Detectives in Ondo State have nabbed a food seller and house wife, Mrs Esther Godwin, for allegedly pouring hot water on a nursing mother, Samuel Endurance, over an allegation of having illicit affairs with her husband. Mrs Godwin was arrested at the weekend after she lured the victim, Samuel, to her house in the Olofin community of Idanre in the Idanre Local Council Area of the state. Daily Trust gathered from sources that the suspect called the victim on the phone under the pretence to come over and collect palm oil for her husband. The victim (Endurance) immediately rushed to the house to collect the palm oil with her baby and was expecting the suspect to hand over the palm oil to her. But to her surprise, the suspect, after taking the baby from her victim, queried her relationship with her husband but she denied that there was no relationship between them other than working for the husband. The suspect was said to have run into her room, come out with a kettle of hot water and poured it on Endurance’s body. The victim was immediately rushed to the health centre in the town but later referred to General Hospital, Alade Idanre where she is still receiving treatment. Narrating her ordeal on the sick bed, Endurance explained that though she usually worked on the suspect husband’s farm, there was nothing between them other than a master and labourer relationship. Funmilayo Odunlami, The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Ondo State who confirmed the arrest of the suspect said she would be charged.

  President Bola Tinubu on Sunday said Africa cannot attain integration and prosperity while Africans languish in pain and anguish. The President, in his maiden address at the Fifth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting (5thMYCM) of the African Union (AU) in Kenya, reaffirmed Africa’s unity and strength, while strongly rejecting the notion of a new scramble for the continent. Tinubu warned that plundering and exploitation of the continent should remain in the past and never be repeated. “We cannot integrate Africa and attain the prosperity we seek while our nearby brothers and sisters suffer in pain and anguish, they should not suffer. We must advance as one continent toward peace and prosperity,” the President said, according to a statement by his spokesman, Dele Alake. He also announced plans to strengthen the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Standby Force to deter coups and combat terrorism in the sub-region. The Nigerian leader, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, highlighted the progress made by ECOWAS in various sectors of its integration process, including trade, free movement of persons, investment promotion, infrastructure development, and security. In his address entitled “Address on Status of Regional Integration in ECOWAS,” Tinubu emphasised the need for Africa to overcome its challenges and work towards a prosperous future, focusing on inclusive growth, good governance, and leveraging the opportunities provided by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He called for good governance to ensure a prosperous future for Africa, free from the exploitations of the past, saying, “As Africans, we forge ahead no matter the barriers thrust before us.” “The world we inhabit is often unkind and uncertain. Past history and current global difficulties argue against our future success,” he said. “Lessons of the past few years teach us that the world economy can be disrupted in ways that halt progress and invite downturn. Our nations can suddenly find themselves in dire situations if we choose to be passive observers of our fate. “Such passivity does not commend itself to me. I will not listen to it. Neither should any African. The challenges we face mean that governance will be difficult. “They also mean that visionary good governance is necessary. Some observers assert a new scramble for Africa is afoot and it is much like the old scramble that plundered our continent. “But, here and now, let it be said to whomever the new scramblers might be that our continent may be old but our spirit is new. And it is strong. The bad that took place in the past must stay there. It shall never be repeated.” President Bola Tinubu (2nd right, front row) and other African leaders pose for photos at the 5th mid-year coordination meeting of the African Union, at the United Nations (UN) offices in Gigiri, Nairobi, on Sunday, July 16, 2023. (Twitter/@officialABAT) On peace, security, and stability, the Nigerian leader acknowledged the challenges faced by the sub-region, including terrorism and anti-constitutional changes in government. “We sit here in meaningful discussion of vital economic matters. Yet, it will be impossible to bring full meaning to what we attempt unless we give due consideration to the instability and conflict that now scar many of our nations. “The fullness of the integration we seek will elude us as long as several of our nations stand in the mist on violence and war. “The trade and commerce we talk of today refers to valued goods and services that improve life. The trade and commerce these nations suffer is of destruction and disorder that takes lives and steals opportunity,” he added

  No fewer than 42.69 million poor Nigerians were excluded from the Federal Government’s N5,000 monthly cash transfer since its inception in 2016, according to findings by The PUNCH. In June 2023 edition of the Nigeria Development Update, the World Bank disclosed that only 19.4 per cent of Nigerians benefitted from the programme. With an estimated population of 207.25 million (based on World Bank estimates), this meant that only about 40.21 million Nigerians benefitted from the cash transfer programme. The Washington-based bank noted that about 40 per cent of Nigerians (82.9 million people) lived on less than the national poverty line at the end of 2022. On the poverty rate, the bank said, “The majority of Nigerians are either poor or economically insecure, just one shock away from falling into poverty. About 40 per cent of Nigerians—82.9 million people— lived on less than the national poverty line in 2018/19.13. An additional one quarter of the population—some 52.6 million people—were economically insecure, at high risk of falling into poverty. The overall poverty situation since then is unlikely to have improved given that GDP per capita has declined since 2019.” Based on the poverty rate, it meant that 42.69 million poor people did not benefit from the Federal Government’s cash transfer programmme. Despite the exclusion, the lending bank noted that an additional four million Nigerians became poor between January and May this year due to rising inflation. With the recent fuel subsidy removal, it had been projected that about 7.1 million poor Nigerians would become poor if the Federal Government failed to compensate or provide palliatives for them. This had further underscored the need for urgent assistance, especially to the poor and vulnerable in the country. Nigeria underspends The World Bank has said that the Nigerian government is not spending enough to address the issue of poverty and protect Nigerians. In its NDU report, the bank stated, “Despite being exposed to frequent recent shocks, the majority of the population lacks protection to adequately cope with shocks financially. In 2021, Nigeria spent only 0.7 percent of its GDP on social safety nets. This is much lower than the average for SubSaharan Africa and lower-middle-income countries of 1.2 percent and the global average of 1.5 percent. “Consequently, only 19.4 per cent of Nigerians benefitted from any safety nets programme, compared with 25 per cent regionally and 41 per cent globally. Even among those covered, benefit levels remain insufficient to keep households out of poverty. Thus, Nigeria needs to rapidly and comprehensively expand the coverage and adequacy of its social protection programmes to allow households to cope better with inevitable future shocks.” The bank further noted that Nigeria had the capacity and infrastructure to deliver the necessary assistance needed. It stated, “Nigeria has the capacity and the infrastructure to deliver immediate assistance at scale. In recent years, Nigeria has invested in building a robust safety nets delivery system that can provide immediate assistance to a large number of households. This includes the development of social registries that can be used to select households for support and a robust payment system that can deliver cash transfers in a safe, secure, and reliable manner.” Call for Expansion There have been calls for the expansion of the social safety net to cover more poor people. In this regard, the World Bank said, “Building on earlier progress in expanding social protection to the poor and vulnerable, the government can leverage the phasing out of the petrol subsidy to establish a new social compact with Nigerians. “Establishing a redistribution mechanism that uses a portion of the fiscal savings to protect lower-income households could minimise the negative impact on consumer welfare while still yielding a large net gain in government revenues. “To build public support for phasing out the subsidy, and as part of a wider process of building trust, the government could propose a compact with Nigerian citizens that directly links the phased-out subsidy to compensatory cash transfers. It could publicize this compact (cash transfer amounts, eligibility criteria, transfer mechanisms, etc.), enabling the media and civil society to monitor compliance.” Experts agree with the World Bank in not just expanding the coverage but making it more transparent. Speaking with the PUNCH on it, The Managing Director, Cowry Asset Management Limited, Johnson Chukwu, said that the government needed to be transparent and make the database accessible to everyone for easy confirmation. He said, “The government must have a register, and that register should be in public domain. It should be broken into states, local governments, districts, so that people can actually go to that register and confirm the genuineness of the people in the register. “This way, you have genuine people who are in need in that register, So, it is just about the level of transparency and openness that the government has regarding the register.” A former President of the National Accountants of Nigeria, Dr Sam Nzekwe, also stressed the need for accurate data to ensure that genuine poor people are the major beneficiaries. “It is very important that we have open data,” he said.

