Lagos State House of Assembly Passes N2.27 Trillion Budget for 2024

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The Lagos State House of Assembly has passed the state’s 2024 budget, totaling N2,267,976,120,869, at a plenary session presided over by Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa. The budget, comprising 58 percent Capital Expenditure and 42 percent Recurrent Expenditure, received unanimous approval from the lawmakers present.

The Speaker proposed the passage of a bill authorizing the appropriation of N952,430,566,998 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for Recurrent Expenditure and N1,315,545,553,871 from the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure, resulting in the total budget size. Speaker Obasa commended the legislators for their diligence and cooperation in swiftly passing the Appropriation Bill. He directed the Clerk of the House, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko, to forward the approved budget to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for assent.

Before the budget’s passage, Hon. Sa’ad Olumoh, chairman of the joint-committee on Budget and Finance, presented a report with recommendations to the House. The recommendations included placing the Public Works Corporation, Water Corporation, and state-owned tertiary institutions on first-line charge to enhance their performance.

Governor Sanwo-Olu had presented the 2024 budget proposal of N2.246 trillion to the House, anticipating internally generated revenue of N1.251 trillion and federal government allocations of N596.629 billion. During the presentation, Speaker Obasa emphasized the need for a functional budget that would uplift the people and drive infrastructural growth.

Source: Daily Trust

BF Borgers, an accounting firm owned by former US President Donald Trump, has been accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of engaging in widespread fraud and operating a “sham audit mill.” The SEC alleges that BF Borgers committed “deliberate and systemic failures,” including the fabrication of audit papers and false assurances to clients regarding compliance with accounting standards.

This fraudulent activity, described as “massive,” occurred between January 2021 and June 2023, impacting over 1,500 SEC filings and more than 500 public companies. As a consequence, the SEC has permanently barred BF Borgers from practicing as accountants before the agency and imposed a severe penalty, including a collective fine of $14 million against the firm and its owner, Benjamin Borgers.

In a statement, Gurbir Grewal, director of the SEC’s enforcement division, declared that Borgers and his “sham audit mill” have been permanently shut down. The SEC has notified public companies that engaged BF Borgers to seek new accounting firms.

Trump Media & Technology Group, chaired and majority-owned by Donald Trump, was among BF Borgers’ clients. While Trump Media may be the most high-profile client, BF Borgers served around 350 clients subject to SEC rules during the mentioned period. However, the SEC review only examined BF Borgers’ work for public companies, excluding its services to Trump Media when it was private.

Trump Media, despite its significant valuation on Wall Street exceeding $9 billion, generates limited revenue. Its social media platform, Truth Social, faces challenges, with a notable decline in average daily active US users on iOS and Android in April. Despite this, Donald Trump remains a prominent user on Truth Social.

In response to the SEC’s actions, a spokesperson for Trump Media expressed readiness to collaborate with new auditing partners in compliance with the SEC’s order. BF Borgers did not provide a comment on the allegations.

In summary, BF Borgers, owned by Donald Trump, faces severe consequences following accusations of fraud by the SEC. The firm’s practices, characterized as a “sham audit mill,” have led to permanent suspension and hefty fines. Trump Media, among BF Borgers’ clients, is navigating challenges despite its substantial valuation, particularly with its Truth Social platform experiencing a decline in user engagement.

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