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Tag: LG

  • Nasarawa State Assembly directs Executive to remit 10% of IGR to LG accounts monthly

    Nasarawa State Assembly directs Executive to remit 10% of IGR to LG accounts monthly

    Nasarawa State House of Assembly has directed the Executive arm of government to allocate 10 per cent of Internally Generated Revenue to the Local Government Joint Accounts monthly as required by law.

    This, it said, is for speedy development at the grassroots.

    Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, Speaker of the House gave the directive when the House deliberated on the report of its Ad-hoc Committee that investigated the finances of local governments.

    The committee also investigated factors responsible for lack of development at the grassroots.

    “Recommendations of the committee are as follow: that in compliance with the State-Local Government Joint Accounts Law, 10 per cent of Internally Generated Revenue is to be remitted on monthly basis to the joint account.

    “All Ecological Funds be paid directly to each local government’s Ecological Account.

    “The Ecological Account must be opened in the same bank where the local government’s bank account is domiciled to ensure transparency and accountability.

    “That the Executive arm of government should ensure that local governments fulfilled all criteria to benefit from the State Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability policy,’’ he said.

    The speaker directed the Clerk of the House to communicate the resolution to the governor for necessary action.

    On Sept. 26, a member drew the attention of the House to the dwindling fortunes of local governments as a result of poor or inadequate funding.

  • Lagos Assembly begins probe of LGs, LCDAs accounts

    Lagos Assembly begins probe of LGs, LCDAs accounts

    The Lagos State House of Assembly has begun probing the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Government Development Areas (LCDAs) to justify accountability of public funds in the state.

    The Chairman House Committee on Public Accounts (Local), Mr Mojeed Fatai, said this at the commencement of the first phase of the screening in Lagos on Saturday.

    Fatai noted that the probe by the Joint Committee on Public Account (Local) and Committee on Local Government Administration and Community Affairs had begun oversight functions to ensure acceptability.

    “The exercise was to evaluate the 20 Local Government Councils, LGs and 37 LCDAs in the state.

    ”This is the first phase and it is to run till Thursday, with Kosofe LG, Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, Ikosi-Isheri LCDA, Yaba LG, Lekki LG, Ibeju-Lekki LCDA, Imota LCDA, Epe LG, Isolo LG, Lagos-Island LCDA, Itire-Ikate LCDA amongst others.

    Fatai said the  exercise was aimed at making sure the funds from Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) allocated to Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas were expended judiciously.

    ”This is as it is contained in the relevant year budget approval and for the purpose of development in the state,” he said.

    Fatai said that the reports of its findings from the Joint Committee after the exercise would be presented at the plenary of the House for debate and for further scrutiny.

    The members present at the exercise included Mr Olawale AbdulSobur, Chairman Committee on Local Govt. Administration and Community Affairs.

    Others were Mr Rotimi Olowo, Mr Hakeem Sokunle, Mr Saka Solaja, Mr Rauf Age-Sulaiman, Mr Kehinde Joseph, Mr Victor Akande, Mrs Mosunmola Sangodara and Mr Fatai Oluwa.

  • LG polls: Ex-lawmaker laments voter apathy in Jos North LGA

    LG polls: Ex-lawmaker laments voter apathy in Jos North LGA

    A former member of the House of Representatives that represented Jos North/Bassa constituency, Suleiman Kwande, has lamented low turnout of voters in Saturday’s Local Government election in the state.

    Kwande,who stated this while casting his vote at the Hill Station polling unit, however, described the election as peaceful.

    He urged the citizens to always come out and vote during elections to enable them to elect leaders of their choice.

    He also urged the people to remain peaceful during and after the polls.

    The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the election was characterised by voter apathy in most parts of Jos North Local Government Area as most people stayed away from the polling units.

    In some polling units in Hill Station Junction, Farin Gada, Jenta Adamu, Apata, Tudun Wada and Hwolshe, few or no voters were seen,as at the time our correspondent visited the areas.

    Some of the voter registers had recorded one vote cast, others had 3 while some did not record any vote at all,as at the time of the visit.

    Similarly, there was poor turnout in some units such as Busabuji, Laranto, St Murumba and a host of others.

    Miss Helen Amos, a resident of Hill Station, blamed the poor turnout on the alleged non inclusion of other political parties in the election.

    “I don’t see why people would go out to vote when it is only one party that is participating and clearly almost everyone has rejected the candidates.

    “We feel disenfranchised by the non inclusion of the party of our choice, this is not the kind of democracy we want,” Amos said.

    NAN,however, reports that there was turnout of voters in some parts of Kwararafa, Konan Soja, Sabon Layi and other areas.

