Officials spark backlash after leaked memo reveals stunning use of taxpayer money: 'People should now understand the kind of leaders they have'
According to 21st Century Chronicle, the document revealed that 44 local government councils were directed to collectively release N670 million (roughly $470,000) for luxury cars — not for infrastructure, education, or public health, but for Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II.
According to a memo dated March 25 and leaked in May, the funds were earmarked for refurbishing a 1969 Rolls-Royce and a Cadillac limousine, as well as procuring four brand-new Toyota Land Cruisers. The money, taken from the State/Local Government Joint Account, was to be funneled through a private firm, Sottom Synergy Resources Ltd.
The backlash was immediate.
Isah Bello, a member of the Kano State Community of Practice for budget tracking, called the funding allocation unconstitutional, saying it "was not captured in the 2025 budget. The local governments are entitled to their money, and there is no provision whatsoever to compel them to source those funds."
Civil Society for Justice's Umar Saidu echoed that sentiment, explaining many initially assumed the memo was fake — a reaction that speaks volumes about the public's faith in governance.
Critics say the decision contradicts Kano's stated citizen-first policies. "People should now understand the kind of leaders they have," said local resident Idris Gora, slamming the move as a betrayal of public trust, according to 21st Century Chronicle.
At a time when Kano residents face pressing social challenges — including youth unemployment and rising crime — allocating taxpayer money to vintage cars sends the wrong message. "The decision by the state government was poorly conceived and wrongly implemented," added Dr. Shetima Abdullahi, a lecturer at Kano State Polytechnic.
Still, state officials insist the purchases are routine. Commissioner for Information Ibrahim Abdullahi Wayya defended the decision, stating the cars are meant to "protect and promote" the emirate's image, not serve as personal perks for the monarch.
Whether legal or not, the move is fueling frustration around misused public funds — especially in an era where fiscal transparency and community-first planning are more vital than ever.
As cities around the world invest in cleaner transit, local food systems, and sustainable housing, missteps like this serve as a reminder of why citizen participation in budgeting and public accountability matters — for people and for the planet.
Should the government be paying us to upgrade our homes?
Definitely
Depends on how much it costs
Depends on what it's for
No way
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Rolls-Royce share price smashed its own record this week. Is it too late to buy?
Well, it turned out that I was right about Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR). I had previously written that the already-soaring Rolls-Royce share price might go even higher if the aeronautical engineer announced it was performing well and raised its targets yet again. Hey presto, in its interim results over the past week the company did just that. The Rolls-Royce share price jumped to a new all-time high. Its rise has been staggering. Up 80% already this year, the FTSE 100 share is now 1,234% higher than five years ago. Compare that to the 55% gain in the index over that period and the scale of Rolls' achievement comes clearly into view. I have missed out on the recent gains after selling my Rolls shares a while back. Might now be the time to add them back into my portfolio? Strong business performance The share price jump did not come out of nowhere. For the first six months of the year, Rolls reported a pre-tax profit of £4.8bn. That represented a massive jump from £1.4bn for the equivalent period last year. The company's own measure is underlying pre-tax profit, which came in at £1.7bn. That was much smaller than the statutory figure, but still significantly higher than the prior year figure of £1.0bn. Either way, Rolls' profitability leapt. In the company's own words, the period saw 'significant year on year improvement across all key financial metrics'. But the Rolls-Royce share price did not leap to a new all-time high just because of strong performance to date, some of which I think was already priced in. Part of the surge reflected what I had previously identified as a possible driver for the share price – another hike to the company's performance targets. It lifted this year's underlying operating profit goal from £2.7bn-£2.9bn to £3.1bn-£3.2bn. Free cash flow for the year is now forecast to come in at £3.0bn-£3.1bn, up from £2.7bn-£2.9bn previously. This company's on fire! I must admit, I am impressed. Under its current management, Rolls-Royce has not only set challenging financial targets, it has also been able to deliver on them – and raise them. Can it keep doing so? The wind is in Rolls' sails. As its results demonstrated, civil aviation demand is high both for initial sales and servicing. Power systems demand is also high, with revenues in that division growing by a fifth year-on-year. Meanwhile, while the firm's defence division reported year-on-year revenue growth of only 1%, demand from Western governments is high and I expect that business to grow more in coming years. Still, the surging Rolls-Royce share price means the firm now commands a market capitalisation of £90bn. To me that looks high. The company's performance has transformed – but some of its underlying market dynamics have not. In the key civil aviation market, we know from experience that a sudden unexpected event like a pandemic or terrorist attack can see demand collapse overnight. I do not think that risk is reflected in the current Rolls-Royce share price so will not be investing. The post The Rolls-Royce share price smashed its own record this week. Is it too late to buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool C Ruane has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Rolls-Royce Plc. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Meet the FTSE 100 juggernaut that's smashing Nvidia shares in 2025!
Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR) has become a FTSE 100 juggernaut, there's no other way to describe it now. The shares jumped another 10% today (31 July) after the engine maker hiked its profit guidance yet again. It means the company is now the fifth largest on the London Stock Exchange, with a £92bn market cap. Interestingly, this latest rise means Rolls is outdoing Nvidia stock, with an incredible year-to-date gain of 89% versus 39% for the AI chipmaker. It's also outperforming over one (+137%) and three years (+1,100%). Nvidia still wins out across five years (+1,600%), but Rolls is catching up (+1,200%). Back in March 2023, I wrote: 'I've become increasingly bullish on Rolls. In fact, I think we could be in the foothills of a massive multi-year turnaround in the share price.' Note the words 'multi-year turnaround'. We're only two and a bit years on and the stock is up over 600%! I was bullish, but I didn't see this coming! Cracking results (again) The headline-grabbing bit from today's first-half results was that underlying operating profit rocketed by 50% to £1.7bn. This was a massive beat, driven by stronger-than-expected aftermarket margins in Civil Aerospace and surging demand for data centre power generation. It enabled management to upgrade full-year underlying operating profit guidance to £3.1bn-£3.2bn (up from £2.7bn-£2.9bn). Free cash flow should also be higher than previously anticipated. And while Defence revenue growth was broadly flat at £2.2bn, there was a one-off benefit last year. Excluding that, growth was 10%, while the order backlog was at a record £18.8bn. CEO Tufan Erginbilgiç commented: 'Our multi-year transformation continues to deliver. Our actions led to strong first half year results, despite the challenges of the supply chain and tariffs. We are continuing to expand the earnings and cash potential of Rolls-Royce.' SMRs are becoming part of the picture Meanwhile, the small modular reactor business (Rolls-Royce SMR) was recently chosen to build three SMR units in the UK. While contract terms are expected to be finalised in the fourth quarter, the company confirmed that the project will start to generate revenues and profit from late 2025 onwards, with positive cash flows throughout. And by 2030, it expects Rolls-Royce SMR to be profitable and free cash flow positive, well before the first SMR is connected to the grid by the mid-2030s. What's exciting here is that the long-term international opportunity is simply massive, with Sweden, Poland, and other European nations very interested in SMRs. The Czech Republic has already selected Rolls as a provider. Valuation risk is worth bearing in mind What I find most impressive here is that Rolls-Royce is achieving this progress while navigating supply chain disruptions and inflation. Without those, the results would be even better. That said, tariffs and global trade uncertainty continues. Management says the number of critical suppliers on its watchlist stands at 10. That's down from 15, but it still indicates that the supply chain challenges haven't gone away. Investors considering the stock should be aware that the forward price-to-earnings multiple is now at around 40. That's a mighty premium. Clearly, we're well past the foothills of this turnaround now, but I doubt we're near the summit just yet. So I'll be holding onto my shares, especially after today's fantastic update. The post Meet the FTSE 100 juggernaut that's smashing Nvidia shares in 2025! appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool Ben McPoland has positions in Nvidia and Rolls-Royce Plc. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Nvidia and Rolls-Royce Plc. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Trump's Armored Golf Cart Spotted in Scotland
A new addition to President Donald Trump's security detail has made its debut at his golf course in Scotland, where his visit has drawn protests and a bomb threat. As the president hit the links of his Turnberry golf course this weekend, a black golf cart that appeared to be heavily fortified was seen following close behind. Dubbed 'Golf Force One' by media outlets, the souped-up cart arrives roughly 10 months after Trump survived an alleged assassination attempt while golfing. Trump, however, chose to cruise the course in a regular white golf cart on Saturday and Sunday, with the Golf Force One keeping close company. Experts told The Telegraph that the vehicle's heavy armor is evident from the distinctive black band around the windscreen. 'The windscreen is a giveaway, as are the side panels, doors, and the large panel at the rear above the load tray,' said an expert, who asked to remain anonymous due to the confidential nature of his work. The president's official limousine 'The Beast' is similarly fortified. The $1.5 million Cadillac is bulletproof, blast resistant and hermetically sealed against chemical attacks, according to The Telegraph. Trump's private visit has drawn nearly a third of Police Scotland's manpower, according to Daily Mail. Several police snipers were observed setting up positions around the rural area where Trump stayed this weekend. The Independent reports that 1,500 officers have been pulled from their normal duties in support of Trump's four-day visit. Police Scotland has only said the costs would be 'considerable,' according to the Los Angeles Times. But policing for Trump's four-day visit to the U.K. in 2018—which also included two days in Turnberry—cost taxpayers more than $19 million. Widespread protests broke out in the country upon his arrival, with hundreds of demonstrators gathering in Edinburgh and other cities on Saturday, according to The Mirror US. Meanwhile, a man who said he had a bomb and wanted to 'send a message' to Trump forced a Glasgow-bound flight to make an emergency landing Sunday morning. In September 2024, Secret Service agents spotted a man aiming a rifle from the bushes at the Trump International Golf Club in Florida. Trump was approximately 900 to 1500 feet away, according to BBC. Agents fired at the suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Routh, who fled the scene but was later arrested by police about 40 miles from the course. He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges related to the incident. Two months earlier, Trump survived another attempt on his life during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A U.S. Secret Service spokesperson declined to comment on the 'Golf Force One' when contacted by the Daily Beast, stating, 'The U.S. Secret Service employs a variety of tools and resources to safeguard our protectees. In order to maintain operational security, the Secret Service does not discuss the specific means and methods used to conduct our protective operations.' The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment. Solve the daily Crossword
