Tag: ALGON

The 33 council chairmen in Oyo State have dumped the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) over the Supreme Court’s judgment granting financial autonomy to local government across the country.

The chairmen, in a communiqué by the chairmen, unanimously declared their support for Governor Seyi Makinde.

ALGON’s Public Relation Officer in the state, Ibrahim Akintayo, described the chairmen’s stand as solidarity to Governor Makinde’s recent stand on local government autonomy as ruled by the apex court.

They attributed their loyalty to Makinde for his exemplary leadership and unrivalled achievements since his assumption to office.

Oyo State governor had during a meeting with some stakeholders after the court ruling constituted committees to review apex court’s ruling on local government autonomy.

Read Also: Double your efforts to end HIV, Oyo govt tells healthcare centres

“I called this meeting because I felt that even though we have not seen the Certified True Copy of the judgment of the Supreme Court, we have to be proactive and discuss the decision of the Supreme Court as it concerns financial autonomy of the local government councils because I believe a lacuna has been created between the decision and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that we all swore to uphold.

“The law is the law, and when there is a conflict, yes, we should go to the court. But it behoves on us to look for our own home-grown solutions that can ensure we have transparency and that our people do not suffer. This is because when two elephants are fighting, it is the grass that will suffer,” the governor had stated.

The Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), has commended the Supreme Court for the landmark judgment granting financial autonomy to the 774 Local Government Councils in the country.

Alhaji Aminu Muazu-Maifata, the National President of ALGON said this during a news conference on Monday in Lafia.

Muazu-Maifata who is also the Chairman of Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State and ALGON chairman in the state, expressed its joy over the judgement of the apex court.

The ALGON boss also commended President Bola Tinubu and the governors of the 36 states for accepting the decision of the apex court.

He promised a cordial working relationship between the council chairmen and the governors, adding that such move would ensure proper developments at the grassroots.

The president added that the financial autonomy would propel the council chairmen to redouble their efforts toward delivering on dividends of democracy to the people at the grassroots.

“We know that there are so many expectations from us under the new arrangement where our funds will come directly from the Federal Government.

“Expectations will come from our people, our governors, and even the president who is passionate about the development of the rural areas.

“So, we are very much aware of all these expectations and by the grace of God the country will be better in the nearest future,” he added.

The ALGON boss, however, called for upward review of the revenue accruing to the 774  councils, adding that it would enable them to comfortably pay the new minimum wage when approved.

Read Also: LG autonomy: ALGON says judgment, a new birth to democracy

He said that reviewing the sharing formula would enable the councils to embark on infrastructural development and address the security and other challenges currently ravaging rural communities.

“It will also help us to create more job opportunities and an enabling environment for people to go about their lawful businesses without fear of attack or initimidation,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Apex court on Thursday, July 11, granted financial autonomy to the 774 local government councils in the country.

The Supreme Court, in suit No: SC/CV/343/2004, ordered the federal government to immediately commence direct payment of local government funds to area councils.

(NAN)

The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has hailed the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to Local Government Areas describing it as the “birth of a new democracy” in Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Supreme Court on Thursday declared that it was unconstitutional for state governors to hold funds allocated for local government administrations.

The seven-man panel, in the judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, declared that the 774 local government councils in the country should manage their funds themselves.

The apex court held that the power of the government is portioned into three arms of government, the federal, the state and the local government.

The Supreme Court however, ordered the Accountant General of the federation to only pay in LGA funds into LGAs with a democratically elected chairmen and councilors.

NAN reports that this has put an end to Transition Committees, Caretaker Committees or sole administrators.

Now, the State Assemblies have no other option than to pass the LGA autonomy bill once it gets to them.

Reacting to the judgement, the ALGON Board of Trustees Secretary, Chief Chukwudi Ezinwa, told NAN in a telephone interview on Thursday that the judgement was a “birth of a new democracy in Nigeria”.

He noted that a lot of atrocities had been committed by some of the state governors that had stampeded the Local Government from carrying out its operations.

While describing local government as grassroots government oriented, Ezinwa said “if we get it right at the local level, Nigeria would be great again as everyone belong to local government even the governors, president and other Nigerians.

According to him, once we get it right at local government level, states will have less work to do.

