TheNewsGuru

Tag: ALGON

  • Tribunal: Ebonyi ALGON threatens lawsuit against PDP chieftain over ₦80 million alleged bribery

    Tribunal: Ebonyi ALGON threatens lawsuit against PDP chieftain over ₦80 million alleged bribery

    The Association of Local governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Ebonyi state chapter, has threatened to institute legal action against a Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP),Mr Nwoba Chika over allegation to deduct ₦80,000,000 monthly from the coffers in each of the LG Chairman to influence the ongoing Elections Petition tribunal in Abuja.

    Public Relations officer (PRO) and Chairman of Ikwo Local government Area, Barr Sunday Nwankwo who Addressed newsmen alongside other Chairmen on Tuesday at the ALGON headquarters in Abakiliki, described Nwoba’s allegation as false, malicious, and defamatary.

    According to ALGON,non of the13 Local Government Chairmen had been directed to “forfeit” such amount as alleged by Nwoba.

    ALGON further alleged that there was no iota of truth that the said Eighty Million (N80,000,000) cach will be deducted at source from the June allocation of the various Local Government Areas.

    “ALGON Ebonyi State wishes to expressly and unequivocally state that
    the above statement credited to Nwoba Chika Nwoba in his facebook page exists only in the figment of his imagination as no such directive ever emanated from His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Ebony State, either by himself, his agent or whosoever.

    “The June allocation to the Local Government Areas has not yet fallen due as to even mathematically determine its volume, usuage and application, therefore. No body or Local Goverment council Area is even sure of what returns will come from FAAC at the time of the misleading and fallacious publication.

    “Ebony State would naturally have overlooked this huge joke and concentrated in its business of good governance as the third tier of govemment, but for the sake of the gullible and uninformed public who do not know the notorious and mischievous antecedents of the writer, whose stock in trade is to cast aspersion on persons and government to achieve cheap popularity and put bread on his table.”

    The group said it jointly disassociated itself from the misleading allegation targeted at demeaning the credibility of the bureaucratic process of the state, especially, the Local Government System and call on the imposter to either substantiate his claim with verifiable and empirical evidence or retract same forthwith.

    “We the members of ALGON shall deploy all available means within the ambit of the law to defend its integrity while identifying and protecting the laudable programmes and policies of the state Government.”

     

  • ALGON holds NEC meeting in Lagos on Paris club refund, others

    ALGON holds NEC meeting in Lagos on Paris club refund, others

    The Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) on Friday held its National Executive Council meeting in Lagos to discuss the Paris club refund and other critical issues affecting the association.

    In his welcome address, Mr Alabi David, ALGON’s President and Chairman, Bariga Local Government, said that the NEC was to take critical decisions on the report of the committee assigned to look into the issues.

    According to him, those issues are the comprehensive primary health care centres built in local governments, and the intriguing legal matters particularly the pectoral of cases that confronts the association.

    “The committee for breast cancer case transaction will also have to present its findings and recommendations in the course of today’s deliberation.

    “The status of the ALGON American hospital is also part of what we have to discuss today.

    “The issue that is also in the kitty that we also want to discuss is the Paris club refund and also our income from our investment infrastructure bank.

    “Among what we also have to discuss is the transition programme,” he said.

    The president charged members of the association to demonstrate affable astute disposition and the need to eschew violence, bitterness and bigotry in the country.

    David said that the daunting task ahead required collective responsibility and cooperation to further intensity efforts in clamping down all manner of social vices which indeed had monumental consequences in our various communities.

    “You are welcome to this important meeting, the very first holding after the 2023 general elections

    “Significantly as it were in many ways and in spite of the precarious impliction and presumptuous instability occasion by the just concluded elections.

    “Let me retreat my special appreciation to you all in your obligation to ensure predictability and peaceful coexistence In our various communities within the grandiose of loving our neighbors as ourselves.

    “With nostalgic thought, however, I am not unmindful of our colleagues who had emotionally invested their time and resources in quest to strife to higher grounds in public service.

    “They were unfortunate in this by the unexpected circumstances of the elections.

    “On the other hand, I seize this opportunity with the utmost humility to convey my warm felicitation to our colleagues who were victorious by the will of God and the propensity to drive their thoughts for the betterment of Nigeria.

