BREAKING: National Assembly publishes its budget first time ever [Breakdown]

The National Assembly, for the first time ever, published the details of its budget on Thursday.

This is in fulfilment of promise by President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, that the 8th NASS will publish its 2017 budget. Senate President, Bukola Saraki, in a series of tweets, said that the “budget breakdown for @nassnigeria has been released.” “We said we will, and we did,” Saraki said. The budget showed that the National Assembly has budgeted N125bn as against N115bn in 2016. 

A summary of the Proposed 2017 Budget showed that the National Assembly gets N14.9bn. While Senate gets a total of N31.3bn, the House of Representatives gets N49bn. The National Assembly Service Commission gets N2.4bn while the legislative aides get a budget of N9.6bn. 

Also, Public Accounts Committee (Senate) gets N118.9m while that of Reps gets N142.7m.

The breakdown further shows that the General services gets N12.5bn; National Assembly Legislative Institute, N4.3bn while the Service wide vote gets N391.3bn.

Source: Daily Post

Don Jazzy, Wizkid, Davido make Forbes’ top 10 richest African musicians

Forbes Africa has released its list of Richest African musicians.

The list was put together using factors such as endorsement value, popularity, show rates, sales, awards, YouTube views, appearance in newspapers, investment, social media presence, influence and others.

Nigerian artistes, Don Jazzy, Wizkid and Davido, are among the top ten richest African musicians.

The top ten are:

1. AKON

Akon has over 35 million albums sold worldwide. He has won numerous awards including five Grammy Award nominations and has 45 Billboard Hot 100 songs under his belt. He tops the list according to Forbes Africa.

2. BLACK COFFEE, SOUTH AFRICA

The multi-award-winning artist’s real name is Nkosinathi Maphumulo. He was born in South Africa’s house music province, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and raised in the Eastern Cape province, where Nelson Mandela hailed from, before moving back to KZN to study music.

3. HUGH MASEKELA, SOUTH AFRICA

Hugh was born in Witbank, east of Johannesburg. He has released more than 43 albums and performed with Marvin Gaye, Dizzy Gillespie, The Byrds, Fela Kuti, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Miriam Makeba.

4. DON JAZZY, NIGERIA

Don Jazzy is ranked fourth richest in Africa and also first in Nigeria. Like many artists, his real name is Michael Collins Ajereh, and he started playing music as a child in church before moving to the UK to pursue his career.

5. TINASHE, ZIMBABWE-AMERICAN

Tinashe was a child model by the age of three. The twenty-four-year-old sang before she could talk and made her first appearance in 2000 in the film Cora Unashamed. Her voice also starred in the cartoon feature film The Polar Express alongside Oscar-winning actor, Tom Hanks. 

6. JIDENNA, NIGERIAN-AMERICAN,

By the age of 10, Jidenna Theodore Mobisson knew he wanted to do music but was afraid to tell his father who wanted him to be an engineer. He is ranked sixth according to Forbes Africa.

7. WIZKID, NIGERIA

Wizkid is arguably currently the uncrowned king of African music. Grammy Award-winning artist, Alicia Keys and husband Swizz Beatz, danced to his songs Ojuelegba and Caro, with Keys posting a video on her Instagram account with the caption, “This song makes me happy”. Kylie Jenner also posted a video of herself dancing to Wizkid’s music on Snapchat.

8. DAVIDO, NIGERIA

Davido has claimed a high status in just five years. He said it was people like P-Square and D’Banj who made him believe this was possible. He became famous for his widely acclaimed 2012 debut album “Omo Baba Olowo”.

9. SARKODIE, GHANA

Michael Owusu Addo started out as an underground rapper and through the help of Duncan Williams, his former manager, his career was launched. Staying true to his identity, he is a big advocate of Azonto, a Ghanaian genre that is said to have been born out of Kpanlogo, a traditional dance.

His first single off his fourth album, Mewu, sold almost 4,000 copies on the first day of its release in Ghana. He was also the first Ghanaian to win a BET award.

10. OLIVER MTUKUDZI, ZIMBABWE

Oliver Tuku Mtukudzi has 65 albums under his belt, more than the legendary Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. It’s a remarkable career stretching back 41 years with songs that have enlivened parties all over the world.

He is ranked 10th richest musician in Africa.

Source: The Nation

Court orders IGP to pay N4m for rights violation

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris

An FCT High Court sitting in Maitama yesterday ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris to pay N1million each to four men for violation of fundamental rights. The suit brought by the four men, Ozor Okolocha, Elvis Obiaku, Edward Onyenoknone and Imoni Micah had the IGP and the FCT Commissioner of Police as respondents.

The trial judge, Justice Jude Okeke in his judgment held that the applicants were continuously detained by the respondents at Keffi prisons, without remand order renewal (14 days after the expiration of an earlier remand order) and without charges preferred against them. “This is a gross violation of their fundamental rights as provided by the provisions of section 35 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

“As compensation for the violation of their fundamental rights, N1million should be paid to each of the applicants for the hardship and embarrassment suffered by them”, the judge ruled. Justice Okeke also held that the detention of the applicants and violation of their rights to liberty were not justified by the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015. He also ordered that the respondents should refrain from arresting the applicants over the issues in the suit.

The applicants were said to be arrested on Dec. 17, 2015 and Jan. 6, 2016 at their home town of Ase-Omuku in Ndokwa East LGA of Delta State and brought to Abuja by one Inspector Tony Alabi. They were thereafter detained at Keffi prison on remand order from an Abuja Magistrate Court.

However, at the expiration of the order, no renewal was made until April 5, when the suit of violation of fundamental human rights was filed before the high court.

Source: Daily Trust

MASSOB declares May 22 Biafra Independence Day

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, has declared May 22 as Biafra Independence Day across the country. MASSOB, therefore, urged all Igbos worldwide to join in the celebration. According to them, this year’s celebration would be held for seven days, assuring that the exercise throughout the period would be violent-free. 

A statement issued on Sunday by the Leader of MASSOB, Delta-Central, Mr Perry Akujinwa, called on security agencies in the country to allow its members observe the celebration peacefully.

According to MASSOB, “The defunct Biafra was declared by Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu on May 30, 1967 and ended 1970. The new Biafra was declared on May 22, 2000 by Chief Ralph Uwazuruike.

“We want to show the whole world that Biafra remains unchangeable and unshakable. This year’s celebration is the first of its kind because there are a lot of changes. The celebration will last for seven days.” The statement added that the group was determined to peacefully achieve the dream of Biafra Republic without bloodshed. 

It added that the Igbos were no longer comfortable with the ‘unholy marriage’, which it claimed had suffocated the progress and innovativeness of the Igbo.

Source: Daily Post