The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Council

  • Onaiwu promises to revive Sports Council

    The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) has said it will reduce youth restiveness in Edo State by reviving the Sports Council.

    It promised to engage jobless youths in meaningful and profitable ventures, especially in the area of sports.

    Governorship candidate of the party Osaro Onaiwu made the promise while addressing sports enthusiasts in Benin City, Edo State capital.

    Onaiwu said he will establish football league across the 18 local government being a sport man who won medals for the state as a youth.

    The former Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, said his campaign slogan termed the ‘Solution’ covered how sports development will help the state earn foreign exchange.

    Onaiwu urged the youths to vote for the APGA, adding that it is the only political party that has a clear cut out ideology that is implementable.

  • Council gets revenue mobilisation team

    The Sole Administrator Mushin Local Government Area, Olayinka Kazeem has inaugurated a new revenue mobilisation team to improve the council’s revenue base for the residents’ benefits.

    Inaugurating the team, Kazeem enjoined its members to be diligent in their duties. He also solicited the support of the residents to pay their rates, levies and dues promptly in order to sustain ongoing development.

    He announced that the team will be headed by the Council Treasurer, Mrs. Babs-Ogunleye who will be assisted by the council’s Internal Auditor and the Head of Budget Department.

    He said the team is required to incorporate all revenue units and points of the local government in order to make total success of the exercise. He further stressed that the new team will be monitored by his office and the Head of Administration.

    Kazeem said part of the policy and the official instruction of the Lagos State Government currently is that all franchised revenue bodies working on behalf of the council stipulates the use of statutory members of staff of the local government to mobilise, monitor and draw all revenues, rates, dues and levies into the coffers of the council.

    Head of Administration of the council, Prince Adegbola Olujobi said the new policy directive by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode indicates that the new team must live up to expectation in order to trust them.

    “To whom much is given, much is expected”, he said.

    Olujobi implored members of staff and residents of Mushin to co-operate with the Kazeem-led administration in order to enjoy dividends of democracy.

  • Council inaugurates economic advisory committee

    The Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Abdullahi Candido has inaugurated a 15-man high powered Economic and Advisory Committee to facilitate rapid development of the council.

    Candido, while inaugurating the committee which has the council’s vice chairman, Mr. Lawrence Onuchukwu as its chairman, described it as the most important and critical committee constituted, since he assumed office as AMAC chairman.

    He disclosed the committee’s terms of reference which includes to ensure prudent management of AMAC resources, to act as vanguard against corruption and corrupt conducts, to monitor joint AMAC and Private-Public Partnership (PPP) projects, as well as to explore further areas and to enhance revenue generation to the council.

    The AMAC chairman explained that the idea behind the setting up of the committee, was primarily to ensure that the resources of the council are properly harnessed and used for the benefit of the common in the council.

    “This committee is mandated to do anything within the law to ensure that AMAC gets resources outside the statutory monthly federal allocation accruing to the council.

    “As major stakeholders in the management of this council, we must be seen judiciously spending their money. We have a mandate to ensure the delivery of dividends of democracy to the people.

    “This cannot be achieved until we have resources, and we cannot just sit down and keep asking where the resources are, because, resources are in abundance outside there.

    “If the staff of this Area Council is not paid, I will hold you responsible; and if we are not able to do one or two things for the people, I will also hold you responsible,” he said.

    The committee chairman, Lawrence Onuchukwu, while responding on behalf of the committee members, assured the AMAC chairman that the team will do everything humanly possible to deliver the mandate given to it.

    “Even though we as new administration met a dilapidated area council, we are not afraid of the challenges therein,” he said.

     

  • ‘Every state, council viable’

    Chairman of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS), Dr Muritala Awodun has said that many states and local governments in the country are in a financial mess because of their over-reliance on  federal government allocation funds.

    He added that every state and local government area is viable because they are blessed with abundant resources.

    Dr Awodun said this in Ilorin, the state capital, at an interactive session with the local government joint account committee members. The former Kwara State University lecturer said: “There is no state or local government area in Nigeria that is not viable. It is the function of the perception of management because Nigeria is a blessed country. And every nook and cranny of Nigeria is blessed.

    “However, the way and manner we are used to management; where we collect money from the federal and until money comes from federal there is nothing again, then you can say that some states are not viable. By the virtue of what they are now collecting you can say that some states or local councils are not viable. But is it just collecting money from federal that is the only source of revenue generation?

    “The answer is no. The reality when we look down into what we can do within our various local governments, then you realise that all local governments are viable, but because we have been so used to being fed we don’t know how to prepare food ourselves. Now because nobody is feeding us we are crying of hunger that we are going to die and the food is there for us but we have refused to prepare it.