    “Hearty congratulations to those my colleagues that triumphed,” he said.

    In an interview with newsmen Mr Gidado Abdusalam, ALGON Chairman, Adamawa, said the meeting was to strategise and give reports on various states as well as discuss the outcome of the 2023 general elections.

    According to him, the association is seeking very good working relation with all state governments in the incoming dispensation.

    “It is a routine activity as chief executive or security officer of our various local governments, we have an obligation to meet time to time to review issues.

    “Most especially the elections that was just held, there were some issues in some other states and the transiting programmes that are transiting to another government.

    “Hence we see the reason to come together and strategise and give report of our various state and local government.

    “We are always determined to make impact in our people’s lives as local government chairmen, grassroots mobilisers and grassroots politicians, in making good efforts particularly in terms of security and welfare,” he said.

    Also, Mr Isah Taifeeq, ALGON Chairman, Kogi, said that members of the association were at the meeting to discuss and dialogue on how to bring good dividends to the people.

    He added that the association would maintain the perfect relationship with state governments and the incoming administration.

    Speaking on local government autonomy, he said that with the coming of the president- elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu, Nigerians should expect very good governance.

    “Tinubu is a democratic, Nigerians should be expecting good governance from the president-elect,” he said.

    He commended the ALGON president for his leadership style while assuring him of continuous support.

    “ALGON has never had it so good, like this present regime, this is the best president this association has ever had.

    “He is a fantastic leader. We are giving him all the necessary support,” Taifeeq said.

  • Imo state governor, Hope Uzodinma fires 27 IMC chairmen

    Imo state governor, Hope Uzodinma fires 27 IMC chairmen

    The state governor, Hope Uzodinma has dissolved the 27-man Interim Management Committee Chairmen in the state.

    This is coming 27 months after the emergence of Hope Uzodinma as the governor of Imo State,

    The governor made this development known on Thursday shortly after holding a closed-door meeting with them at the Sam Mbakwe Executive Chambers, Government House Owerri.

     

    The governor thanked them for the services they rendered in their different local government areas since their appointment about two and half years ago and for their loyalty.

    He also reminded them of his resolve to hold the local government area election in Imo State any moment from now and the need for him to appoint Sole Administrators who will oversee the coming election.

    Governor Uzodimma also told the dissolved IMC Chairmen that his government will not hesitate to engage their services in other areas they are found capable of as APC members.

    The Chairman of ALGON in Imo State, Mr. Willie Okoliogo, who is also the Chairman of Oru West Council, on behalf of the IMC Chairmen, promised to remain loyal to the governor and the APC.

    Uzodinma in conjunction with other stakeholders in Imo state is perfecting plans to conduct elections for the vacant chairmanship positions in the state.

  • $418m Paris Club debt: Court dismisses 36 governors’ suit against FG

    $418m Paris Club debt: Court dismisses 36 governors’ suit against FG

    A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, dismissed the 418 million dollars Paris Club debt suit filed by the 36 state governments against the Federal Government.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgement, dismissed the suit for lacking in merit.

    “I do not see any merit in this case on the whole and I hereby dismiss it for lack of merit,” Justice Ekwo said.

    The judge held that the 36 states’ attorneys-general, who instituted the suit had no locus standi to filed the matter.

    The court had, on Nov. 5, 2021, restrained the Federal Government from deducting monies accruing to the 36 states from federation account to settle 418 million dollars judgment debt in relation to Paris Club Refund pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    The court gave the order following an ex-parte motion moved by counsel to the plaintiffs, Jibrin Okutekpa, SAN.

    While the 36 states Attorney-Generals are the plaintiffs on the suit.

    Some of the defendants listed in the suit include the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Accountant General of the Federation and Ministry of Finance.

    Others are Central Bank of Nigeria, Debt Management Office, Federation Account Allocation Committee, Incorporated Trustees of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), among others.

    According to the motion dated and filed Oct. 27, 43 defendants are sued in the matter.

    Although four prayers were sought for, Justice Ekwo granted three in the motion ex-parte.

    The reliefs sought by the plaintiffs include an order of interim injunction, restraining the Federal Government from deducting any money accruing or due to all or any of the 36 states of the federation.

