The Delta State Executive Council (EXCO) on Monday, November 11, 2024 approved a proposed budget of N936 billion for the 2025 fiscal year.

The announcement was made following an EXCO meeting presided over by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.

The State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Sonny Ekedayen provided an in-depth breakdown of the proposed budget, which earmarks N587.4 billion (62.75%) for capital expenditure and N348.7 billion (37.25%) for recurrent expenditure.

Breakdown of the 2025 Budget

Ekedayen, alongside the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza, and other commissioners, clarified the structure and guiding principles behind the budget. He outlined: Total Budget: N936,078,818,719 billion.

Capital Expenditure: N587,361,060,084 billion (62.75%) and Recurrent Expenditure: N348,717,758,635 billion (37.25%).

This budget reflects a 29.12% increase from the previous year, underscoring Delta State’s commitment to economic and infrastructural growth.

The proposed budget focuses on key sectors like agriculture, MSME support, youth empowerment, tourism, entertainment, social safety nets, healthcare, education, and physical infrastructure development.

Ekedayen also highlighted that the 2025 budget will be funded entirely organically, without borrowing.

The state will rely primarily on allocations from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), supplemented by its internally generated revenue (IGR), projected to reach N140 billion.

This approach aligns with the Oborevwori administration’s transparency and accountability objectives.

Key Areas of Focus in the 2025 Budget

1. Economic Development: Supporting agriculture, small businesses, youth empowerment, tourism, and entertainment industries.
2. Social Safety Nets: Emphasis on poverty alleviation programs and initiatives to improve citizens’ quality of life.
3. Infrastructure and Urban Development: Significant allocations are set aside for physical infrastructure, healthcare, and education enhancements.

Approved Infrastructure Projects: EXCO approved multiple infrastructure projects across Delta State, aimed at fostering community development and improving accessibility.

Road Rehabilitation and Construction: Rehabilitation of Ugwhru-Ghelli/Ehidi road and construction of Chief Lyn Ivie Akporiche Street, Ughelli North LGA, and Amechi Aguisi Street in Asaba.

Oil Road/Old Okpe Road construction in Jeddo, Okpe LGA.

Ejeba Road Extension, Jelink Road, and Olomoro Road Extension in Isoko South LGA.

Reconstruction of Uzere-Asaba-Ase Bridge and adjoining roads in Ndokwa East and Isoko South LGAs.

Six internal roads in Isoko South and the Alisimie-Owa-Nta Road in Ika North East LGA.

Internal roads and drainage at NYSC Orientation Camp, Issele-Uku in Aniocha North LGA.

Access road to the Air Force base at Osubi Airport, and Opete Road by Plantation City to Opete Waterside in Udu LGA.

The Commissioner for Works, Rural and Riverine Roads, Charles Aniagwu, added that EXCO has issued a directive to terminate contracts with companies that have failed to mobilize for over a year. This move aims to ensure efficiency and timely completion of projects.

Education and Community Development: Construction of a Model Secondary School in Oporoza, and an access road to Nigeria Maritime University Okerenkoko, Warri South-West LGA.

According to the Commissioner for Riverine Infrastructure, Ebikeme Clark, the governor has prioritized road access to the Nigerian Maritime University, a federal institution, connecting its temporary and permanent sites, a development welcomed by riverine communities.

The Lagos State Commissioner, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab has warned Lagosians against the blocking of drainage systems and clogging of canals.

Wahab gave the warning on Monday in a post he shared on his official X account while referring to the flood in Spain.

“Difficult decisions must sometimes be made, prioritizing the greater public good. When drainage systems are blocked or canals are clogged, the consequences are dire, affecting every one of us irrespective of our religion, tribe or ethnic group,” Wahab warned. 

“The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources may be leading these efforts, but this is not merely about one leader, it is about the safety and well-being of all Lagosians. Let’s stand together for a safer, more resilient Lagos.”

Wahab said it is never about ethnicity, tribe or religion, lamenting cars piled like toys, water slushing through the streets and the gory scenes from the vibrant streets of Valencia to the serene coastal town of Cadaquez.

He said situations like the one currently being experienced in Spain should have everyone concerned because we are witnessing the harsh reality of a planet under siege. 

The commissioner said the effects of climate change are indiscriminate, transcending gender, race, tribe, or religion, adding that this is why Lagos State must act now to prevent reaching a point of no return.

“Even in highly advanced environments, vigilance is constant. The city of London, for instance, recently carried out cleanups and removals, understanding that resilience against climate change requires ongoing effort,” Wahab said. 

He warned that Lagosians cannot afford to ignore this issue or dismiss it as someone else’s responsibility. 

According to him, protecting our communities is not just the work of a single commissioner but a collective responsibility that affects everyone.

Three persons have been reported dead in an accident which saw a truck ram into a commercial tricycle and a car in the Epe area of Lagos State on Monday. 