“To us at ALGON, we thank God and commend the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) for taking the bull by the horn and his political will power to pursue the case to the Supreme Court.

“A lot of attorneys -general had come and gone but lacked courage to go ahead to make sure that local government was salvaged from the hands of governors.

“We equally thank the President Bola Tinubu for proving to Nigerians that he is a president with courage and that his Renewed Hope Agenda was for real as well as showing that he wants to correct all the wrongs,” he said.

He, however, called for full implementation of the judgment as there were a lot of judgments in the country that did not see the light of the day.

“We encourage the president, Federal Republic of Nigeria to make sure that this judgement is implemented.

“If implemented and local government is given autonomy, there will be a lot of change; insecurity and infrastructural decay will be handled,” he stressed.

A Human Rights Lawyer, Desmond Kakaan, said the constitution never accepted Caretaker Committee adopted by the governors but elected Local Government Chairmen.

Read Also: ALGON pushes four-year tenure for elected council officials

He said It was wrong for state governments to be given local government chairmen paltry sum from their money to run the affairs of the Council Areas.

While applauding the boldness of the Fagbemi, Kakaan said the suit was brought by him to the Supreme Court for interpretation.

“I know it was in agreement with Mr President as well as the president’s experience when he was governor of Lagos State and created more local governments and President Olusegun Obasanjo refused to release funds for them.

“With this judgement, people can now hold Local Government Chairmen accountable and a lot of infrastructural development will be witnessed at local level.

(NAN)

• Gives condition to implement proposed minimum wage

Council bosses, under the auspices of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), are pushing for the adoption of a unified four-year tenure for elected local government officials, their President Aminu Muazu-Maifata said yesterday.

Muazu-Maifata told reporters in Lafia, capital of Nasarawa state yesterday that the move would ensure good governance and quality representation at the grassroots.

The ALGON President, who doubles as the chairman of Lafia Local Government Area, called on the National Assembly to urgently amend the nation’s constitution to unify the tenure of local government officials across the country.

He said: “The tenure of local government officials should be made four years to enable us deliver on our campaign promises to the electorate.

“It is unfortunate that the tenure of local government officials in some states is even one or two years. So, I wonder how these officials will deliver good governance within such a short period.”

On the N62, 000 minimum wage being proposed by the Federal Government and the Organised Private Sector (OPS), the ALGON boss called on the federal government to increase the monthly allocations of the 774 local government areas in the country.

Read Also; ALGON seeks 4-year tenure for LG officials

He maintained that the move would enable the councils to pay the new minimum wage when it finally becomes a law.

Muazu-Maifata however lauded Governor Abdullahi Sule for granting autonomy to all the councils in Nasarawa State.

He called on other governors to emulate Sule toward the overall development of the country, particularly the grassroots.

On security in Lafia, he explained that the partial curfew imposed in the locality as a measure to tackle the increasing rate of kidnaping and other crimes within the state capital.

“We restricted the movement of motorcycles between 6pm and 6am and tricycles between 8pm and 6am.

“This is because security reports have it that criminal gangs are using these two means of transportation to perpetrate crimes and operate between the restricted hours.” he explained.

Noting that the security situation in Lafia has improved, Muazu-Maifata added that better strategies would be adopted toward the safety of lives and property.

The Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), has called for the adoption of a unified four-year  tenure for elected local government officials in the country.

Alh. Aminu Muazu-Maifata, National President of ALGON made the call in an interview with  newsmen on Monday in Lafia.

Muazu-Maifata said that the move would ensure good governance and quality representation at the grassroots levels.

The president called on the National Assembly to urgently amend the nation’s  constitution to unify the tenure of local government officials  across the country.

“The tenure of local government officials should be made four years to enable us deliver on our campaign promises to the electorate.

”It is unfortunate that thr tenure of local government officials in some states is even one or two years.

Read Also: ALGON celebrates Tinubu’s commitment to LG, grassroots development

”So, I wonder how these officials will deliver good governance within such a short period,”he lamented.

On the N62, 000 minimum wage proposed by the Federal Government, the ALGON boss called on the federal government to increase the monthly allocations of the 774 local government areas in the country.

He maintained that the move would enable the councils to pay the new minimum wage when it finally becomes a law.

