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Cross River State Assembly approves N642bn supplementary budget for 2025

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The Cross River State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed N642 billion as the State 2025 Supplementary Budget.

Recall that the Assembly had passed the 2025 Appropriation on December 24, 2024, with an approved budget size of N538bn tagged “Budget of Sustainable Growth”.

The supplementary budget, therefore, shows a variance of  26% increase over the originally approved budget.

The Lawmakers stated that the approval of the supplementary budget was necessitated by Governor Bassey Otu’s commitment to the infrastructural development of the 18 Local Government Areas of the State.

Chairman of the Assembly’s Finance and Appropriation Committee, Okon Owuna, who presented the report of his committee on Tuesday, stated that the supplementary budget became necessary to accommodate several critical expenditures that were not originally captured in the 2025 budget.

Owuna said, “The key factors necessitating the supplementary budget include new obligations and emergency spending not captured in the original budget, recently approved strategic programmes requiring immediate financial backing and improved outlook from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), internal grants and allocations from FAAC.

“These developments have provided the fiscal space to introduce additional expenditure across critical sectors.”

The Lawmaker informed that the supplementary budget introduced an upward adjustment across sectors like Administration, Economic, Law and Justice, Regional and Social, adding that the budget will be financed from IGR, Aids and Grants and Federal Account Allocation Committee.

Owuna also commended the State Government for adhering to the Constitution, stressing that, “It is with great joy that we observed that the Senator Bassey Edet Otu-led administration has brought us to the landscape of passing a supplementary budget as contemplated by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as altered).

“In the past, the House was faced with the downward review of each year’s budget, resulting in amendment of the Appropriation Law instead of passing a Supplementary Appropriation Law”, he emphasised.

In his reaction, the Speaker of the Assembly, Elvert Ayambem, reiterated that the supplementary budget is for the welfare of citizens, adding that projects in all the Local Government Areas have been duly captured to transform the State.

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Lagos: Tears, chaos as bulldozers storm Oworonshoki at midnight, demolish more buildings

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Residents of the Ojulari community in Oworonshoki, Lagos, have raised fresh alarm after demolition teams reportedly returned late Saturday night to pull down more houses in the area.

It was gathered that the operation continued into the early hours of Sunday despite widespread protests and resistance.

Eyewitnesses told reporters on Sunday morning that at least two bulldozers were deployed for the exercise, accompanied by a large number of police officers.

According to residents, over 50 armed policemen fired teargas through the night to disperse those attempting to resist the demolition. They claimed the operation had not ceased as of early Sunday.

“We didn’t sleep at all. They came back in the night after we stopped them in the morning. Even now, Sunday morning, the demolition is still ongoing,” one resident, Olanrewaju Segun said.

“More than 50 police officers were shooting teargas at people protesting as they pulled down our homes. Many don’t know where to go. This is a grave injustice.”

Earlier on Saturday, residents had successfully blocked an initial attempt to demolish homes in the Udi Araba area, a densely populated section overlooking the Lagos Lagoon.

“They started demolishing without marking any building. We quickly mobilised and stopped them, and that was how they left in the morning. But we didn’t know they would return at midnight,” another resident said.

Some residents have accused the Oba of Oworonshoki, Oba Babatunde Saliu, of supporting the demolition to reclaim waterfront lands allegedly meant for private development.

However, the monarch has denied any involvement, stating that he too had previously suffered losses from a similar government-led exercise.

“I was also a victim when I unknowingly built on land that had been acquired by the government. I have no hand in any demolition,” he said.

The Baale of Oworonshoki, Chief Olorunwa Luwa, also condemned the ongoing exercise, insisting it was not sanctioned by any government authority.

“If this were a government-approved operation, it wouldn’t happen at midnight or 3 a.m. People with genuine property documents are losing their homes in this lawless exercise,” he said.

As of Sunday morning, residents said the demolitions were still ongoing, leaving scores of families homeless and in shock over what they described as “a coordinated night assault” on their community.

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‘Lagos Govt Property Demolition Was Not Authorized By Any Court’ – Falana

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Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has stated that no court authorised the Lagos State government’s demolition exercise.

It was recalls that Justice Adegboyega Balogun of the Lagos State High Court issued an interim order stopping further demolition of properties in parts of Oworonsoki, after complaints by affected residents who denied receiving any compensation.

Justice Balogun granted a restraining order against the respondents and their agents or contractors, prohibiting further demolitions or the creation of third-party interests over properties located on Ojileru Street, Ososa Extension, and Toluwalase Street within the Itesiwaju Ajumoni Community Development Area (CDA).

In a statement on Sunday, Falana alleged that the Lagos State Government demolished no fewer than 100 properties in Oworonsoki despite a court restraining order.

According to Falana, he demolition exercise carried out in the dead of the night has led many families to be displaced.

The statement read, “In flagrant breach and contempt of the subsisting court order and upon the service of the court order on them, the defendants mobilised over 50 armed policemen and thugs who fired teargas throughout the night to disperse those protesting the demolition and proceeded to commence a fresh demolition.

“The demolition, which was carried out in the dead of the night, has led to the destruction of not less than 100 properties, with many families displaced. The action of the demolition squad was not authorised by any court.

“The action of the demolished squad is a sad reminder of the aggravated contempt committed by the Lagos State Government, 39 years ago, in the celebrated case of The Military Governor of Lagos State & Ors. v. Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu & Anor. (1986) 2 NWLR (PT 18) 621, where the Supreme Court set a precedent against disregard for due process and the rule of law.

Notwithstanding that the country was then under a military junta, the Supreme Court deprecated the action of the Lagos State Government in defying a court order and resorting to self-help.”

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Resident Doctors To Begin Indefinite Strike November 1

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The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced plans to commence an indefinite nationwide strike from November 1, 2025.

It was reports that the decision followed a five-hour meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) on Saturday.

In a statement on Sunday, NARD President, Dr Mohammad Suleiman, said the action became inevitable after the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal Government over unresolved demands.

The association is demanding a 200 percent increase in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), full implementation of new allowances proposed since July 2022, immediate recruitment of clinical staff, and removal of bottlenecks hindering the replacement of exiting doctors.

“The NEC has marshalled out minimum demands, strike monitoring directives, and ‘no work, no pay/no pay, no work’ resolutions needed for a successful execution of this action,” the statement partly read.

Suleiman explained that the National Officers Committee (NOC) has been mandated to ensure full compliance across all centres.

He added that centre presidents and general secretaries have been directed to convene emergency congress meetings to brief members on the resolutions.

The NARD president also accused some actors within and outside government of plotting against doctors.

He said, “We are aware of evil and exploitative plans against resident doctors, and the union will collectively resist such moves.”

Suleiman urged resident doctors to use the next few days to properly hand over patients, engage community and religious leaders, and sensitise the public ahead of the strike.

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