  Monday 17 July 2023 NDLEA nabs Europe-bound undergraduate, Lagos lawyer with drugs 43million Nigerians shut out of Buhari’s cash transfer — Report World Bank links Lagos building collapses to poor regulation Navy uncovers vandalised NNPCL oil well, arrests four Manufacturers lament exclusion from World Bank-funded 1.2 million meters Africa Cannot Attain Integration, Prosperity While People Suffer – Tinubu Soyinka Wants Closed Cases Of Religious Killings Reopened, Demands Public Holiday For Traditionalists Olanipekun Defends Tinubu’s Electoral Victory In Final Written Address To Tribunal UNIOSUN Suspends Female Student Allegedly Involved In N1.5m Robbery Frank Nweke Withdraws Petition Against Mbah At Enugu Gov Tribunal House Of Reps To Screen Service Chiefs Today FG To Unveil New Programme To Tackle Banditry In North-West Cross River Doctors Withdraw Services Over Colleague’s Kidnap Tobi Amusan Wins 100m Hurdles At Silesia Diamond League With Season’s Best Those Playing Politics With Security In Bayelsa Community Will Be Dealt With – Gov Diri BDCs Record Boom In Lagos, Lull In Abuja, Kano Jealous House Wife Pours Hot Water On Husband’s ‘Concubine’ In Ondo Senate: N70bn is for repairs, furniture — NOT cash to lawmakers Methodist bishops to FG: Establish state police to solve insecurity in south-east Subsidy removal: FG targets 2-pronged relief for workers Illegal firearms charge: Lawyers, activists demand Emefiele’s immediate release Naira hits new low at N820/$, as forex supply gap persists IPOB: How to shut Simon Ekpa up in S-East, Ohanaeze tells Tinubu Tension as adulterated aviation fuel floods Lagos, Kano, Abuja Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  Prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has condemned the National Assembly’s decision to allocate N70 billion as palliatives for its members, labeling it as illegal and contemptuous. In a press statement issued today, Falana called attention to the blatant breach of the relevant provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and urged the immediate reversal of these controversial measures. The allocation of N70 billion, disbursed among 306 newly elected members, in addition to N40 billion set aside for the purchase of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and bulletproof cars for principal officials and members, has sparked public outrage. Falana emphasized the callousness and insensitivity displayed by the National Assembly, especially when considering the economic hardships endured by the majority of Nigerians. According to Senior Advocate (SAN), these decisions blatantly contravene Section 70 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, which outlines the appropriate remuneration and allowances for members of the National Assembly. Citing recent court judgments, including Monday Ubani & Anor. vs Attorney-General of the Federation & Ors and the case filed by the Socio-economic Rights Accountability Project (SERAP), Enough is Enough (EiE), and BudgIT against the National Assembly, Falana affirmed that the judiciary had already ruled against such excessive allowances. The Federal High Court, in both cases, declared that the National Assembly Service Commission has no authority to determine the remuneration and allowances of its members. The court emphasized the need for the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to review and adjust salaries and allowances in line with the country’s economic realities. Falana stressed that these judgments remain valid and binding, and the National Assembly’s actions are therefore illegal and contemptuous. He called on the leadership and members of the National Assembly to reverse the controversial allowances and the purchase of luxury vehicles. In the event that these actions are not promptly rectified, Falana urged the RMAFC to take immediate measures to prevent further usurpation of its constitutional functions. He warned that failure to do so would result in contempt proceedings against the Chairman of the RMAFC and the leaders of both chambers of the National Assembly. Below is a the full statement as published by Mr Femi Falana, the Chair, Alliance on Surviving Covid 19 and Beyond (ASCAB). PALLIATIVE OF N110 BILLION FOR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MEMBERS IS ILLEGAL AND CONTEMPTUOUS Out of sheer insensitivity coupled with impunity, the members of the National Assembly, regardless of political affliation, conspired to breach the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 by padding the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2023 to provide the so called palliative of N70 billion for 306 newly elected members. While the masses of Nigeria are groaning under the excruciating economic pains unleashed on them by the ruling class, the National Assembly has awarded N228.7 million to each of the newly elected legislators. As if that is not enough, the members of the National Assembly have earmarked N40 billion to purchase 465 