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Tag: Council Chairmen

  • Recall suspended council chairmen – PDP to Edo assembly

    Recall suspended council chairmen – PDP to Edo assembly

    The Edo chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the State House of Assembly to recall the 18 suspended local government chairmen for effective grassroots governance.

    The Edo assembly had in December 2024 suspended the 18 local government chairmen and the vice chairmen for two months, citing alleged gross misconduct.

    Dr Anthony Aziegbemi, Chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee told newsmen in Benin on Monday that due to the absence of chairmen alleged illegal financial dealings were currently ongoing in the local governments.

    He alleged that the suspension of the chairmen and the vice chairmen did not follow due process because it violated Section 19 of the Edo State Local Government Law 2000 (amended 2002).

    “From September 4, 2023, when the elected council executives were sworn in, until December 16, 2024, when the crisis started, the councils were vibrant and functional.

    “The local governments effectively delivered governance and essential services to the people before Governor Monday Okpebholo, barely a month in office, ordered their suspension,” he stated.

    He condemned the suspension as unlawful, accusing the Assembly of executing the directive under false allegations of gross misconduct without granting the chairmen fair hearings.

    “This illegal action ignored clear court rulings, including a Supreme Court judgment from July 11, 2024, stating that elected council members cannot be dissolved by state authorities,” Aziegbemi added.

    He noted that the state Chief Judge had cited this ruling, which was in a suit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation, affirming local government autonomy.

    Aziegbemi lamented that council activities had stalled, with chairmen facing attacks when attempting to resume work, describing the situation as a violation of democratic rights.

    He commended the Attorney General of the Federation for upholding the law and urged him to institute contempt proceedings against Edo’s Attorney General for defying the ruling.

    He warned that Edo’s situation set a dangerous precedent that could undermine President Bola Tinubu’s efforts at ensuring full autonomy for local councils nationwide.

    He called on the Attorney General to halt all federal allocations to Edo State through the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) as the law required.

    “There is no approved budget in any local council, yet funds are being spent illegally without due process in contracts, purchases, and public projects.

    “In the past three months, the Okpebholo administration has unilaterally stopped salaries for elected council officials, except for selectively favoured councilors,” he revealed

    He accused the government of nepotism, alleging that only politically loyal councilors were being paid while elected executives faced financial strangulation.

    Reacting, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Paul Ohonbamu, dismissed PDP’s claims on local government crisis in the state

    Ohonbamu stated that the Supreme Court’s judgment on local government autonomy did not nullify the Edo State Local Government Law 2000 as amended.

    Ohonbamu clarified that the governor did not suspend the chairmen and vice chairmen but only reported them to the Assembly, which acted within its legal powers.

    Responding to PDP’s claim that the impeachment of council chairmen was illegal, he asserted that the chairmen were removed by their own councilors, following due process.

    He also refuted PDP’s claim that council staff were unpaid, stating that salaries were being disbursed across the state without interruptions or political interference.

    He said the allegations that Governor Okpebholo shared N30 billion council allocations with party members, was a baseless propaganda meant to mislead the public.

    NAN

  • Jigawa Assembly lifts suspension of 4 council chairmen

    Jigawa Assembly lifts suspension of 4 council chairmen

    Jigawa State House of Assembly has lifted the suspension of four  council chairmen and told them to resume their official duties.

    The affected chairmen are Bappa Shinge of Auyo Local Government Area (LGA), Bala Usman-Chamo of Dutse LGA, Ahmed Rufa’i of Gumel LGA and Shehu Sule-Udi of Ringim LGA.

    The chairmen were suspended by the House on March 6, over alleged misconduct, negligence and injudicious use of public funds found by its Committee on Local Government during its oversight visit to the their respective LGAs.

    The House then set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the suspended council chairmen.

    Mr Aminu Zakari, the Acting Chairman of the  committee, while presenting its report, listed 11 findings/observations during its investigation.

    Zakari said that the committee carried out a careful review of documents before it, including a consultant’s report on each of the four local governments.

    He said it also considered the documents submitted by the suspended council chairmen in defence of the accusations against them and their pleas.

    Zakari said that the committee came up with 11 recommendations.

    He said that one of the recommendations was to issue a stern warning to the affected chairmen to desist from any act unethical or unbecoming of holder of the office in both administrative and financial dealings.

    “That this Honourable House should graciously consider the pleas of the suspended council chairmen.

