News
BREAKING: Supreme Court Orders Funds be Paid to LGAs Directly (UPDATED)
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.
News
Ayo Fayose Gets Presidential Portfolio As REA Board Chairman
Fayose will head the board of REA, with Alhaji Ahmadu Abubakar and Engineer Ilyasu Ibrahim Makinta appointed as members and non-executive directors,” said Onanuga.
President Bola Tinubu has appointed the former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, as chairman of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) Board.
The President also appointed Major General Junaid Bindawa as chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
24 others were also appointed to 10 federal government agencies and commissions.
The appointments were contained in a statement issued by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, in Abuja.
According to the statement, “All the appointments take immediate effect.”
“Fayose will head the board of REA, with Alhaji Ahmadu Abubakar and Engineer Ilyasu Ibrahim Makinta appointed as members and non-executive directors,” said Onanuga.
News
BREAKING: ICPC grills Gbajabiamila over PFIPC scandal
According to Jiti Ogunye, Gbajabiamila’s counsel, the president’s chief of staff appeared at the ICPC headquarters on Monday, where he was questioned over the PFIPC controversy.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has interrogated Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, over his role in the emergence of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
According to Jiti Ogunye, Gbajabiamila’s counsel, the president’s chief of staff appeared at the ICPC headquarters on Monday, where he was questioned over the PFIPC controversy.
Details soon
(The Cable)
News
NBC Begins Training of Free -To- Air TV Installers
” We are doing it to ensure that they can properly track the NigComsat signal. We found out that installers are very critical to the success of the DSO project because we recently launched the DTH project. We are going DTT. We are going DTH. We are doing mobile App.”
•50 set-top box installers and technicians in Ibadan
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has commenced nationwide capacity-building exercise to prepare installers for the rollout of the country’s renewed Digital Switchover (DSO) programme.
The Head of the DSO Unit and Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the Commission, Mrs. Clementine Usman-Wamba, announced the development during training of more than 50 set-top box installers and technicians in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
According to her, broadcasters would be shut out of analogue broadcasting transmission by 2028, hence the need for the training of installers that are professionals to assist in the process.
She said, “We are actually here in Ibadan to train installers specifically to be part of the Digital Switch Over process.We are doing it in conjunction with Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited, (NigComSat). It is a joint outreach that we are doing here today.”
” We are doing it to ensure that they can properly track the NigComsat signal. We found out that installers are very critical to the success of the DSO project because we recently launched the DTH project. We are going DTT. We are going DTH. We are doing mobile App.”
She said that the installation of Free TV is to enable Nigerians to have access to many channels without subscription, noting that the NBC has embarked on the training of the installers of decoders and dishes nationwide for effective take off of the project.
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