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed this in a post it shared on its official X account.

According to the statement, LASTMA said that the accident occurred as a result of a brake failure by the truck on its way from Ita-Opo. 

“Three lives were lost and they’ve been taken to the morgue at Epe General Hospital while we have a tow truck on the ground to evacuate the affected vehicles,” LASTMA said.

“Traffic has been diverted for easy vehicular movement.”

Efforts to get further details from the Lagos State Police Command proved abortive as calls and a text message put across to the phone of the Spokesman for the command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, were not responded to.

In another accident in the Abule Egba area of the state, LASTMA said many passengers suffered injuries after an evangelical bus was hit by a commercial bus that suffered brake failure.

“Injured passengers are now being taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, while our men are on the ground there to restore normalcy and control resultant traffic backlog,” the agency shared.

The Opoti/Akaliwari families, in Akumoni-Okordia Clan, in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa, have urged the state government, to prevail on Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), to construct road.

King Ezi Alubiri, former Paramount Ruler of Akumoni-Okordia community, stated this on Monday, during meeting with Mr Morris Alagoa, the Deputy Director Environmental Defender’s Network/Technical Adviser to the Gov. on Environment.

He appealed to the Bayelsa government to urge shell to construct road to link it location through Okordia than going through communities in Rivers State.

According to him, “In 1970s Ubie 10 Oil Well was discovered then we were under Rivers, but now we are in Bayelsa state Yenagoa LGA, we want shell to construct road that will pass through our community to their location which is on our land.

“We have written several letters to Shell, Commissioner for Environment, the Governor, commissioner, Natural Resources, Oil and Gas Commissioner, LGA Chairman, but to no avail.

“We are inviting shell to come and hold town hall meeting with us, see our grievances, and our benefits that should be given to us.

“Right now as I am talking, not everyone in the community are loyal, some are arrogant and we do not want anything crisis.

“From now before the rig will come to the site, they have to come sit with us, we equally calling on Bayelsa government to call shell to order and let them do the right thing,” he said.

On his part, Jacob Bunata, member of Akaliwari family, said that the oil well is in Bayelsa community but the Rivers community, is the one benefiting more because of the road to the location is close to them.

He appealed to the Bayelsa governor to direct shell to do the needful for the sake of peace among them.

In his response, Alagoa, said he had received several calls from the community, an listen to them on phone I felt looking back with the experiences.

“We had in communities around Bayelsa and the Niger Delta, especially in Okordia. I felt I should come to hear an give them the platform to express themselves to the government.

“Shell which is at the centre of this issue to hear and we have had them. They have written letters about how distress they are for an oil well that is suppose to be in Okordia Akumoni, in there family land.

“But it’s been access through communities in Rivers State, they feel that some benefits are still going to the communities, their complains are germin.

“I think since they have express themselves written letters to Govt. Shell, we fill that shell and govt. should respond to them, because we have had it here in Okordia Clan, not ones or twice.

“Now that we are still looking at the Bayelsa oil and environmental commission report, talking about how polluted Bayelsa state environment is.

“How we are thinking how to get proper clean up, compensation and remediation, of the polluted environment.

“We want to ensure that any other thing that tends further pollution is prevented that is my main reason of coming here,” he said.

On the night of October 24, 2024, a joyful trip to reunite old friends from Command Secondary School Abakaliki (CSSA) for their 40th anniversary turned into a macabre nightmare when a chartered bus from PKO Transport and Logistics, Yaba, carrying 15 alumni from the Lagos chapter collided with rock debris and caught fire just eight minutes before arriving in their hotel in Ebonyi State. 

The tragic accident, which occurred near the G-hostel junction on the Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway, claimed the lives of seven passengers, five of whom were burnt beyond recognition, and several others suffered severe injuries that will have long-term consequences and trauma in their lives.

Mr. Chuks, the bus driver, reportedly abandoned his 15 passengers trapped inside the bus but later returned to save his phone as the fire continued to engulf the vehicle. 

The Incident

One of the injured survivors, Deborah Chinyere, told The Guardian that the event was “ugly.” She recounts that the driver was unfamiliar with the route, so she and a fellow passenger, Victory Onah, used Google Maps to help with directions, but unfortunately, a turn was missed.

“Victory got distracted and forgot to tell the driver to take a left turn that would have led us straight to the hotel, where the event was holding,” Chinyere said.

When the missed turn was communicated to the driver, Chinyere claimed that the driver “flared up and became angry, and he was not concentrating, asking why we had not told him in time,” but despite attempts to reassure the driver that they were still on track and not to panic, Chinyere claimed that the driver was “still angry” and began to “driving recklessly.” 

“So that was where the whole thing started. Because of his anger, he couldn’t drive carefully. He started driving so, you know, recklessly.” she stated

“He was just so pissed; I knew this because I was sitting directly at his back so I could read his countenance.” 