    “That the suspension placed against the following council chairmen: Bappa Shinge -Auyo LG, Bala Usman-Chamo – Dutse LG, Ahmed Rufa’i – Gumel and Shehu Sule-Udi -Ringim LG, be lifted and that they should resume their duties as the chairmen of their respective LGs,” Zakari said.

    Consequent upon the resolution of the Assembly through voting, the Speaker, Mr Haruna Aliyu, recalled the four chairmen to resume office with immediate effect.

    Reacting on behalf of the chairmen, Usman-Chamo of Dutse LG commended the lawmakers for the gesture.

    He thanked their supporters and well wishers for their solidarity.

    Usman-Chamo, who was the state’s ALGON chairman before his suspension, added: “Not only four of us, but all 27 LGs will continue to do our best in serving our people”.

  • Wike charges FCT Council Chairmen to stay in their domains

    Wike charges FCT Council Chairmen to stay in their domains

    The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has admonished the area council chairmen in the territory to stay in their domains and develop the communities.

    Wike stated this on Wednesday in Yangoji, while inaugurating the construction of 11-kilometre rural road to connect Sukuku Ebo and Yangoji communities in Kwali Area Council of the FCT.

    “Continue to stay at home. Don’t come to the city regularly. Stay there and do the work. My own is to support you.

    “If you don’t do well for rural communities, you will create problems for the city,” he said.

    The Minister assured that the FCT Administration will continue to work with chairmen of FCT area councils to drive development in rural areas.

    Specifically, Wike promised to complete all abandoned projects in the Abaji and other area councils, stressing that era of abandoned projects was over.

    He said: “We are touching rural areas to renew their hope because they have suffered years of abandonment.

    “This is your time to benefit. If we don’t take care of rural areas, then we have failed as a government.”.

    The minister explained that the rural road intervention and other infrastructural development earmarked for rural communities was in fulfillment of President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda.

    According to him, the current government will be a complete failure if it fails to impact rural communities positively.

    The Minister was conferred with the traditional title of “Kauran” Kwali (fiercest and most courageous warrior) by the Kwali community,

    While thanking the people for the honour bestowed him, Wike promised not to let them down.

    He particularly promised to lead security agencies in the fight against bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements terrorising the city and rural areas.

    Earlier, the Chairman, Kwali Area Council, Mr Danladi Chiya, thanked President Tinubu for approving the construction of three rural roads in each of the six area councils.

    Chiya said that the gesture would complement the efforts of the Kwali area council in improving infrastructure for the benefit of the people.

    He said that his administration had constructed and rehabilitated 11.3-kilometre roads and graded 13 kilometre additional roads to ease the movement of his people and drive economic activities.

    The chairman appealed to the minister to complete the roads and other projects abandoned by the FCTA in the area.

    Dr Olusegun Olusa, Oversite Director, Satellite Towns Development Department, FCTA, explained that the project, awarded to Gilmor Engineering Nigeria Ltd, would be completed by May.

    The traditional leader of the area, the Chief of Pai, Alhaji Abubakar Sani. thanked President Tinubu and Wike for the commitment to provide infrastructure in rural communities, particularly roads.

    Sani said that the road, when completed, would make it easier for farmers to transport their farm produce and improve security in the area.

    He appealed that the gesture should be extended to primary healthcare centres to improve the quality of health services in rural areas.

    NAN

  • JUST IN: Lagos Assembly suspends 3 council chairmen

    JUST IN: Lagos Assembly suspends 3 council chairmen

    The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday suspended three local government council chairmen over alleged disregard for the rules governing their activities.

    The affected chairmen are: Ogidan Olaitan of Lekki Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Suleiman Jelili of Alimosho Local Government and Tajudeen Ajide of Surulere Local Government.

    The House announced their suspension through a voice vote during the plenary shortly after Bisi Yusuff (Alimosho 1) raised a complaint against one of the suspended chairman.

    The House said it could no longer continue to watch the council chairmen flouting the state’s local government guidelines governing their activities.

    Yusuff, who is the chairman of the House Committee on Commerce and Industry, told the House how Olaitan had been allegedly unruly and had disregard for the assembly members.

    He complained that Olaitan accused the lawmakers of carrying out an oversight function on a memorandum of understanding in relation to an issue that arose from a resettlement programme in Lekki.

    The lawmaker further said that the council chairman had total disregard for those in his domain whom he was elected to govern.