Muazu-Maifata, who is the Chairman of Lafia local government area of Nasarawa Sate, however, lauded Gov. Abdullahi Sule for granting autonmy to all the councils in the state.

He called on other governors to emulate Sule toward the overall development of the country, particularly the grassroots.

On the security of Lafia, he explained that the partial curfew imposed in the locality as a measure to tackle the increasing rate of kidnaping and other crimes within the state capital.

“We restricted the movement of motorcycles between 6p.m. and 6:00 a.m. and tricycles between 8p.m. and 6a.m.

“This is because security reports has it that criminal gangs are using these two means of transportation to perpetrate crimes and operate between the restricted hours,” he explained.

Muazu-Maifata, however, said that the security situation in Lafia has improved, adding better strategies would be adopted toward the safety of lives and property. 

(NAN)

The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), has called on state governments to release the unpaid Paris Club Refunds due to affected local governments, as reconciled with the Federal Ministry of Finance.

The association’s  National President, Kolade Alabi, also lamented what he described as the continued stifling of local government administration through limited or restricted access to their full monthly Federation Account Allocations (FAC), by some state governments.

Among the states culpable, he said, are those operating with  caretaker committees, or sole administrators instead of the duly elected local government officials as guaranteed by Section 7 of the  Constitution.

The umbrella body for local government said the non-payment of funds due to affected local governments is affecting the growth of those councils.

The ALGON President said: “A prominent example is the continued withholding of most Local Governments’ share of Paris Club Refunds, although fully paid by the Federal Government between 2016 and 2018. No doubt, we cannot underestimate the unique position of local governments in addressing and resolving the immediate concerns and pressing problems of ordinary Nigerians for security (both human and food), health and wellbeing, affordable transportation and other fundamental elements of modern livelihood.

ALGON noted with dismay how the absence of full authority and proper funding had undermined the effectiveness of local government administration in the country.

Alabi, a lawyer and Chairman of Bariga Local Council in Lagos State, said: “This untoward action by the higher authority has deprived communities of good infrastructure and amenities, prevented growth of social services and provision of more adequate security. It also led to crumbling and eventual collapse of existing facilities designed to meet basic needs like housing, healthcare, primary education, portable water and food security.”

He enjoined Nigerians to be patient with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, saying the Renewed Hope Agenda of the  President  is not a quick fix but a tedious process to a great development.

Nigerians, the ALGON president  said, should endure the process, assuring that they would laugh at last.

According to him, the masses should recognize that the courageous and inevitable policies of President Tinubu though difficult and painful in implementation, are desirable and appropriate in conception, and will ultimately prove beneficial, for reversing decades of economic mismanagement and ensuring renewed hope and a bright future for all Nigerians.

He added: “As government closer to the people, we observed with great concern, the extremely difficult circumstances many Nigerian families are currently enduring. This was caused by soaring food prices, diminished household incomes, mounting insecurity, increased unemployment, high transportation costs and many other ills currently plaguing the nation’s economy and society.

Read Also: Renewed Hope Agenda not a quick fix, says ALGON President

“We equally recognise that most of these challenges are largely the result of decades of sub-optimal management of Nigeria’s economy and resources; inadequate provision of security structures, especially at local and community levels and the now ubiquitous effects of long standing and deeply rooted official corruption.”

Alabi assured Nigerians there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

“I believe that the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu has the capacity to fix and reform Nigeria, but it takes time and as they say “Patience is a virtue”.  At this point, I call on our dear youth, civil society organizations and well-meaning Nigerians to exercise more patience and allow Mr. President to undertake the process of returning the country to an enviable height amongst the comity of nations.

“Kindly note that what we are facing as a nation is not unique to Nigeria alone; it is a global phenomenon. A very clear example is the announcement by the government of the United Kingdom that their economy is in recession. Many Nigerians in the Diaspora calling for strikes are equally facing the same economic downturn wherever they are; I can assure you that things will get better,” he said.

According to ALGON chief, council chairmen across the country have been engaging in various interventions to cushion the challenges of fuel subsidy removal.

The umbrella body for local governments appealed to chairmen across the country, to rise to the occasion and play a vital role, as the hird tier of government nearest to the people, in ameliorating the difficult circumstances being endured by Nigerians from implementation of needful policies and also providing critical support for the nation’s security architecture.