    Mrs Grace Vandapuye, a councilorship candidate in Jos North, expressed joy that the election was taking place for the first time in the area.

    Vandapuye urged elected leaders in the area to ensure that they served the people diligently and with fear of God.

  • Abductors release father of LG boss in Bayelsa

    Abductors release father of LG boss in Bayelsa

    The Police Command in Bayelsa has confirmed the release of Chief Gbalipre Turner by his abductors.

    The 70-year-old father of the Chairman of Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa, Marvin Turner, was abducted on Sept. 5, at Kpansia, Yenagoa.

    In a statement on Saturday, the command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), SP Asinmi Butswait, said the victim was released at Oluasiri, Nembe Bassambiri, in Nembe LGA of Bayelsa.

    Butswait said that the victim was hale and hearty and had been reunited with his family.

    He said that Police operatives had earlier mounted pressure on the kidnappers which led to the release of the victim.

    The PRO added that the suspects had been identified and efforts were ongoing to apprehend them.

    He explained that the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa Command, CP Echeng E. Echeng, had ordered officers to sustain the ongoing investigation to arrest the suspects.

  • FG, States, LGs share N696.965bn revenue for August

    FG, States, LGs share N696.965bn revenue for August

    The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared a total of N696.965 billion as federation allocation for the month of August.

    Oshundun Olajide, a Deputy Director of Information at the Office of Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

    This comes as the nation records a significant increase in the collection of Value Added Tax (VAT) and import duty, amid the lingering controversy over whose responsibility it is to collect VAT.

    A series of court cases and rulings emerged recently as the Rivers State government, backed by Lagos and some other states, challenge the legality of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to collect VAT.

    Olajide stated that FAAC held a virtual conference on Wednesday where it shared the sum to the three tiers of government.

    “From this amount, inclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT), Exchange Gain, Excess Bank Charges and Revenue from non-oil, the Federal Government received N289.257 billion, the states received N217.183 billion, the local government councils got N161.541 billion, while the oil-producing states received N41.376 billion as derivation (13 per cent of mineral revenue),” the statement read.

    The communique issued at the end of the meeting indicated that the gross revenue available from the Value Added Tax (VAT) for August was N166.228 billion.

    According to it, the Federal Government got N24.934 billion of the revenue generated from VAT, while the states and local government councils (LGCs) received N83.114 billion and N58.180 billion respectively.

    “The sum of N50 billion from non-oil revenue was equally distributed accordingly to the three tiers of government as follow – the Federal Government received N26.340 billion; the states got N13.360 while the LGCs received N10.3 billion.

    “The distributed statutory revenue of N477.504 billion was received for the month from which the Federal Government received N236.437 billion, states got N119.924 billion, LGCs got N92.4456 billion, and derivation (13 per cent mineral revenue) got N28.687 billion,” the statement added.

    It revealed that Companies Income Tax (CIT), Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), oil and gas royalties, and excise duty recorded decreases, while import duty and VAT increased significantly.

    The communique indicated that total revenue distributable for the month included gross statutory revenue of N477.504 billion, VAT of N166.228 billion, exchange gain of N2.830 billion, excess bank charges recovered of N0.403 billion, and N50 billion from non-oil revenue.

    This brings the total distributable revenue to N696.965 billion for the month of August.

  • LG enhancement bill scales 2nd reading

    A bill for an act to amend the constitution to give more power and responsibilities to local government councils the country has scaled second reading in the House of Representative.

    Rep. Oberuakpefe Afe, (PDP-Delta) the sponsor of the bill said on Wednesday in Abuja that the functions of the local councils under the 5th schedule was restrictive.

    Afe said that the functions were vague such that elected officers of the councils were not challenged enough to carry out projects for the benefit of Nigerians.

    “It is this obvious lacuna that this bill seeks to address by giving the councils a legal plank to play their roles as they collaborate with federal law enforcement agencies,” he said.

    The lawmaker said that section 7(5) of the bill sought to concede some responsibilities to local councils in the area of environmental challenge and development to make their administration more impactful.

    He stressed that the bill was a new regime that would give more latitude to state legislatures to determine the number and size of local councils in line with their economic viabilities.

    He urged the House to give its support for the passage of the bill.

    The bill was however, passed after a voice vote by the Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.

  • PDP disowns illegal inauguration of LG party chairmen in Niger

    PDP disowns illegal inauguration of LG party chairmen in Niger

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has disowned the inaugurated local government area chairmen of its Niger chapter.

    The party in a statement issued by its National Vice Chairman, North Central, Mr Theophilus Shan, in Abuja on Friday said the inauguration was not authorised by the PDP National Working Committee (NWC).