    Commenting, Mr Fatai Mojeed (Ibeju-Lekki 1), accused Jelili and Ajide of questioning the House for investigating the councils based on the petitions raised by their counsellors.

    Mojeed then urged his colleagues to suspend the chairmen pending the outcome of the investigations on the allegations made against them to serve as deterrent to others.

    The Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, while speaking on the issue, noted that the House had received petitions from many councillors in the state against some serving chairmen.

    Obasa said the House could not continue to watch while council chairmen flout the laws that they were supposed to uphold.

    “Total disregard for local government guidelines is something that should not be tolerated.

    “We cannot continue like this. We can’t be breeding monsters in our local government councils,”Obasa said.

    Obasa said it would not be ideal to gloss over the issues as it would be creating a precedence of disobedience to the law by council chairmen especially at a time the state was planning elections into the councils.

    According to him, we have received too many petitions from their councillors against many chairmen, this is the time to take action.

    The speaker directed the Clerk of the House, Mr Olalekan Onafeko, to write Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other stakeholders on the decision of the House.

  • Lagos Assembly, Council Chairmen disagree over paucity of funds claims

    Lagos Assembly, Council Chairmen disagree over paucity of funds claims

    The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday disagreed with some local government chairmen over the latter’s claims of paucity of funds as a hindrance to the development of infrastructure in their Local Government Areas (LGAs).

    The Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Community Affairs, Mr Olayiwola Olawale, made his feelings known in Ikorodu during an oversight tour of the LGA and the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the zone.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other members of the house committee were Mr Joseph Kehinde, Alimosho II, Mr Rasheed Makinde, Ifako Ijaiye II, Mr Nureni Akinsanya Mushin I and Mr Rauf Age-Sulaimon Amuwo Odofin II.

    Olawale disputed the claims of the council chairmen, arguing that there were enough funds flowing from the federal and state governments into local council coffers.

    The lawmaker, representing Mushin Constituency II, noted that the issue was the lack of creative ways of generating funds to help the councils to develop their infrastructure.

    Olawale said the Ikorodu council and the LCDAs were surrounded by commercial ventures even though they were agrarian communities, adding that there was need for them to be re-oriented and enlightened on how to generate funds.

    “I don’t know what they mean by paucity of funds. You and I know that there is enough funds coming from the federal, as well as the state, into the local government administrations.

    “What I discovered is that they are not putting genuine effort into the local administration of funds. They are not using their creative ways to generate funds.

    “Agreed, it is an agrarian area but still surrounded by many commercial ventures that they can tap on.

    “The leadership of the councils still needs to be re-orientated and enlightened on how to generate funds.” he said.

    Corroborating, a member of the committee, Mr Kehinde said the claims of paucity of funds was not tenable as the councils had not been able to measure up with the given allocation.

    Kehinde, representing Alimosho Constituency II, said he did not believe that Ikorodu Local Government Council did not have enough and questioned what they had been using their allocations for.

    The lawmaker said most of them have yet to make severance payments to political office holders, as directed.

    He said: “Before our visitation, I was one of those people that usually believed that Ikorodu did not have money.

    “If they are saying they don’t have enough funds, are they judiciously spending the money they have collected,’’ he asked.

    Earlier, some council chairmen had lamented the paucity of funds as the reason undermining infrastructural development in their areas.

    The Council Chairman, Ikorodu West LCDA, Mrs Olajumoke Ademeyin-Jimbo, said efforts were being made to jerk up the revenue of the council in order to meet their infrastructural needs.

    Ademeyin-Jimbo said that the council needed money to rehabilitate the roads in its rural communities.

    The Chairman, Ikorodu Local Government, Mr Wasiu Ayodeji, also acknowledged the challenge posed by the paucity of funds.

    “The challenge is finance, especially with the splitting of Ikorodu Local Government into six.

    “However, we are appealing to the state government and the assembly to come to our aid in terms of the development of infrastructure in the council areas,” he said.

    Mr Sesan Daini, Chairman, Igbogbo-Baiyeku LCDA, said that all the grey areas discovered by the house committee would be looked into, pointing out the councils would embark on more projects.

    The Chairman, Imota LCDA, Mr Wasiu Agoro, said that the council has improved on the provision of welfare for its staff and their internal revenue generation has also been enhanced.

    Also, Mr Adeola Banjo, the Chairman, Ikorodu North LCDA commended the committee for giving it as pass mark after inspecting some of the projects it carried out.

