President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that he is always concerned about the welfare of the masses.

He disclosed that he reads about happenings in the country every morning before leaving home.

Tinubu stated this during an interfaith breaking of fast with senior journalists and media executives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

He said that he was a little bit stubborn at the beginning of his administration.

The president also stated that his administration has opened up on the principles of true federalism to the extent that local governments now get direct allocation from the Federal Government.

He said, “There’s no morning that I ever leave my house without going through the newspapers. It’s an addiction. I read all of you.

“It might not be in full detail, but headline, the one that would hit me and the ones that won’t.

“At the beginning of this administration, I was just a little bit stubborn, looking at opportunities to correct things and make life more easier for the downtrodden.”

Meanwhile, Tinubu has stated that improving Nigeria is a collective responsibility.

He asserted that the country’s development cannot be the sole responsibility of the federal government and urged the media to hold states and local governments accountable.

The President stated this on Friday when he hosted media executives and proprietors at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Tinubu cited increased financial autonomy for the lower tiers of government and urged the media to extend the same level of scrutiny they apply to his government to the local and state administrations.

“We’ve opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money. But how they use it is in your hands,” Tinubu said.

“So don’t bombard me alone; look at the local government too. Yes, we can complain it’s not enough; we can complain we are not where we should be. But we have to manage what we have to sustain today, survive tomorrow, and make progress.

“Today, there is no state that is borrowing to pay the salaries of employees,” he told the gathering.

“Yes, we can complain that it’s not enough. We can complain we are not where we should be, but we have to manage what we have to sustain today, survive tomorrow, and make progress,” he added.

The ex-Lagos State governor reiterated his commitment to doing the job with dedication.

“And I promise you, the job that I continue to do is dedication, patriotic dedication to improve Nigeria. It’s all in our hands; it’s a collective responsibility,” he said.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (Shiites) on Friday held a rally in Abuja to mourn the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

The gathering marked the first time the group has staged a demonstration in the Federal Capital Territory since the cleric was reportedly killed on February 26 during the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel.

The rally coincided with the annual Quds Day observance and drew thousands of Shiite Muslims to the National Mosque in Abuja.

Participants were seen carrying banners, waving flags and chanting slogans condemning Israeli actions against Palestinians.

Prior to the rally, concerns over possible protests in the FCT had prompted heightened security measures across parts of Abuja.

The United States Embassy in Nigeria had also temporarily shut its operations amid fears of demonstrations.

Speaking with Punch, the Chairman of the Media Forum of the Islamic Movement, Ammar Rajab, said the group had been observing Quds Day in Nigeria for more than four decades.

According to him, the annual event typically features lectures, discussions, processions and public awareness campaigns.

Rajab said the 2026 observance was particularly significant due to the worsening humanitarian situation in Palestinian territories.

He said, “This year’s observance is particularly urgent as reports indicate that over 200,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured since October 2023, with hundreds of thousands displaced. Journalists have been barred from reporting the crisis, leaving the reality largely hidden.

“We also mourned the assassination of Ayatullah Ali Khamenei, highlighting his uncompromising stand against oppression and injustice, and reaffirmed the movement’s call for the freedom and liberation of Palestine.”

Rajab, however, dismissed reports that security operatives attacked members of the group during the rally.

“It is not true. We started peacefully and left without any intervention from the police,” he said.

Meanwhile, some residents reported traffic congestion along the Nyanya–Mararaba axis as security personnel mounted checkpoints and conducted vehicle searches following the announcement of the rally.

The movement also held a demonstration in Bauchi State in support of Palestine and Iran.

Speaking with Saturday Punch, the leader of the movement in the state, Ahmad Yashi, said the protest formed part of activities marking Quds Day, which is observed on the last Friday of Ramadan globally.

“This is a known demonstration held on the last Friday of every Ramadan worldwide under the Quds Day platform. It is to show support and sympathy for Palestinians who have been under invasion for about eight decades,” he said.

Yashi maintained that the demonstrations organised by the group had always been peaceful.

He alleged that previous breakdowns of law and order occurred due to what he described as misunderstandings by authorities regarding the group’s activities.

The IMN also reiterated its support for Iran amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel. According to Yashi, the killing of Khamenei would not resolve the crisis but could further escalate tensions.

“We are with Iran in heart and soul. They targeted the Iranian Supreme Leader to make the country surrender, but they are mistaken. The Supreme Leader, as a religious authority, was among those dousing tensions,” he said.

He also criticised Western powers, accusing them of contributing to global instability.

“Islam is a peaceful religion, but the West is the problem. They are selfish and want everyone to bow to them. This will not happen; those days are gone,” Yashi added.

He disclosed that members of the movement in Bauchi had earlier staged a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with Iran.

“We conducted a peaceful demonstration in support of Iran, and every Muslim must take a side in this war. You are either with the righteous or with the oppressors,” he said.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has distributed a total of ₦1.89 trillion as revenue for February 2026 among the Federal Government, state governments and the 774 local government councils.

The revenue was shared during the March 2026 meeting of FAAC held in Abuja on Friday, March 14.

It was reports that the meeting was chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun.

According to a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance, the total gross revenue available for February stood at ₦2.23 trillion before the statutory deductions were made.

From the total distributable amount of ₦1.89 trillion, the Federal Government received ₦675.08 billion, while state governments shared ₦651.52 billion. Local government councils received ₦456.46 billion, while the sum of ₦110.94 billion was allocated to oil-producing states as 13 per cent derivation revenue from mineral resources.

The committee explained that from the gross revenue of ₦2.23 trillion, a total of ₦77.30 billion was deducted as the cost of revenue collection, while ₦259.07 billion was set aside for transfers, interventions and refunds before the remaining balance was distributed among the three tiers of government.

The communiqué also revealed that revenue generated from value-added tax recorded a significant drop during the period under review.

According to FAAC, gross VAT revenue for February stood at ₦668.45 billion, representing a sharp decline from the ₦1.08 trillion recorded in January. The drop indicated a reduction of about ₦414.71 billion in VAT receipts.

From the VAT revenue, ₦26.73 billion was deducted as the cost of collection, while ₦22.59 billion was allocated for transfers, interventions and refunds. After the deductions, the remaining ₦619.11 billion was shared among the three tiers of government.

Out of this amount, the Federal Government received ₦61.91 billion, the state governments received ₦340.51 billion, while the local government councils were allocated ₦216.69 billion.

The committee also disclosed that statutory revenue for February declined when compared with the previous month. Gross statutory revenue for the month stood at ₦1.56 trillion, which was lower than the ₦1.95 trillion recorded in January, indicating a decline of ₦395.13 billion.

From the statutory revenue generated in February, the sum of ₦50.56 billion was deducted as cost of collection, while ₦236.48 billion was allocated for transfers, interventions and refunds.

After the deductions, the remaining ₦1.27 trillion was distributed among the three tiers of government. The Federal Government received ₦613.17 billion from the statutory revenue, while the states received ₦311.01 billion and the local government councils received ₦239.77 billion. Oil-producing states also received ₦110.94 billion as derivation revenue representing 13 per cent of mineral resources.

The committee further noted that revenue from oil and gas royalties as well as excise duties recorded notable increases during the month under review.

However, it stated that several key revenue streams recorded significant declines, including petroleum profit tax, hydrocarbon tax, companies’ income tax, capital gains tax, stamp duties and value-added tax.

The communiqué also indicated that import duties and the common external tariff recorded slight increases during the period.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN