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Tag: Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON)

  • ALGON gets interim committee to manage its affairs

    The Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) has announced the dissolution of its executives.

    A 23-member interim committee was put in place to run the affairs of the group for the next 60 days when a new leadership is expected emerged.

    Announcing the dissolution yesterday, Board of Trustees Chairman Odunayo Ategbero   said the dissolution followed the sacking of the incumbent chairman of the group, Tanko Gambo Kagara by Niger State government.

    He said: “This dissolution unfortunately affected  the immediate  past president  of the association of local government of Nigeria (ALGON) Tanks Gamboa Kamara, chairman of Rafi local government of Nigeria state, who forthwith ceased to be ALGON  president as a result of the dissolution. ALGON constitution states in section 17.2 that, when a member representative  a local  government  ceases to be a member of the local government, automatically  ceases to be member of the association  or organs thereof,. Therefore  means Tanko Gambo  Kagara has henceforth ceased to be the President  of ALGON. Also section 11. 2.1 states that deputy president shall take over the responsibilities and duties of the President if he is incapacitated, dead, removed or resigned.

    “The deputy president having  also  ceased  to be a serving local  government  chairman  in his state of Asia since December  2018 cannot  take over. The implication of this is that  a big  vacuum  in the leadership  of the association has been  created which necessitate  a transition management  committee to be put in place. The Constitution I section 17.1 state  that the board of incorporated trustees shall take  over the move able and immovable  assert of the association  in transition.

    It is as a result  of the foregoing  that the board of trustees is constituting a transition management  committee.

    “The transition committed shall hold forth in the management  of the association  for a period of time not exceeding sixty days after which it shall in conjunction with the states chapter chairman of ALGON in the 36 states of Nigeria  and FCT, call for election of a new president and other officers whose offices are vacant.”

    Members of the transition committee are:  Odunayo at Ategbero(chairman, BOT) South West,  Cyril Odinaka Okafor (Trustee) South East, Benson Asin(Trustee) South South, Aliyu Ikra  Bibis (Trustee) North West, Dr Bako Idhola (Trustee) North Central, Dr. Ted Ishegohi Edwards(Board Secretary) ,  Gambo Tanko Kagara, Bot member, North Central, Itiako Ikpokpo Malik (Death State) South South, Evbarekk Jenksin Osunde (Edo State) South South, Frank Achibong (Akwai-Ibom) south south, sani. So. Dogarai (Gombe State) North East, Nasiru Usman (Bauchi State) North East, Taofiq Issa(Kogi State) North East,  Ezekiel Vuelgap (Plateau State) North Central, Aliyu Tsafe(Zamfara State) North West,  Mohammed Mahmoud (Kaduna) North West, Kolade Alhaji (Lagos) South West, Jayeoba Boye ( Osunde State) South West,  Fred Chukwudi Ezinwa (Eungu State) South East,  Barr Mbagwu Augustine(Imo State) South East and Mohammed. I. Abubakar (TMC secretariat)

  • Don’t put your destiny in the hands of learner drivers – Uzodinma

    Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodinma has asked the people of the state not to give power again to those he described as drivers with learner’s permit, accusing the Rochas Okorocha led government in the state of amassing about N300 billion debt for the state between 2015 and 2019.

    The APC flagbearer said he was determined to stop the state becoming a family and restoring governance back to the people of the state, assuring that all salaries and allowances owed workers and elected officials withheld by Governor Okorocha will be paid immediately he assumed office as the next governor of the state.

    Uzodinma who spoke when he received a delegation of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) who came to endorse him as their candidate foe the governorship seat promised to bring what he called a new order to the governance of the state and set up a new team that will bring development to Imo state.

    He also promised to address the alleged illegality perpetrated against them by ensuring the payment of their salaries from 2011 till date.

    He said: “When I was told that the entire ALGON will pay a visit, i did not know how serious the issues were. Not only that you were removed illegally, since then you have not been paid your salaries. We have seen several injustices perpetrated against our people but we have to take a decision and confront this injustice.

    “One with God is majority. Politics is a career and nobody will be happy to cut that career short. It is God that gives power and he gives who he wants. For 305 councillors, chairmen, for any leader to be insensitive to their feelings that leader is not a human being, that is wickedness.

    Read Also: Okorocha: it will take God to market Uzodinma

    “I want to partner with you, come and have Hope because you have suffered enough. Go back to your various wards, I don’t think those who elected you are happy with your condition.

    “We want to build a new order; we want to set up a new team that will bring development to Imo state. What we did was to remove this party from one family and gave back to Imo people. We want to give this state to a good driver, not a driver with learners permit but driver’s license. If you don’t get salary today you will get it after three weeks from today.