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and bulletproof cars for principal officials and members. However, the legislators approved the sum of N500 billion for 12 million indigent people in a country where the National Bureau of Statistics has said that “62.9 percent of people (133 million) are multidimensionally poor.” The callous and insensitive decisions of the members of the National Assembly constitute a flagrant contravention of Section 70 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, which stipulates as follows: “A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall receive such salary and other allowances as Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission may determine.” In Monday Ubani & Anor. v Attorney-General oftheFederation & Ors (Suit No FHC/LA/CS/690/ 2018), the learned trial Judge, Professor Chuka Obiozor had cause to interprete the above provision of the Constitution when he held that, “The national assembly service commission has no power whatsoever to fix and determine or allocate the remuneration, allowances, salaries, emoluments or monetary values to the members of the national assembly.” His Lordship observed that “Given many years of extreme poverty in the country, and the inability of several state governments to pay salaries of workers and pensions, the refusal or failure of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to review and cut the salaries and allowances of members of the national assembly is a gross violation of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) and the commission’s own Act.” For the avoidance of doubt, the learned trial Judge held that, “The allowances of wardrobe, newspapers, kitchen travelling domestic and constituency project allowances of the members of the national assembly are never contemplated or in the intendment of the constitution which created them and specified how they can be remunerated.” Consequently, the Court ordered the RMAFC to review the salaries and allowances of members of the national assembly to reflect the country’s current economic realities. The epochal judgment was adopted by the Federal High Court in the similar case (Suit No FHC/LA/CS/943/2019) filed by the Socio-economic Rights Accountability Project (SERAP), Enough is Enough (EiE), and BudgIT against the National Assembly on the same subject matter and assigned to the same Judge. It is pertinent to note that both judgments of the Federal High Court have not been set aside by any higher court. Neither has the execution of the judgments been stayed or varied either by the Federal High Court or the Court of Appeal. Therefore, since the judgments are valid and subsisting, they are binding on all members of the Legislative and Executive Organs of the Federal Government. In view of the foregoing, it is crystal clear that by approving allowances in the form of palliatives for themselves without the approval of the Revenue Allocation Mobilization and Fiscal Commission the members of the National Assembly deliberately acted illegally and contemptuously. As such actions can not be justified in a democratic society which claims to operate under the rule of law, we are compelled to call on the leaders and members of the National Assembly

  over six weeks after assuming office, president bola tinubu has yet to occupy his official residence at the aso rock presidential villa, abuja. while the president has been actively using his private conference room, office space, and aso chambers for crucial meetings with local and international guests, his official residence east of the office remains unoccupied. in the afternoon of may 29, hours after his inauguration, tinubu arrived at the state banquet hall for lunch with fellow heads of state and country representatives, who witnessed the ceremony at eagles square, abuja. however, it is normal to see the president’s convoy leaving the premises at the close of his work day, bypassing his official residence, exiting the villa, and heading for his maitama private mansion. the same applies to his daily resumption. sunday punch learned that the reason could be the ongoing renovation that began in late april when former president buhari vacated the 32-year-old structure for a temporary residence called the glass house. on may 6, 2023, weeks before tinubu’s inauguration, maintenance work began around the villa. it encompassed recoating worn-out portions with white paint, and a change of furniture in the green room of the council chamber, among others. a spokesman for buhari, garba shehu, had tweeted under a picture, “painter at work. villa wearing a new look for the incoming president.” a senior source in the state house had told our correspondent that tinubu, like his predecessors, was expected to decide what kind of furniture would be installed in his official residence. although buhari moved into his new residence almost three weeks after his inauguration, presidency sources confirmed the delay to our correspondent and said the same could not be expected of the new