As the situation went south, Chinyere noted that the driver reportedly accelerated the speed limit to around 120 to 130 kilometres, which led to the bus colliding with road construction debris filled with rocks on the Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway, an area that reportedly lacked appropriate warning signs about road conditions.

According to Chinyere, the impact ruptured the fuel tank, causing the bus to catch fire almost immediately. “It started with the smoke, and then within some seconds, fire came out from different angles, from the back, from the front, everywhere,” she said. 

That fire claimed the lives of five passengers who were burnt beyond recognition at the scene, while two others later succumbed to their injuries at the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki. The tragedy has left several survivors with severe burns, fractures, and emotional scars that will last for years. 

Other survivors, who spoke exclusively to The Guardian, recounted traumatic moments of fear, confusion, and disbelief, describing how the bus driver, Mr. Chuks, abandoned them  as the vehicle caught fire but later returned only to retrieve his phone, leaving many trapped inside.

d fellow commandos (a term used to refer to graduates from the school).

Dada  recalled to The Guardian that the incident was “frightening beyond words” the moment the fire started, as the bus swerved and crashed into the debris. “The driver ran into rocks, and we heard a loud noise. Then, the person behind me shouted,  ‘Fire!’  I was terrified,” Dada recalled. “I tried to open the door from my seat, but it wouldn’t budge. That’s when I started calling on the name of Jesus.”

Dada, who was seated behind the driver, said her instinct, which she attributed to God, told her to find her way out through the driver’s side of the bus.

She said, ” I moved towards the driver side of the bus because I noticed there seemed to be a way out from there. Whether I jump out or flew or what, I don’t know. I just landed on the road by the burning bus and my instinct again (which I still say it’s the voice of God) told me to leave the floor or else I’ll get burnt by the fire or the bus exploding. Stood up in pain, not knowing I had already been burnt on my face and right fingers. Stood up and moved away to the other side and saw vividly the extent of the fire, hoping all was safe but unfortunately not.”

Agnes sustained burns to her right ear, face, and fingers but was thankful to be alive. “It’s all by God’s grace. I don’t know how I made it out.”

Read More From The Guardian

The Lagos State Government has launched the Interstate Park Accreditation and Passenger Manifest Digitization project, aimed at revolutionising interstate travel through improved safety, reliability and efficiency.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi launched the project on behalf of the government on Friday, November 8, 2024.

Speaking at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, Osiyemi emphasised the importance of the project, stating that it is a commitment to the safety and comfort of every traveller who enters or exits Lagos by road.

Osiyemi highlighted the project’s core objectives as standardization of interstate parks across the state and the transformation of the passenger manifest system into a fully digital platform.

He added that the initiative consists of two primary components which he mentioned as Interstate Park Accreditation and Digital Passenger Manifest System.

According to him, the Interstate Park Accreditation will require all interstate parks in Lagos to undergo an accreditation process where parks that meet the Ministry of Transportation’s safety and service standards will be officially certified.

“These accredited parks will display distinctive signage, reassuring travellers that they are boarding from a secure and regulated facility,” Osiyemi said.

“Unregulated, roadside “mushroom” parks will be required to meet specific standards or make necessary improvements to operate.”

Speaking further, the commissioner said that the Digital Passenger Manifest System is moving from a paper-based manifest system to a digital platform which will enable the real-time capture and secure storage of passenger data.

He said this will provide immediate access to accurate passenger information in case of incidents, empowering emergency responders with critical information for swift action.

Osiyemi mentioned that established parks with existing systems will be integrated into the State’s centralised platform.

He said with the initiative, Lagosians can travel with confidence, park operators gain credibility and Lagos State can set new standards for modern and efficient transport systems.

Aligning with the objectives of the initiative, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa stated that the initiative is designed to ensure the safety and protection of Lagosians while also enabling the state to better plan for the flow of people entering and exiting Lagos.

He also assured that the set standard format for the parks will ensure good sanitation, effective security and non-availability of substances.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, Olawale Musa noted that the current state of interstate parks requires improvement and reorganisation.

Musa emphasised that the government is mindful of data protection laws, assuring that any passenger information shared with the state will be kept confidential and not disclosed publicly.

the Managing Director, Touch and Pay, (TAP) technologies, the organisation responsible for implementing the project, Olamide Afolabi explained that agents at accredited parks will collect manifests and digitise them by verifying passengers’ phone numbers and National Identification Numbers (NIN).

Afolabi noted that information collected will be linked to the motor parks, the vehicle’s plate number and the driver through a unique identification code, saying the information will be connected to the Ministry of Transportation’s database.

He further mentioned that the initiative will also help the government phase out unregulated “mushroom” motor parks that have been posing threats to lives and property.

The State Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Comrade Usman Teslim praised the state government for this progressive initiative.

Teslim highlighted the successful collaboration between the Ministry, the consulting firm and the NURTW in making this transition from an analogue to a digital platform possible.