    “Dont be afraid of anybody, APC which i am the candidate is the ruling party. Nobody will intimidate you. There must be law and order in the state. Whether they are called Imo security Network or Okorocha, dont be intimidated”.

    He stated further that “Imo state has a debt profile of over N300bilion since 2015 till date. We will get the money where they kept it to provide good health care, good education, our government by the grace of God will be driven by people oriented projects.

    “Power was given to a complacent human being and he mis-used it. I have come to create wealth. We will recover Imo, we will rehabilitate Imo. So help me let us work to the glory of God. When we win the narratives will change and when it changes we will all smile.

    “APC in Imo today is stronger and robust. We are better today and that is why people are coming every day to identify with us. Let us embark in this journey it shall end in praise. When we come we will make sure that everybody will pay all outstanding salaries and everybody will be happy”.

    While urging the ALGON to also ensure victory for President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Uzodinma noted that “President Buhari’s opponents have said he is a man of integrity and have decided to vote him again. We are going to protect our people’s interest”.

    Speaking earlier, Leader of the ALGON delegation, Mrs. Rubby Elele described the governor Rochas Okorocha led administration as unfair to the people of the State and vowed that the Local Government Executives and workers who were sacked illegally in 2011 by Governor Okorocha will punish him and his son in-law Uche Nwosu with their PVCs.

    Mrs Elele said the former chairmen and councillors were deprived of their salaries up till date, causing undue hardship to their families, adding that God used Senator Uzodinma to liberate the people of the state therefore said they will use their structures in 305 wards in Imo State to ensure victory for the APC candidate.

    She said “We are here to thank God for using you to liberate Imo people. People now walk with smiling faces. We want to join you to finish this liberation effort which will culmicate to your victory. As a result the ALGON in Imo State which i am the chairman have endorsed you as our candidate.”

  • Fani-kayode’s co-accused ‘slumps in bathroom’

    The Federal High Court in Lagos Wednesday heard that former Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) chairman Mr. Yusuf Danjuma slumped while having a bath and was hospitalised.

    He is on trial with former Minister of Aviation Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and former Minister of State for Finance Senator Nenadi Usman for alleged money laundering involving about N4.6billion.

    Trial was billed to resume Wednesday, but Danjuma, a former Chairman of Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, was absent.

    His lawyer K.C Nwofo told the court that he received a call in the early hours of Tuesday from Danjuma’s wife that the third defendant collapsed in the bathroom.

    He said the wife had called out neighbours in their Jere Kaduna home who joined in taking Danjuma to the hospital.

    Nwofo said since he was yet to get a copy of the hospital report, he did not know what Danjuma suffered from. He promised to make details of the diagnosis available to the court once he gets it.

    The court had at an earlier proceeding heard that Zenith Bank Plc did not consider transactions made by Fani-Kayode as unlawful.

    The bank’s Head of Ghana Street Branch in Abuja, Sheelis Gana, said the bank would have stopped the transactions had they been considered illegal.

    Gana testified that Fani-Kayode opened a personal account in January 2015 and that there several inflows into it, including various sums from Jointrust Dimentions’ account. Join trust is the fourth defendant.

    She said several transfers were made to other beneficiaries, and that cheques were written in Fani-Kayode’s name and were paid.

    He said 19 cheques were issued by Fani-Kayode on February 3, 2015, most of them for N10million.

    “The cheques were honoured by my bank. There were no complaints from the second defendant (Fani-Kayode) after the funds were drawn from the account,” he said.

    Gana said there was an instruction to transfer various sums into Fani-Kayode’s account, including N240million from Jointrust Dimentions, as well as N250million, among others.

    Justice Rilwan Aikawa adjourned until June 11 and 12 for continuation of trial.

    Read ALSO: Witness: Fani-Kayode made multiple cash withdrawals of N10m

  • Governors must account for Paris Club refund, says lawmaker

    Governors must account for Paris Club refund, says lawmaker

    The lawmaker representing Ikpoba-Okha/Egor Federal Constituency, Hon Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, has called on President Mohammadu Buhari to ensure that state governors were made to account for the first tranche of Paris Club refund they collected.

    Hon Agbonayinma said it was wrong for the state governors to collect the money with carrying local government along in the disbursement.

    In a chat with newsmen in Benin City, Hon Agbonayinma, said it was local government under the auspices of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) that engaged lawyers for the refund of the money.

    Agbonayinma said it was proper for President Buhari to know how the first tranche was expended before any new disbursement of the loan refund.

    According to him, “This money belongs to Nigerians but the local governments have not been carried along. The governors have decided to take local government for a ride. It is constitutional right for local government to exist.

    “It was the ALGON who engaged lawyers to see how the money can be refunded back to the Federal government. Having done that, the right thing was to involve those that made it possible for the money to be refunded and rather the money was paid to Governors Forum.

    Governors Forum is another parallel government. The governors should how back to their various states and provide governance. Some governors don’t have the interest of the people at heart. Some of the money paid in the first tranche went to voice mail. Some have gotten to private pockets. Some states have not paid salaries or pensioners from the loan refund.

    “Those who fought for the money to return to Nigeria should benefit from the Paris Club refund. This action of the governors is totally wrong.”

     

  • Shema, three others get N4billion bail

    Shema, three others get N4billion bail

    Katsina state High Court 3 presided over by Justice Maikaita Bako Tuesday granted bail to former Katsina state Governor, Ibrahim Shehu Shema and three others who were facing trial over a 22-count charge of financial misappropriation amounting to N11 billion, while in office.

    Shema, former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sani Hamisu Makama, former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Lawal Rufa’I Safana and former chairman of Katsina state chapter of Association of Local Government Of Nigeria (ALGON), who allegedly embezzled over N11 billion of state fund while in office were granted bail with N1 billion each and one surety each, totaling N4 billion.

    When the charges were read out to the accused persons, they pleaded not-guilty to all the 22-count charges, bothering on alleged diversion of public fund for personal use and fraudulent forgery of government documents with intention of stealing public fund.

    However, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Samuel Jubril Okutepa (SAN), submitted that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody, owing to the huge amount of money allegedly embezzled by them.

    Even when counsel to the defendants, Joseph Dauda (SAN), made an oral-application for bail, the EFCC counsel argued against the bail application, insisting that even though the Judge would grant them bail, it should be on formal application attached with affidavit.

    According to him, count one to eight under which they were charged carry a punishment of seven years imprisonment, just as count nine to 22 of the charges carry a punishment of 14 years imprisonment.

    Okutepa further cited section 341 (2) of CPC, laws of Katsina state, saying that the offences allegedly committed by the defendants, “are not ordinarily bailable. They can only be considered upon formal application, not by oral application.”

    Also arguing against the submission of Mr. Dauda that the first defendant (Shema) who was one-time Attorney-General of the state and two-time governor of the state should be granted bail on self-recognition, Mr. Okutepa maintained that in law, there is no sentiment.

    According to him, “The status quo has changed. They are now accused persons and the law is not a respecter of persons. If the court grants them bail, the proposition will be a dangerous precedent if allowed, because any rich man that committed an offense will walk freely on the street, while the poor will continue to languish in prison.

    “Sentiment should not be considered in the Court, what should be considered is verifiable materials in affidavit evidence. This is a competent charge by a competent court and the charges are with consequences because the amount involved is very huge.

    “The criminal justice system should not be starved. The accused persons should tell us that they will not run away if granted bail; and they should do that through affidavit.”

    In his ruling, Justice Bako granted the accused persons bail on stringent condition of N4 billion with for sureties and adjourned the case to 28 March for further hearing.

    However, the accused persons within a space of one hour met the bail conditions as they walked out of the court premises freely.

    Speaking to Reporters, Shema described the judgment the will of God, saying, “I thank God for the judgment.”

     

  • Count us out of vehicle bazaar-ALGON

    Count us out of vehicle bazaar-ALGON

    The Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in Kogi State yesterday faulted allegations that the state government engaged in “vehicle purchase bazaar” for the leadership of the 21 local government areas.

    The Special Adviser on Media to Kogi ALGON, Mr. Abubakar Sule Hussein said it was important to correct the erronous impression and allegation that the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello engaged in “vehicle purchase bazaar” worth N504 million, for the official use of the 21 council administrators.

    He added: “We reiterate in the strongest terms that no money was paid to the company that supplied the said Jeep and Hilux to local government administrators and all the speculations are untrue and do not reflect the actual terms reached with the company. The allegations and accusations from Faleke’s end is most unbecoming and has continued to expose the level of desperation by the chief sponsor of this organization.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the governor in his usual magnanimity and kind disposition considered the plight of the immediate past council chairmen, their vice and council leaders, all  elected on the platform of the PDP, graciously approved the release of their official vehicles to them in order to ease their mobility problems after the expiration of their tenure”.

    He said that the state government merely stood as guarantor, and that the vehicles were purchased on loan based on understanding and terms reached with the company.

    “The agreement between the state government and the company was that payment for the vehicles will commence after one year when salary arrears of local government workers would have been fully cleared”, he said.