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BREAKING: Supreme Court Orders Funds be Paid to LGAs Directly (UPDATED)

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Nigeria’s Supreme Court has ordered governors of the country’s 36 states to henceforth steer clear of the funds meant for its 774 Local Government Areas.

The Apex Court says the control of funds of the local government councils by the States is unconstitutional.

This judgment is in respect of a lawsuit instituted by the Federal Government through the Attorney General of the Federation against the 36 state governors in a move to ensure full independence of the local government areas from the control of the state governors who until now controlled the funds and constitute caretaker committees to run the affairs of the local government areas.

In a landmark judgment delivered by a seven-member justice panel headed by Justice Lawal Garba, Nigeria’s Apex Court says the Constitution under Section 162 (4,5 and 6) doesn’t provide for the existence of a joint account for both the States and local government councils.

In the lead judgment prepared and read by Justice Emmanuel Agim the Court orders that, henceforth, funds meant for the Local Government Councils be paid to them directly from the Federation Account and not through the State governors.

The Court holds that the provision of the Constitution that funds meant for the local government councils be sent to the States is for them to act as agents of the Federal government for the onward disbursement of same.

It adds that the States are therefore not required to hold on to the money and use at will.

It holds that the States are exploiting the roles handed to them by the Constitution by holding onto funds meant for local government councils.

The Court also laments this has been on for over two decades, crippling the effective functioning of the third tier of government.On the aspect of the full autonomy of the Local Government Areas, the Apex Court says the state governors have for over 20 years constituted themselves “a species most dangerous” to the democratic structure of the local government councils.

It holds that Caretaker Committees installed by these governors is illegal as they have no powers to do so.

In a unanimous decision, the Apex Court further holds that the leadership of the local government councils must be by democratic means, insisting no state governor has the powers to dissolve democratically elected local government leadership and install their choice officials to run the local government councils.

As such, the Apex Court has also ordered the governors to desist from receiving, spending or tampering with funds released from the federation account for the local governments when no democratically elected local government system is put in place in the states.

It therefore holds that the constitution of Nigeria recognizes federal, states and local governments as three tiers of government and that the three draw funds for their functioning from the federation account created by the constitution.

The Apex Court orders immediate compliance by the state governors to the judgment.

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TINTED GLASS PERMIT: NPF further Extends grace period

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The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has approved a further extension of the grace period for the enforcement of the Tinted Glass Permit requirement for vehicles with tinted windows, with the new enforcement date now set for 2nd October, 2025.

This decision follows a significant surge in applications via the official portal, reflecting heightened public compliance with the directive.

In light of this, the Force considers it imperative to allow sufficient time for the meticulous scrutiny of applications to ensure that the permit is issued only to eligible and qualified individuals, in line with national security considerations.

The extension will also provide room for the continued fine-tuning of verification processes, both digital and physical, to maintain the integrity of the permit system and prevent abuse.

The Nigeria Police Force reaffirms that the authorized platform for the application remains https://possap.gov.ng and advises citizens to disregard any unofficial channels.

Members of the public are further encouraged to report all forms of extortion, hidden charges, or unauthorized processing to the appropriate Police authorities, including via the dedicated hotline: 08147818871.

The Nigeria Police Force appreciates the cooperation of the Nigerian people and remains committed to balancing public convenience with robust security measures for the safety of all.

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BREAKING: Ibom Air Passenger Charged for Assault, Remanded in Prison

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Comfort Emmanson, a passenger who allegedly assaulted airline staff aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos, has been formally charged and remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Facility.

The update was shared by Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo. He made the disclosure in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.

The incident comes amid growing concerns over unruly behavior at Nigerian airports. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) recently announced plans to intensify enforcement, warning that such actions will become more frequent due to the rise in disruptive passenger conduct.

This development follows a separate incident involving Fuji music icon King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (popularly known as KWAM 1), who reportedly tried to stop a ValueJet flight from departing after he was deboarded.

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Kogi Civil Servant Lauds Ododo, urges action on pending requests

Governor Ododo’s visionary leadership has been a game-changer for Kogi State, and his commitment to transforming the civil service is evident in the progress made so far.

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By Abah Benjamin Eneojoh

Kogi State Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, Barr. Muhammed Musa Tanko, called on the State’s Governor, Aljaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, to approve pending requests that would further boost the morale of civil servants in the state.

Barr Tanko made the call today during a momentous occasion marking the Civil Service Week.

Barr Tanko acknowledged that under Governor Ododo’s leadership, Kogi State has made significant strides in transforming the civil service.

He cited a few examples of the progress made so far to include digital transformation, implementation of the National Minimum Wage, payment of salaries and leave bonuses, and gazetting of the Kogi State Vigilante Service personnel into the state civil service.

The state government has also established the Kogi State ICT Development Agency, headed by a Director-General, Dr. Bashir Tenuche, to drive digital innovation and development.

However, the chairman acknowledged that challenges persist in every system.

Issues of capacity, resource constraints, and bureaucratic bottlenecks are some of the challenges that need to be addressed.

Moreover, retirement from service is creating a vacuum that threatens to disrupt operations, and a robust succession plan is needed to mitigate this risk.

Barr. Tanko humbly called on His Excellency to look at the following requests with penetrating idea of clarity and approve them.

These include pending promotions for deserving and qualified civil servants in respect of years 2023, 2024, and 2025, training for MDAs in compliance with global best practices, training for the Comptroller-General and management team of the Kogi State Vigilante Service, and recruitment of staff to bridge the gap between junior and senior staff.

Governor Ododo’s visionary leadership has been a game-changer for Kogi State, and his commitment to transforming the civil service is evident in the progress made so far.

With these requests approved, the state civil service is poised to achieve even greater heights, and the people of Kogi State will reap the benefits of good governance.

As the civil servants of Kogi State celebrate this week, they do so with hope and optimism for a brighter future.

With the leadership of His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, and the dedication of the civil servants, Kogi State is set to achieve greatness. God bless His Excellency, God bless the Head of Civil Service, Pastor Elijah Adeiza Evinemi, CFA, PhD., and God bless the civil servants of Kogi State!

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