    “PDP alerts members and the general public that it did not authorise the inauguration of some unidentifiable persons as local government area chairmen in its Niger state chapter.

    “The PDP condemns this action in the strongest terms possible and it is considered an abuse of privilege which cannot be condoned under any guise whatsoever.

    “It came to the party as a shock that some leaders, operating without the mandate of the party, conducted the said illegal inauguration at the PDP Secretariat in Minna, the Niger State capital.”

    The party said the exercise was without the approval of the NWC which had the statutory powers to direct any of its organs to undertake such functions.

    Theophilus said that the Niger State Caretaker Committee, acting on the directive of the NWC, would not tolerate the activities of such individuals who had no legal powers to preside over the affairs of the party in the state.

    “Accordingly, the purported inauguration of some unidentifiable persons as LGA party Chairmen in Niger state is unknown to the party, illegal, of no effect and should stand disregarded.

    “Furthermore, such persons are advised, in their own interest, not to parade themselves as officials of our party, as such would attract unpleasant consequences.”

    Theophilus cautioned those behind the illegal inauguration to desist from actions that undermined the dictates of the constitution of the PDP, as such would attract very stringent sanctions by the NWC.

    He advised PDP members in Niger State to be wary and to distance themselves from such persons as their activities were without the consent of the party.

    “We urge the members of our PDP in Niger State to remain steadfast and await further directives from the National Working Committee.”

  • JUST IN: Gunmen abduct LG official in Ekiti

    JUST IN: Gunmen abduct LG official in Ekiti

    Unknown gunmen have kidnapped Ekiti West local government Supervisor for Agriculture, Ebenezer Busuyi, along Erijiyan Ekiti road.

    Busuyi was said to have been waylaid by the gunmen and dragged out of his car.

    His car was found along the road with its four doors ajar, in the late hours of Thursday.

    One of the residents of Erijiyan Ekiti who put a call across to newsmen explained that police from Ilawe Ekiti had visited the spot of the incident while the vehicle of the victim had been taken to police custody.

    The residents called on security agents to swing into action to rescue the APC stalwart.

    When contacted, the spokesperson for the Ekiti state police command, Mr Sunday Abutu, who confirmed the incident said that the command would work towards his rescue.

  • Why LG is shutting down its mobile phone business

    Why LG is shutting down its mobile phone business

    The South Korean electronics manufacturer, LG is closing its loss-making mobile phone business.

    The board of directors approved the move on Monday, LG Electronics said in a statement released in Seoul.

    The shutdown of LG’s mobile phone sector is expected to be completed by the end of July.

    “LG’s strategic decision to exit the incredibly competitive mobile phone sector will enable the company to focus resources in growth areas such as electric vehicle components, connected devices, smart homes, robotics and artificial intelligence.

    “It will also focus on business-to-business solutions as well as platforms and services,’’ the statement added.

    LG wants to “continue to leverage its mobile expertise and develop mobility-related technologies such as 6G to help further strengthen competitiveness in other business areas’’.

    Core technologies developed during the two decades of LG’s mobile business operations are to be retained and applied to existing and future products, the company said.

    LG’s withdrawal from the smartphone business had been on the horizon for some time.

    The division has shown an operating loss for years.

  • Corruption reigns high at state, LG levels – PACAC

    Corruption reigns high at state, LG levels – PACAC

    The Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) on Wednesday said corruption is high at the state and local government levels.

    The committee said more should be done to tackle graft at the “sub-national” level.

    PACAC Executive Secretary, Prof. Sadiq Isah Radda, said the same attention paid to corruption at the federal level should be extended to states and local governments because huge allocations also go to them.

    He spoke during a virtual dialogue with the media and the civil society.

    Radda said PACAC rejected the latest Transparency International (TI) report on Nigeria for being “methodologically weak, scientifically unacceptable and very inaccurate”.

    He, however, said the committee realised that Nigeria must do more, including the need to establish special crimes court for quicker determination of anti-graft cases.

    Radda said: “The Committee has realised that when you keep fighting corruption at the federal level, and not much is done at the state and local government levels, then the job is half-done.

    “We have realised that at the sub-national level, it is simply business as usual. At the federal level, you can see corruption as an agenda and as an issue for the government.

    “If state and local governments can do a similar thing, I think Nigeria will be better off. There are problems in fighting corruption because the efforts are at the national level.

    “Not much is being done at the state and local government levels although they control close to 50 per cent of the monthly allocation that is shared in Nigeria.

    “Therefore, we have to pay attention to what happens in the states and local governments because huge sums go to them.”

    Radda said declining national values must be revived, adding that the society must de-emphasis wealth by all means.