NCS which has been critical to combating financial crimes and illegal cash movement across Nigeria’s borders.
Eereporter.com
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