The Federal Government has allocated ₦27 billion for the entitlements of former presidents, vice presidents, heads of state, chiefs of staff, retired heads of service, and professors in the 2025 fiscal year.

The beneficiaries of this allocation include former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari, alongside ex-vice-presidents Atiku Abubakar, Namadi Sambo, and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. Other notable individuals expected to benefit from this allocation are ex-military Heads of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.) and Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), as well as former military President, Ibrahim Babangida, and retired Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe.

It can be recalled that President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday presented the 2025 budget, titled ‘Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity,’ to a joint session of the National Assembly. The ₦49.70 trillion spending plan prioritizes defence, infrastructure, and human capital development, with a projected ₦13.39 trillion deficit to be financed through borrowing.

The Federal Government has allocated ₦1.4 trillion for pensions, gratuities, and retirees’ benefits. This allocation includes ₦2.3 billion for former presidents, heads of state, and vice presidents. Retired heads of service and permanent secretaries will receive ₦10.5 billion, while retired professors in universities will get ₦13.5 billion. Additionally, ₦1 billion has been allocated for retired heads of government agencies and parastatals. The total allocation for these groups amounts to ₦27 billion.

Furthermore, the budget allocates ₦46 billion for civilian pensions under the Office of the Head of Civil Service, while ₦383.9 billion is earmarked for military pensions and gratuities. An additional ₦66.8 billion is budgeted for expected retirees, with ₦434 million allocated for administrative charges, ₦596 million for pension running costs, and ₦870 million for medical retirees.

The Federal Government has also set aside funds for various social investment programs, including the student loan scheme, National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy programs, National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, and the Consumer Credit Fund initiatives. A total of ₦500 billion has been allocated for these programs, with ₦50 billion specifically earmarked for the student loan scheme.

Tinubu Is Not Our Problem In North; We Ruled Nigeria For 40 Years But Nothing To Show – Ex-Speaker Yakubu Dogara

North Remains The Same, Impoverished Despite Ruling Nigeria For Over 40-Years, Says Dogara.

“We are all northerners, and it should be made clear that President Tinubu or the South is not our problem. They have not come to cheat the North. That is out of the question.

“Some are claiming that Yoruba people are getting appointments, but let’s reflect. We ruled this country for over 40-years when northerners were in power. What did we achieve? The North remains the same, impoverished by our own leaders.

“We have had so much, but what did our governors do with the resources? They squandered them instead of investing in meaningful development.” -Yakubu Dogara, At A Townhall Meeting In Kaduna On Tax Reforms

Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has issued a direct challenge to the United States.

Putin proposed a “high-technology duel” to test the effectiveness of Russia’s latest hypersonic ballistic missile, the Oreshnik.

The head of state made the proposition during his annual end-of-year press conference, a platform he often uses to assert Russia’s strength.

Military.com reports the Oreshnik missile, named after the Russian word for hazel tree, is an advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads.

It reportedly reaches speeds up to 8,500 miles per hour, making it a formidable addition to Russia’s arsenal.

What is Putin’s challenge to US and allies

Putin’s challenge involves the US selecting a target to defend, against which Russia would launch the Oreshnik on Kyiv to demonstrate its ability to penetrate advanced missile defence systems.

“We’re ready for such an experiment,” expressing confidence that Western technology “stands no chance” against this new weapon.

In November, Russia deployed the Oreshnik against a military facility in Dnipro, Ukraine, marking its first known use in combat.

This action was framed as retaliation for Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied missiles, such as the US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow, in strikes against Russian territories.

How did Ukraine respond to Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to Putin’s challenge, questioning the rationality of such a proposal.

“Do you think he is a sane person?” Zelenskyy posed to reporters at his latest news conference as reported by Al Jazeera.

He went on to say that Ukraine and Russia had failed to strike an agreement during early-war discussions in Istanbul.

This comes after Putin stated that a tentative deal agreed by Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul during the early weeks of the war may serve as the foundation for future conversations.

“Ukraine did not agree to the ultimatum from the Russian Federation. Ukraine did not sign anything, no agreements existed. There was a response to the ultimatum from the Russian Federation,” he declared.