President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law the revised N10.8 trillion 2020 budget.

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law the revised N10.8 trillion 2020 budget and directed the release of at least 50 per cent of the approved 2020 revised capital expenditure to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).⁣

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had on May 13, approved a revised budget of 10.523 trillion.⁣

However, the two chambers of the National Assembly – the Senate and House of Representatives — increased the budget from the initial N10.5 trillion submitted by the President to N10.8 trillion.⁣

The figure shows that the sum of N2,488,789,433,344 is for capital expenditure, while N4,942,269,241,984 is for recurrent non-debt expenditure.⁣

Others are N2.6 trillion for debt service and N2.9 trillion for sinking funds.⁣

After signing the budget on Friday at the Council Chamber of the State House, Buhari said that the budget had to be revised because of the effect of coronavirus on the nation’s economy.⁣

According to him, MDAs will be given 50 per cent of their capital allocation by the end of the month.⁣

NAN reports that the event was witnessed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.⁣

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Minister of State Finance, Clement Agba, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele and Director General, Budget, Ben Akabueze were also at the event.⁣

📹: @pulsenigeria247

Chinese officials warned against an unknown pneumonia that is deadlier than Coronavirus.

According to the warning issued by the embassy: “The death rate of this disease is much higher than the novel coronavirus. The country’s health departments are conducting comparative research into the pneumonia virus, but have yet to identify the virus.”

“Unknown pneumonia in Kazakhstan caused 1,772 deaths in the first six months of the year, including 628 people in June alone, including Chinese citizens, the embassy said in a statement.

“The fatality rate of the disease is much higher than COVID-19,” read the embassy’s statement.

“Health officials have recorded more than 32,000 cases of pneumonia between June 29 and July 5 alone, along with 451 deaths,” said Kazakhstan’s Health Ministry.

About 300 people diagnosed with pneumonia are being hospitalized every day,’ Saule Kisikova, the health care department chief in Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan, told state news agency Kazinform.

Meanwhile, there are 53,021 coronavirus cases and 264 deaths in Kazakhstan

Vice President Wants Blogger Investigated Over N4BN Allegations.

Lawyers to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have written to the Inspector General of Police asking for a full investigation into allegations made by an online journalist Jackson Ude from Point-Blank news who on the 8th of July 2020 wrote an article alleging that the vice president had received 4 billion naira from the embattled EFCC chairman Ibrahim Magu.

According to the article, the money was part of a 39 billion naira loot by Mr Magu.

The blogger is also said to have alleged that the embattled EFCC chair is begging for a soft landing from the presidential panel because of this.

The letter written by the chambers of Bayo Osipitan and Co dated 8th July 2020 describes the allegations as vicious and malicious meant to portray the vice president as a dishonest and disloyal public officer unfit for the office of the vice president.

Embattled acting boss of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu is said o have spent four days in police custody.

The letter called for a thorough investigation into the allegations made by Jackson Ude, noting that if those claims are found to be false, then criminal proceedings for criminal defamation should be brought against Jackson Ude.

Osinbajo’s call comes on the heels of an ongoing probe into the operations of Ibrahim Magu as acting boss of the EFCC.

Magu, who is believed to have been removed from office is spending a fourth day in the custody of the Nigeria Police.

This comes as the presidential panel continues its investigation into the activities of the commission under the leadership of Magu.

The panel is reported to have extended its probe to properties alleged to have been acquired by Magu in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

On Tuesday night, a team of security officials reportedly searched his homes in Abuja and were reported to have left with some documents, although it was not confirmed if anything incriminating was found during the search.

The investigation of Magu followed the allegations of misconduct levelled against him by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. 📹: @channelstelevision

Update: Igbo Men Donate To Save The Nigerian Man Held As Collateral By The Dreaded Pakistani Gang.

A group of Igbo men have come together to save a Nigerian man who was seen in a viral video being tortured by a dreaded Pakistani gang after his “brother” named Andrew used him as a collateral and absconded without paying the gang back.

The Nigerian man explained that he will be killed on July 10 if Andrew does not pay back what he owes the gang. He then begged his uncle to sell everything they have and pay a man named “Nuruz”.

A group of wealthy Igbo men have now come to his aid and are willing to pay to get him his freedom.

In a video shared online, the Igbo men, one of them a US-based man, explained that they’ve spoken with Nuruz and reasoned with him and he promised to be fair to the Nigerian man and preserve his life. They added that among themselves, they will raise Nuruz’s money and get the Igbo man back home.

“Relax your mind, we’ll raise the money, the men promised.

In the video recorded for the Nigerian man to view, they told him to relax his mind and stop fretting because they are working to get him out. They said Nuruz gave them his word that he will not kill him if payment is made.