In an address to Pressmen, about 5 years ago, in Abuja, Lamido Sanusi, who was then CBN Governor (2009-2014), unexpectedly, decried the prevailing monetary framework which facilitated banks’ access to make free money from their portfolio of government funds.

The Director General of the DMO, Patience Oniha, revealed, at a press briefing in Abuja on 15th August 2018 that Nigeria’s public debt, had apparently risen from well below N3Tn in 2007 to over N22.30Tn ($73.21bn) by June 2018.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yusuff Lasun disclosed, last week, that the National Assembly, would interrupt its annual recess and reconvene, sometime, this week, to consider an expenditure proposal for N242bn for conducting 2019 General Elections. It is unclear, why President Mohammed Buhari omitted this item in the appropriation bill, presented to the National Assembly in November 2017.

FINANCE Minister, Kemi   Adeosun, has been in the eye of the storm lately, with the allegation that she forged an NYSC Exemption Certificate, to secure an earlier appointment, as a public servant in Ogun State.

THE APC Presidential Candidate, Muhammed Buhari, clearly raised public expectation when he promised, at a campaign rally on Monday, March 23, 2015, at Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, that he would “ensure that Naira was equal to dollar value,” if he became President. The News Agency of Nigeria and several Newspapers published this report.

THE South Africa President, Cyril  Ramaphosa, was in Abuja earlier, this month (July 2018), to participate in the 25th  anniversary and annual General meeting of the African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank). Ramaphosa, used the opportunity to call on Nigeria, not to delay signing the agreement for the African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA).

IN September last year (2017), President Muhammed Buhari received his Nigerien counterpart Mahamadou Issoufou in Daura, Katsina State; Issoufou had reportedly visited, to ask after PMB’s health and also congratulate him on Nigeria’s exit from recession; the discussion, apparently also included “the fight against Boko Haram, the economic challenges in the Lake Chad Basin and other developmental concerns, that directly affected the citizens of both countries”.

THE actual amount stolen from Nigeria’s Treasury between 1993-8, by former Military Dictator, Sanni Abacha, may never be known. Nonetheless, Amnesty International, for example, has suggested, that over $5bn of Abacha loot had been identified, even when speculations still persist that the audacious ‘shop lift’, by Abacha, and his associates, is probably nearer $10bn. The Nigerian treasury, may have been boosted by the recovery of well over $3bn, since Obasanjo initiated, the International pursuit of Abacha’s loot in September 1999.

NIGERIANS, recently, lamented the way their darling, Super Eagles, crashed out of the on-going World Cup in Russia. Nonetheless, the well known Nigeria penchant, for always daring to stand out, at any cost, may have been embellished, by last week’s announcement that Nigeria, has overtaken India, as Number One, in the World’s Poverty Ratings. In other words, Nigeria is presently populated by, not just a very large number of indigent citizens, but, out of Nigeria’s estimated total 170 million people, alarmingly, close to 50%      are deemed to be extremely poor.

THE huge sigh of relief, that the 2018 Federal budget was ultimately endorsed, as late as 20th June, by President Buhari, was unexpectedly muffled by allegations that the fiscal plan had once again being mangled and heavily padded by the National Assembly.