TheNewsGuru

Tag: Local Government

  • Senior Lawyer, Oma Ahonaruogho suggests way forward for Nigeria

    Senior Lawyer, Oma Ahonaruogho suggests way forward for Nigeria

    Senior Lawyer and Human right activist, Richard Oma Ahonaruogho (SAN)  has posited that for Nigeria to develop, each local government  must be given attention to.
    Similarly, the senior lawyer also suggested a single term of 6 years for president, saying it will afford every individual ample time to deliver knowing full well that they do not have opportunity for second term.
    Ahonaruogho, reiterated his stance via a speech delivered by him today in Lagos.
    According to him, what Nigeria needs to develop is for each of the local government to pay attention to their areas and it will automatically translate to the country’s development.
    ”I have said it for years, develop each Local Government Area and the Country is developed. I suggested a
    “Dangote” to be Local Government Chairman without pay for 3 years to be succeeded by a “Dantata” for another 3 years without pay and so on and so forth as a deliberate sacrifice to develop each Local Government, State and Country. Voila, the Country will be developed.
    ”The competition will be who will be Local Government Chairman, not Governor, not President.
    ”I have also over the years posited that the tenure of the President and Governors should be a SINGLE term of 6 years with the possibility of a mid-term election called by the Senate of the National Assembly (excluding the House of Representatives as the Senate represents the equality of States) or State House of Assembly if in their opinion, the President or Governor as the case may be has failed to deliver on the Electoral promises for which he/she was voted into office, by a majority of two thirds of the Membership of the Senate or of the State House of Assembly.
    ”If such a President or Governor is re-elected in the mid-term election, then he/she completes the remaining period of 3 years but if another person is elected, then the new office holder starts his/her SINGLE term of 6 years with the possibility of mid-term election. In this way, a President or Governor will strive to deliver good governance and the polity will be better served even if for 3 years, instead of the present situation that encourages a candidate to rig an election and win a 2nd term of 4 years almost automatically, except in one or two instances, with little or nothing to show for it, again, except in one or two instances.
    ”I see the Political Parties getting more involved in ensuring that Party Manifestos and Programmes are strictly complied with by the President and Governors elected on their Party platforms as to enable their Political Party remain in office/power.
    ”Nigeria can work. We only need sacrificial Leaders.
  • JUST IN: Osun Poll: We’ve won, PDP declares, says any attempt to manipulate results will be resisted

    JUST IN: Osun Poll: We’ve won, PDP declares, says any attempt to manipulate results will be resisted

    The Osun state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has claimed victory in the ongoing governorship election, insisting that collated results from the polling units confirms PDP’s emerging victory at the poll.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) made this claim In a statement issued at Osogbo on Saturday evening by the party’s Caretaker Chairman in Osun state, Dr Akindele Adekunle declaring that the party has secured majority as well as more than two third spread across the 30 local governments and area office.

    In the statement, the party noted that its victory at the poll is a product of mass mobilisation and grand coalition of people of Osun state against bad governance and insensitive leadership.

    While thanking people of Osun state for endorsing and affirming Ademola Adeleke’s governorship bid, the party sternly warns against any attempt to tamper with the result of the election.

    “We want to assert that Ademola Adeleke has won this election overwhelmingly going by results at our disposal. We warn against any plot by some agents of chaos to doctor the results.

    “We specifically call on the Electoral commission to watch fifth columnists within its fold who may have been contracted for hatchet job. Osun people have decided and their votes must be respected”, the statement noted”.

    The party in the statement specifically called the attention of the commission to a paid agent of the state government who is presently working round the clock to tamper with the results, vowing that any attempt to subvert the will of Osun people will be strongly resisted.

    END.

  • BREAKING: Lalong dissolves local government councils

    BREAKING: Lalong dissolves local government councils

    Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau has dissolved the 17 Local Government Councils in the state, following expiration of their tenure.

    Lalong directed that they should hand over affairs of the Councils to their Directors of Personnel Management by Friday.

    This is contained in a statement issued by the Press & Public Affairs to the governor of Plateau state, Mr Simon Macham.

    Lalong in the statement appreciated the chairmen and councillors for serving the people meritoriously and doing their best to improve the lives of the citizens at the grassroots.

    While wishing them the best in their future endeavours, he urged them to continue to offer their services to the socio-political development of the State.

    Lalong thanked them for their support and collaboration toward ensuring the success of his administration through many projects and programmes cited in their various local governments.

    The governor in the statement called on citizens to ensure that the elections scheduled for Saturday were conducted freely and without any incident.