    Banjo promised to continue to do his best, adding that the commendation has encouraged him to do more.

  • Photos: Zulum swears-in two professors, PhD holders as council chairmen in Borno

    Photos: Zulum swears-in two professors, PhD holders as council chairmen in Borno

    Two university professors and a PhD holder were among the 27 newly elected council chairmen sworn-in Wednesday by Borno Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum.

    One of the two professors was Adamu Alooma, a Professor of banking and finance, also former Dean, at the Faculty of Management Sciences in University of Maiduguri.

    He took oath to become chairman of Damboa local government area.

    The second professor was Ibrahim Bukar a Professor of education, also from UNIMAID.

    Zulum, right with his predecessor Senator Kashim Shettima

    He was sworn-in as chairman of Gwoza LGA.

    Also sworn in was a PhD holder, Dr Ali Lawan Yaumi, for Magumeri alongside.

    There were other holders of post graduate and first degrees, as well as experienced grassroots politicians with capacity for public service delivery.

    During the swearing in ceremony, which took place at the multipurpose hall of the government house in Maiduguri, Governor Zulum recalled that election was not conducted in the state for over 10 years, due to lingering security situation in Borno.

    The ceremony was well attended by party leaders led by former governor Kashim Shettima, state caretaker chairman of the APC Ali Bukar Dalori, other national and state assembly members led by the speaker, members of the state executive council, party elders, royal fathers and other notable persons numerous to list.

    The Governor congratulated all the elected chairmen with a reminder of the major task ahead of them which they could only do with resources at their disposal.

    He also directed the ministry for local government and emirate affairs to immediately release to elected chairmen, all funds allocated to the 27 local government councils from the federation account so they could begin to impact lives at the grassroots.

    He called on the elected officials to discharge their duties with the fear of God, but without fear or favour.

    He also urged the council chairmen to operate in their LGAs.

    He said, governance will not make sense if chairmen choose to operate from Maiduguri whereas those who cast votes from them live in local government areas outside Maiduguri.

    Zulum noted that the chairmen need to live and operate from the midst of their people in order to know problems of the moments and address them.

  • Oyo Assembly reinstates 13 suspended council chairmen

    Oyo Assembly reinstates 13 suspended council chairmen

    Oyo State House of Assembly yesterday reinstated 13 local government and local council development area caretaker chairmen. They were initially suspended.

    The decision was taken after the presentation of the report of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters read by its Chairman, Olusegun Popoola.

    It will be recalled that the Oyo State Forum of Caretaker Chairmen had in a letter begged the House to forgive the suspended chairmen and return them to their councils.

    The affected chairmen in the committee report said the #Endsars protest, which rocked the country, prevented them from gaining access to the House of Assembly to submit the report of earth moving equipment as directed and consequently tendered their unreserved apology to the House.

    Some of them also claimed to have submitted the report to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters since the circular requesting submission of the report came through the ministry.

    The report has now been submitted by the caretaker chairmen as attested to in the House Committee report presented by Popoola.

    Lifting the suspension order, Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin said the request was for the Assembly to know the condition of equipment, as many of the roads in the council areas required grading.

    According to the Speaker, the House will not relent in its resolve to ensure good governance, defend democracy and support efforts of the governor to bring democratic dividends to the people.

    Ogundoyin said: “Our decision was not to witch-hunt any council or caretaker chairman. We are determined to deliver good governance at all times and I want government functionaries to have that in mind.

    “We are satisfied with the performance of Governor Seyi Makinde. We will be going on oversight functions to the local governments and local council development areas soon to monitor their projects.

    “Let it be known today that the Oyo State House of Assembly will always stand on the side of the people. We shall not compromise on good governance.”

    The Assembly thereafter unanimously agreed on the reinstatement of the 13 caretaker chairmen.

  • Wike orders council chairmen, youths to fish out IPOB members in Rivers

    Wike orders council chairmen, youths to fish out IPOB members in Rivers

    Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has ordered the 23 council chairmen and youths to fish out members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) from the state.

    Wike threatened to sack any council chairman that allows IPOB to hold processions and hoist its flag within any part of the state.

    The Governor, who spoke during a meeting with the chairmen, community development committees and youths leaders at the Government House, in Port Harcourt on Monday, described Rivers as the most accommodating state for all Nigerians.

    He said there had never been any historical incident of different ethnic groups clashing in the state like in other parts of the country.