commander-in-chief, who is moving in eight years after a previous occupier. the source stated, “these things are relative. it is not fixed at all. goodluck jonathan stayed for five years, and buhari stayed for eight years. so, the level of repairs that needs to be done this time must have increased. “There may be major alterations they are trying to do. For example, the Council Chamber we use today didn’t have all the technology it has now. “There was a point during Baba’s (Buhari’s) tenure that it had to be shut down completely because they wanted to upgrade it. We were using the First Lady’s conference room for Federal Executive Council meetings at that time. And it took a long time to effect the changes.” Another source said, “It’s also about individual choices, what you want in a place. But he (Tinubu) occupied the office as soon as he came in.” On June 10, a security source confided in our correspondent, “He (Tinubu) has not moved in because maintenance is still on.” Meanwhile, our correspondent also confirmed that the Aso Rock Chapel had been actively holding weekly meetings even though the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has yet to worship there. The First Lady had stated that the President had not appointed a chaplain for the Aso Villa Chapel after the exit of the former Chaplain, Seyi Malomo. Mrs Tinubu, in a statement last Monday, said the President reserved the right to appoint a chaplain while debunking claims on social media platforms that the Aso Villa Chapel had been closed down. She said, “Our attention has been drawn to a story on social media about the purported closure of the Aso Rock Chapel by the First Lady; we wish to state categorically that this is a fabrication and a false representation of the true situation. “The First Lady at no time gave such a directive that the chapel be shut nor asked for the keys to be handed over to her.” At the time of filing this report, the former chaplain could not be reached.

  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a teenage student, Benjamin Nnamani Daberechi, 19, with Methamphetamine drugs concealed inside crayfish. NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi revealed this in a statement shared on the agency’s Facebook page on Sunday. Daberechi attempted to export 7.2 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in a crayfish sack to Europe where he was going for undergraduate studies, the statement said. The statement partly read, “The teenage suspect was intercepted on Wednesday 12th July, during an outward clearance of passengers on Turkish Airlines flight TK 0624. “While being interviewed by operatives, Daberechi claimed he was a student on his way to Cyprus for studies, but upon a thorough search of his luggage, he was found possessing 7.2kg of whitish substance neatly concealed inside a sack of crayfish. A field test of the substance however proved it is Methamphetamine. “In the same vein, operatives of the Tincan Port Command of the Agency on Tuesday 11th July intercepted 116.5kg consignment of Colorado, a strong strain of cannabis concealed in bags hidden in a heap of used vehicles parts on the floor of a container marked FCIU 8459700, bearing three units of used vehicles imported from Toronto, Canada. “Based on intelligence, the Agency had requested a 100 per cent examination of the container which arrived at the TICT terminal of the port on 14th June. A joint examination with the Nigeria Customs, DSS, and other stakeholders on Tuesday 11th July however led to the discovery of 233 parcels of the illicit substance stashed inside travelling bags on the floor of the container, covered with used vehicle spare parts.” “Another suspect, Ibrahim Analu, 28, carrying 336 grams of skunk stuffed inside computer hard drives going to Dubai, UAE, was seized at a courier firm and was arrested at Iddo motor park, Lagos while attempting to send 151,700 pills of opioids to Kaduna. A total of 4.830kg skunk was also discovered at another courier firm in a shipment from Douala, Cameroon passing through Nigeria to Oman. The drug was concealed in 10 of 12 cans of palm fruit paste, locally called Banga, packed in a carton. “Meanwhile, a Lekki Lagos-based female lawyer, Ebikpolade Helen, who specialises in the production and distribution of ‘skuchies’, a mixture of cannabis, opioids, and black currant has been arrested in a follow-up operation in Awka, Anambra state following an earlier seizure of 5kg cannabis and 12 bottles of prepared skuchies in her apartment at Lekki. “Abubakar Shuaibu was arrested on Thursday 13th July at Cappa, Mushin/Oshodi road with 86 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 8.6 litres in his Toyota bus marked FFA 241YB, two other suspects: Razak Ogunbo and Adeola Idowu were nabbed Tuesday 11th July at Ikorodu with 51 litres of scrunchies. This is even as 372kg cannabis sativa and 48 bottles of scrunchies measuring 48 litres were recovered from the home of a fleeing drug dealer at Akala, Mushin Lagos on Wednesday 12th July.”

  Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas “to drop the scandalous plan to spend N40bn on 465 exotic and bulletproof cars for members and principal officials, and N70bn as ‘palliatives’ for new members.” SERAP urged them to “repeal the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act to reduce the budget for the National Assembly by N110bn, reflect the current economic realities in the country and address the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy on the over 137 million poor Nigerians.” SERAP also urged them to “request President Bola Tinubu to present a fresh supplementary appropriation bill, to redirect the N110 billion to address the situation of the over 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, for the approval of the National Assembly.”   According to reports, “While N70 billion ‘support allowance’ is budgeted for 306 new lawmakers, only N500 billion worth of palliatives is budgeted for 12 million poor Nigerians. N40 billion is also allocated to buy 465 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and bulletproof cars for members and principal officials.” In the letter dated 15 July, 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “This travesty, and apparent conflicts of interest and self-dealing by members of the National Assembly must stop.” SERAP said, “It a fundamental breach of their fiduciary duties for members of the National Assembly to arbitrarily increase their own budget and to use the budget as a tool to satisfy the lifestyle of lawmakers.” The letter, read in part: “It is a grave violation of the public trust and constitutional oath of office for members of the National Assembly to unjustifiably increase their own budget at a time when over 137 million poor Nigerians are living in extreme poverty exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidy.” “We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and the National Assembly to comply with our request in the public interest.” “Rather than exercising their constitutional and oversight functions to pursue the public interest by considering bills to improve the conditions of the over 137 million poor Nigerians who are facing the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy, the lawmakers seem to be looking after themselves.” “According to reports, no fewer than 107 units of the 2023 model of the Toyota Landcruiser and 358 units of the 2023 model of Toyota Prado would be bought for the use of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives respectively.” “The planned purchase is different from the official bulletproof vehicles expected to be purchased for the four presiding officers of the National Assembly.” “The proposed spending of N110 billion by members of the National Assembly is apparently on top of the N281 billion already provided for the lawmakers in the 2023 National Assembly budget. The proposed spending is also different from the N30.17 billion budgeted for the ‘inauguration expenses’ for new members.” “SERAP is concerned that the budget for the National Assembly may further be increased as members are reportedly demanding an upward review of their salaries and allowances purportedly to offset the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy.” “Section 14(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended] provides that, ‘the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” “Under Section 16(1)(a)(b), the National Assembly has the obligations to ‘harness the resources of the nation and promote national prosperity and an efficient, a dynamic and self-reliant economy’, and to ‘secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen.’” “Section 18 of the Constitution of Nigeria provides among others that: ‘Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels. Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy; and to this end Government shall provide (a) free, compulsory and universal primary education.” “The Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act also provides in Section 2(1) that, ‘Every Government in Nigeria shall provide free, compulsory and Universal basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary, school age.’” “The proposed spending of N110 billion by members of the National Assembly is a fundamental breach of the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations.” “Nigerians have a right to honest and faithful performance by their public officials including lawmakers, as public officials owe a fiduciary duty to the general citizenry.” “Cutting the N110 billion from the budget of the National Assembly would be entirely consistent with your constitutional oath of office, and the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution, as it would promote efficient, honest, and legal spending of public money.” “The problem of out-of-school children has continued to have catastrophic effects on the lives of millions of children, their families and communities.” “By being out of school, these Nigerian children have been exposed to real danger, violence and even untimely death. Redirecting the proposed spending of N110 billion to address the situation of over 20 million out-of-school children across the country would improve access of Nigerian children to quality education.” “Education is both a human right in itself and an indispensable means of realizing other human rights. As an empowerment right, education is the primary vehicle by which economically and socially marginalized adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty and obtain the means to participate fully in their communities.” “Under international law, states are required to progressively implement socio-economic rights including the right to quality education commensurate with the level of resources available. Gross misallocation of resources to the detriment of the enjoyment of the right to quality education can constitute a human rights violation.”