  • Lagos reveals LG with highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases

    Lagos reveals LG with highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, says Eti-Osa Local Government Area has the highest numbers of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state.

    Abayomi, during an update of COVID-19 situation in the state on Friday, said that Eti-Osa has 47 out of the 98 confirmed cases.

    The commissioner said that Ikeja has 24 cases, Lagos Mainland- 11, while Alimosho, Agege and Ikorodu has one case respectively.

    According to him, out of the 98 confirmed cases in the state, 74 are still active cases, while 24 has recovered and has been discharged.

    He noted that most of the patients fell between 30 and 59 years, adding that two patients over 60 years and another two over 70 years were among the patients currently receiving treatment at the facility.

    Abayomi said 64 per cent of the patients were males, 36 per cent females; noting that 68 per cent of the cases were imported in the first four weeks of confirmation of the index case in the state

    According to him, 91 per cent of the cases are Nigerians, stating that since the closure of the air and land borders imported cases had reduced, while the state has started experiencing local transmission of the virus.

    He said most of the patients were experiencing a mild to moderate degree of the illness, adding that two of the patients were presently on oxygen.

    The commissioner, said that if the oxygen does not work for them, they would change it to ventilators.

    According to him, there are about 20 ventilators in the state hospitals, and another 20 in the private hospitals which the state can access if the need arises.

    The commissioner said that the state has three molecular laboratories for COVID-19 test, and was conducting between 200 and 300 COVID-19 tests daily.

    He said there was an ongoing training of medical personnel and volunteers, stressing that the state has adequate personal protective equipment for its staffs.

    Abayomi disclosed that the state was curently tracing 2, 450 contacts.

    He advised the public to continue to practice social distancing and adhere to the stay at home order toward reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

  • Udom sacks Local Government commissioner

    Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State on Friday sacked the state commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Udo Ekpenyong.

    According to a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Charles Udoh, in Uyo, Ekpenyong has been relieved of his appointment “with immediate effect.”

    The statement reads: “Governor Udom Emmanuel has effected a minor reshuffling of his cabinet. By this development, the Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Udo Ekpeyong, has been relieved of his portfolio with immediate effect.

    “The Government of Akwa Ibom State thanks Hon. Ekpeyong for his services to the state while serving as a member of the State Executive Council and wishes him well in his future endeavours.”

  • Effective Local Government administration will subdue growing national disenchantment – Dogara

    Effective Local Government administration will subdue growing national disenchantment – Dogara

    …Urges State Assemblies to endorse financial autonomy

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara has said growing level of discontentment and disenchantment by the generality of Nigerians will be greatly reduced when local government systems work effectively.

    He added that there is a chance to meet up with the expectations of Nigerians as the ongoing Constitution Amendment exercise affords lawmakers the opportunity to improve on governance from the grassroots to the top.

    The Speaker said these while speaking at a consultative meeting for building consensus among the conference of Speakers, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and leaders of thought on local government and State Houses of Assembly Autonomy by leveraging on the ongoing Constitution Review Exercise.

    He said the “amendment exercise could not have come at a better time than now that there is a loud and deafening call across the nation for restructuring and deepening our democratic systems and processes.

    “As leaders, we must use every opportunity to find ways of strengthening Nigeria’s unity through effective governance and delivery of public goods and services that will lead to an improvement in the livelihoods of the average Nigerian. If we can make the local government system work effectively, most of the discontentment and disenchantment among the rural population and the generality of Nigerians will be greatly reduced.

    “The Constitution amendment process provides an opportunity for the National Assembly in collaboration with the State legislatures to enhance our governance architecture, strengthen our democratic institutions, entrench equity and social justice in our polity and most importantly put Nigeria on the part of the greatness that Nigerians crave for.”

    He also disclosed that in the last aborted Constitution Alteration exercise in the 7th Assembly, all the State Houses of Assembly voted to support autonomy for the State Houses of Assembly, having learnt from the bitter experience of the 2nd Alteration Bill where the State Houses of Assembly on their own turned down Autonomy for State Houses of Assembly.

    Reiterating his position that financial autonomy for local governments and state House of Assembly will bring good governance and dividends of democracy to the states and rural areas, he noted, “Indeed, financial autonomy for the State legislatures is one of the most important ingredients for good governance at the State level.”

    Stressing the need for continuous dialogue and consensus building in democratic governance, Dogara said it provides a platform for thorny and divergent views to be discussed, harmonised and addressed amicably.

    “Democracy in practice, is a process through which government actors and citizens’ representatives continuously dialogue constructively in order to build harmony and consensus on critical and competing issues and interests,” he said, adding that “consultation is a very critical element of any democracy because it provides a platform for thorny and divergent views to be discussed, harmonised and addressed amicably.