    He said: “We can never be against any ethnic group. We can never do that. We have lived in harmony with the Ibos, the Hausas, and with Edo people.

    “Everybody that comes to this state we have lived in harmony with. And so Nigerians must commend Rivers State as a place where you have never had problem between this group and that group”.

    Wike in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, said while the people of the state believed in the unity of the country, they would not allow criminals under the aegis of a terrorist group called IPOB to continue to threaten the stability of the state.

    He said: “There is one terrorist group they call IPOB. I did not declare them terrorist group, the court declared them terrorist group. Not me.

    “The federal government declared them a terrorist group. IPOB cannot use Rivers state to be place where they will be launching attack. If you allow that, your future, your children’s future is gone”.

    The Governor wondered why IPOB had the effrontery to hoist its flag in Oyigbo and directed the council chairman to ensure there would not be another occurrence of such treasonous act.

    “Go to Oyigbo and see what they have done. Destroyed the court. What did the court do? See the soldiers they killed and burnt them.

    “See the policemen they killed and burnt them and then you said people will sit and fold their arms,” Wike said.

    The Governor called for vigilance on the part of Rivers people and warned sternly that IPOB members should not delude themselves thinking Rivers could be colonised or annexed by any group under his administration.

    He said that Rivers could never be annexed by any state insisting that the state remained part of Niger Delta region.

    He explained that while every Nigerian was allowed to reside in Rivers, those willing to do so must live in peace with the people of the state.

    “Ibos are living and doing their business here and they will continue to live and their business here. We support that.

    “But that terrorist group called IPOB cannot determine what happens in our state. To tell us where they own. It will never happen and we must allow it to happen”, he said.

    Wike charged all chairmen of councils, youth leaders, CDCs to go into their various communities and identify all IPOB members and warned against harassing any Igbo person legitimately doing business in the state.

    “But there are criminal elements that we must not allow, and the criminal elements are those who said they are IPOB members. Federal government has proscribed them, I have proscribed them” he said .

    He called on the people to defend the territory and ensure no part of the state was annexed by a criminal organisation or terrorist organisation.

    He said: “We cannot allow it. All our vigilant groups must be encouraged. Everybody must be at alert. Work with the security agencies to make sure nothing call IPOB exist in this state. No procession. Not even a meeting somewhere. Identify where they hold meeting cells” he said

    Commissioner for Youth Development, Ohia Prince Obi, lauded the Governor for interfacing with the youths saying it would give them a sense of belonging in the affairs of the state.

    The chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria in Rivers State , Chijoke Ihunwo’s appeal to Wike for clemency for wanted , Stanley Mgbere, who led IPOB members to attack the palace of the king of Onne, was rejected.

  • Akeredolu swears-in newly elected council chairmen, councillors

    Akeredolu swears-in newly elected council chairmen, councillors

    Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has sworn-in the newly elected local council chairmen and councillors in the state.

    The swearing-in took place place on Monday (today) at the International Cultural and Events Centre in the capital, Akure.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the chairmen and councillors were elected on Saturday in an election marred with voter apathy and massive irregularities.

    Meanwhile, the local council election was boycotted by the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
  • Matawalle dissolves all 14 APC council chairmen

    Matawalle dissolves all 14 APC council chairmen

    The Zamfara Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the dissolution of the 14 Local Government administrations by the state government, describing it as unconstitutional.

    The state APC Chairman, Alhaji Lawal Liman, made the condemnation in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gusau on Friday.

    The state house of assembly had on Thursday recommended the immediate dissolution of all the councils for alleged negligence on security and financial recklessness.

    Gov. Bello Matawalle, after approving the recommendation of the house, appointed caretaker chairmen to pilot the affairs of the 14 councils.

    Nine of the chairmen who had defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were among those appointed as caretaker chairmen of the LGAs.

    Liman described the dissolution as a violation of the constitution, saying the APC as a law abiding political party would not accept it.

    He said the party would follow due process to challenge the government on the matter.

    “The matter of tenure of local government chairmen is before the court, therefore, we will follow the constitutional means to challenge the government over the issue.

    “This is very unfortunate, the way PDP led government is violating constitution to protect its political interest.”

    He also said that the dissolution was a “political blackmail” against the five LG council chairmen who refused to decamp to PDP.

    Liman called on APC supporters in the state to remain calm, saying the party was working to protect their interests.