    The senior lawyer, who informed the court that the Federal Government had not commenced the deduction of the monies, withdrew the fourth prayer, asking for a refund of the monies deducted.

    He hinted that the deduction was expected to begin in November, 2021.

    He said in spite of his clients’ protest against such action, the defendants had vowed to go-ahead with the deduction.

    He said if allowed, no state would be able to pay workers’ salaries.

    Besides, Okutekpa argued that the states were not party to any contract resulting in such debts.

    “That is why we ran to your court,” he said.

  • Court fixes date to deliver judgment in $418m Paris Club debt suit against FG

    Court fixes date to deliver judgment in $418m Paris Club debt suit against FG

    A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, fixed March 25 to deliver a judgment in the 418million dollars Paris Club debt suit filed by the 36 state governments against the Federal Government.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date after counsel to the plaintiffs and the defendants adopted their processes and presented their arguments for and against the matter.

    The court had, on Nov. 5, 2021, restrained the Federal Government from deducting monies accruing to the 36 states from the federation account to settle 418 million dollars judgment debt in relation to Paris Club Refund pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    The court gave the order following an ex-parte motion moved by counsel to the plaintiffs, Jibrin Okutekpa, SAN.

    While the 36 states Attorney-Generals are the plaintiffs on the suit, some of the defendants listed in the suit include the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Accountant General of the Federation and Ministry of Finance.

    Others are Central Bank of Nigeria, Debt Management Office, Federation Account Allocation Committee, Incorporated Trustees of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), among others.

    According to the motion dated and filed Oct. 27, 43 defendants are sued in the matter. Although four prayers were sought for, Justice Ekwo granted three in the motion ex-parte.

    The reliefs sought by the plaintiffs include an order of interim injunction, restraining the Federal Government from deducting any money accruing or due to all or any of the 36 states of the federation.

    The senior lawyer, who informed the court that the Federal Government had not commenced the deduction of the monies, withdrew the fourth prayer, asking for a refund of the monies deducted.

    He hinted that the deduction was expected to begin in November, 2021. He said despite his clients’ protest against such action, the defendants had vowed to go-ahead with the deduction.

    He said if allowed, no state would be able to pay workers’ salaries. Besides, Okutekpa argued that the states were not party to any contract resulting in such debts.

    “That is why we ran to your court,” he said.

  • ALGON set to review health-care contracts across 774 LGs

    ALGON set to review health-care contracts across 774 LGs

    The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria ALGON has set up a 7-man Committee to review the contracts awarded for the construction of primary healthcare centres in all the 774 local governments areas of the country

    National President of the Association Hon. Kaolade David Alabi set up the Committee after a virtual platform meeting held by the executives of the association on Monday August 20,2020.

    The committee comprising of Hon. Itiako Malik and seven other members from various states and local councils has the mandate to review the contracts awarded in various local councils for the construction of Health centres international of extent of work done and appropriated and released funds.

    They are further mandated to review the process of certification abd payment of the contracts and report back to the NEC in two weeks time.

    A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the National Chairman ALGON Obiora Orji on Monday warned the contractors that while the organisation appreciates the necessity of these contracts, it would not sit and watch the non-execution or abuse of the contract process neither is it going to be just a contract awarding entity.