    He commended the leadership of the State Houses of Assembly, DFID and PERLS for the partnership and support in the previous amendments, and called for same as the legislature strives to find lasting solutions to the bottlenecks that have inhibited the ability of Nigeria to achieve its true potentials.

  • 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.

  • No local government under Boko Haram’s control in North East – Buratai

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, has said that there has been tremendous progress in the war against insurgency since he assumed office in July 2015.

    Buratai maintained that at the moment, the military has captured all the hitherto strong Boko Haram holds in the North East.

    Buratai revealed this in an interview with The Nation.

    In his words: “My greatest fulfilment is with the progress that has been made in the war against Boko Haram since I resumed as the Chief of Army Staff,” he said.

    “We came at a time when truly the challenge of the insurgency was very high. It was at its peak. There is no gainsaying that some progress had been made before we came in. But the progress that was made before we came in was being overtaken by the virtual resurgence of Boko Haram terrorist group.

    “At the time we came, there were only four local governments that were not under the Boko Haram terrorist group’s control out of about 27 local governments in Borno. Same in Yobe state; two local governments were still under Boko Haram’s influence. That was the situation we met when we came in July 2015.

    “As at today, those two local governments in Yobe state have been reclaimed from Boko Haram. And in Borno, all the 23 LGAs that were under the influence and control of Boko Haram have been liberated and they’ve been effectively put under the control of the elected government. The areas that are remaining are just the peripheral, that lies along the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. And Chad and Niger borders as well. No single local government is under the control of Boko Haram. To me, this is a major achievement and source of fulfilment,” Buratai said.

    The Army also relieved how Boko Haram insurgents attacked his convoy while he was leading troops to clear the ambush in Mafa village.

    “I was with them and my convoy was ambushed by Boko Haram. Instead of withdrawing back to Maiduguri, I said, ‘No! We are in this together, I can’t go back. We must all go together to clear the ambush,” Buratai said.

    “So I advanced with them and that was how we cleared the ambush. If the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) does not turn back, who would turn and run from such an ambush? I advanced with the troops and it paid off.

    “Unfortunately, we lost two soldiers; one of them was an officer. One other soldier, a Brigadier-General, got wounded in the attack,” he added.

    He added that the troops killed 10 terrorists and captured five.

  • Why we want to grant autonomy to LGAs – Dogara

    Why we want to grant autonomy to LGAs – Dogara

     

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara, has said that the House is working to grant financial autonomy to local governments in the ongoing constitution alteration exercise.

    He said such was the only way to guarantee development at the grassroot.

    The speaker also charged local government workers to step up agitation for local government autonomy, saying only through their individual and collective efforts would the desired change be achieved.

    Dogara gave this charge when he received the national executive members of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), who paid him a courtesy visit in the National Assembly.

    The speaker noted that no progress can be achieved in the local government if the present status quo of interference and administration by state governors was retained, adding that local governments must be financially and politically autonomous to trigger development in the rural areas.

    He said, “It is a responsibility all of us owe to our people. As a matter of fact, we are not even doing it for you, we are doing it for the Nigerian people.”

    The speaker informed them that some governors who opposed local government autonomy were of the view that local governments will collapse if their administration was handed over to the elected chairmen.

    However, the speaker argued that state governors would have “extricated themselves from blame if they let local governments free.”

    He added that progress can never be gotten by maintaining the status quo and that the House had chosen to ensure that the ongoing Constitution Amendment exercise captured the yearnings of millions of Nigerians for development in the grassroots.

    “For us as representatives of the people, we have heard the cry of the people and we know that the only way we can add value to local government is by giving them political and financial independence. This will expand opportunites in the grassroots”, he added.

    Earlier, the delegation from NULGE commended the Speaker for leading the campaign and advocacy for local government autonomy and described him as a patriot and statesman.

    He called on the speaker to ensure that the ongoing Constitution Amendment captured local government autonomy, adding that he should involve all stakeholders that can bring it to fruition, including President Muhammadu Buhari, who they said was in the best position to ensure that governors stopped violation of the constitutionally provided roles of local government officials.

    National president of NULGE, Ibrahim Khaleel, also appealed to the Speaker to pass their agitations to president Muhammadu Buhari whom they said was in the best position to rally for the support of state governors.

    “You have the capacity as speaker of this House, together with your team, to make Mr President understand that it is only him and only him that can change the situation.

    “No amount of agitation or campaign can change the minds of the governors. When he calls the governors and speakers of the House of Assembly, he can make the difference”, he stated.