  • Zamfara ALGON accuses State Govt. of denying LGs funds

    Zamfara ALGON accuses State Govt. of denying LGs funds

    Zamfara chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has accused the State Government of denying Local Governments in the state of their funds remitted from the federation account in spite of the Presidential order that such funds be sent directly to the councils’ accounts.
    Addressing a press conference in Gusau, Spokesman of the association in the state and Chairman of Maradun Local Government, Alhaji Ahmed Abubakar, alleged that the state government had totally violated the presidential order.
    “We were shocked to be told by the state government representatives at the routine monthly Joint Account(JAC) meeting that after the usual local government staff salaries and other mandatory deductions, they were directed to only give each Chairman N5 million to run the Council for the next 30 days.
    “We pointed out to them that this is a violation of the new order but they refused to listen to us.
    “This confirmed our suspicion that there are attempts by the PDP-led government in the state to sack all the 14 local government chairmen because we do not belong to the same party.
    “The state government is also trying to pitch the workers against us by saying we refused to pay salaries which is why we ran to the the press to pre-empt them,” he said.
    He said that all the council chairmen who were voted under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would drag the state government to court for any further attempt to deny them their funds.
    “We have since drawn out our priority areas on the various projects we want to execute to the benefit of our electorate which have been approved by the state House of Assembly, therefore no one has the right to decide on how we should spend these funds.
    “The state government can monitor the councils’ expenditures through its machinery but it has no power to withhold our money,” the ALGON spokesman said.
    Reacting to the allegations, the Director-General, Press Affairs to the State Governor, Alhaji Yusuf Idris, said “the ALGON members were invited to the routine JAC meeting but they decided to boycott the process’’.
    “It is just that the council chairmen have ill motives because the Executive Governor, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, has no hand in the meeting except that he will ensure that only the right things that are in the best interest of the people of the state are done.
    “The statutory deductions are normal because they cut across payments of salaries of local government staff, primary school teachers, Mass Education Board, pensions, emirates and for training.
    “The chairmen did not even enter the meeting;the attendance register is there to confirm this, so they refused to participate in the meeting, how can they make claims on something that did not happen.
    “They should go back and perfect their plans before meeting with the press or they come along and join hands with the people oriented government of the day so that we can move the state forward.
    “Governor Matawalle has said several times that his administration will carry everyone along by giving equal opportunity to all in order to take the state to greater heights.” Idris said.

  • How local governments in Nigeria can survive — ALGON chair

    How local governments in Nigeria can survive — ALGON chair

    The Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in Delta has identified fiscal restructuring and devolution of Federal Government powers as panacea to the survival of local governments in the country.

    Ikpokpo, who doubles as Chairman, Isoko South Local Government in the state, stated this while reacting to a recent protest by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) demanding autonomy of the third tier of the government.

    He said that the various unions demanding the LG autonomy should rather join ALGON in its call for urgent fiscal restructuring of the country.

    He said that the declining fortunes of local governments in Nigeria, was due to the disproportionate sharing formula of the country’s revenue.

    According to him, the greatest challenge facing the third tier of government is the meagre 20 per cent share of Federal Allocation to the 774 local governments in Nigeria.

    “This is grossly inadequate to meet the councils’ first line charge, which is the payment of salaries, not to talk of provision of basic social amenities at the grassroots”.

    He said that granting autonomy to the LGs would not achieve the desired results without adequate revenue adjustment and conscious constitutional amendment towards reducing the powers at the centre.

    Ikpokpo emphasised that until a conscious effort was made to rejig the local government system in the areas of funding and functions, Nigeria’s yearning for growth and development would remain a mirage.

  • ALGON challenges court ruling nullifying marriage certificates

    The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has filed an appeal against the judgment of a Lagos High Court, which declared the Local Government Unified Marriage Certificate unlawful.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Justice Ibironke Harrison of a Lagos High Court had, in a judgment on May 15, declared the certificate null and void.

    The judgment followed a suit filed by a lawyer and rights activist, Mr Olumide Babalola.

    In an eight-point notice of appeal it filed on Monday, ALGON argued that the Lagos High Court had no jurisdiction to entertain the case.

    ALGON claimed that the Federal High Court was vested with the power to hear the case.

    It said that the judge erred by declaring that the formation of marriage was under the Exclusive List of the Constitution and within the domain of the Federal Government, regulated by the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs.

    It said that, by virtue of Section 7 (5) of Fourth Schedule (1) of the 1999 Constitution, registration of marriages was one of the functions of local government under the exclusive list.

    ALGON urged the Court of Appeal to set aside the lower court’s judgment and declare that marriage was not a concurrent matter as only local government could register marriages under the 1999 Constitution.

    It also urged the appellate court to declare that the Federal Government was not empowered to regulate marriages through the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

    “Item 61, Second Schedule of the Constitution is an exclusive legislative function of the National Assembly in Nigeria,’’ ALGON said.

    It urged the Court of Appeal to declare the lower court’s judgment null and void.

    NAN reports that the Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere had declared local government marriage certificate unconstitutional.

    She also perpetually restrained local governments from further issuing “customised” marriage certificates.

    Hearing notices on the appeal have yet to be issued to the parties involved.

     

     

    NAN