    “The reality is, are ready to tap into those resources available there and transform the various local governments. Whether we like it or not we don’t have a choice; that is what all of us will start doing now.

    All local governments are viable and we can make them viable. That is why we have to look internally, because viability is not external. As far as external support from federal government and others are concerned we are not viable. But internally we are viable. So let’s look internal and survive.”

    Dr Awodun added that KWIRS has signed  a memorandum of understanding with the 16 local government areas in the state to shore up their revenue generation.

    He said, “We are ready to go the whole hog in all the local governments but we have a perfect understanding with all the 16 local governments and we are desirous of working with them to move their revenue from where it is right now to where we think it should be particularly in terms of capacity.

    “All the 21 revenue items by the MoU we signed with the councils have been surrendered since February. But not all the revenue items we have started collecting, we are only collecting the revenue items that we feel we should test the water with and we started with four, progressively we are in about seven now.”

  • Ondo resumes free food distribution in council 

    •Ondo APC mocks PDP’s ‘handouts’

    The second phase of the distribution of the Ondo State government initiated palliative (Eto Igbe-Ayo) programme, where foodstuff are given to women for free, begins today in Ose Local Government.

    The programme rounded off distribution of foodstuffs in the four local governments in Akoko area of the state last Friday, following the flag off in Ikare, Akoko North East local government, where the programme reportedly recorded over 5,000 beneficiaries.

    Designed for the 18 local government areas and targeted at 100,000 women in the state, irrespective of party affiliation, the food distribution, according to Commissioner for Information Kayode Akinmade while briefing reporters yesterday, will move to Owo Local Government tomorrow.

    He said it will be the turn of Ese-Odo and Okitipupa Local Governments on Wednesday.

    Akinmade, who said the people can only access the palliatives with their Smart card, otherwise known as Kaadi Igbe-Ayo, said the programme was necessitated by the sudden increase in the prices of foodstuffs in relation to the dwindling economic situation in the country.

    Hailing the government for the initiative at the weekend, The Association of Women Plank Merchants in Akoko, through their secretary, Mrs. Janet Ijaduade, at the distribution of palliative in Oke Agbe Akoko, said with the gesture, Governor Olusegun Mimkiko has demonstrated that he is a caring governor with compassion for women.

    The Ondo State Hairdressers Association, in a “thank you” letter, signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mrs. Simbo Akinwumi, said the governor has given women in the state and their family great hope by his gesture.

    She urged government to continue with the programme until the economic crunch in the country ameliorates.

    But the All Progressives Congress(APC) yesterday reacted to what it called “the handouts of small packs of rice and beans’ by the state government.

    It described it as disgraceful and show of shame going by the ceremony that preceded the distribution.

    A statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Steve Otaloro, said: “We wonder how Mimiko would consider handouts of sachet of rice of less than five-kilogramme as food palliative that could rarely last for few days of consumption.

  • Borno workers to return to liberated council areas

    Borno workers to return to liberated council areas

    The government of Borno State has directed civil servants in the 10 local government areas liberated by the military to return to work.

    The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Usman Zannah, gave the directive yesterday while fielding questions from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri.

    His words: “Governor Kashim Shettima has directed workers in the 10 liberated local government areas to return to work with immediate effect, following the return of peace to the towns.

    “Councils like Mafa, Magumeri, Dikwa, Konduga, Benisheikh, Askira Uba, Kala Balge and Kaga, among others, are free from Boko Haram and they are habitable. They were also rebuilt by the Ministry of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Resettlement with the support of NGOs.

    “It is in line with this development that governor Shettima directed that salaries of workers must be paid in all liberated councils. We see no reason why workers should remain in Maiduguri when many have returned to their communities.

    “As you can see, we passed through Benisheikh, we are in Tomsukawuri now; we are moving to Metakorori and Ngamdu, and majority of the residents of these villages have returned.”

  • Re: Sacked council members petition Buhari over OAU crisis

    SIR: I refer to the story of the above title published in The Nation of Tuesday, July 12.

    I was rudely shocked to read about the violent behaviour of two unions (NASU and SSANU), Obafemi Awolowo University chapter, in the petition written by the Chairman of the unjustly dissolved Governing Council of the university, Prof. Rowland Egba, to President Muhammadu Buhari. Without mincing words, the actions of the unions constitute a serious constitutional infraction that must not be overlooked. It is an offence that should not be ignored so as to deter other persons who may want to do the same in the future. There must be deterrence. These unions must be made to take responsibility for their unlawful actions.

    From the account of Prof. Rowland as reported, it is clear that the Federal Government acted too hastily in dissolving the Governing Council. There is no problem with some unions making allegations about the actions of a Governing Council. But there is a big problem in accepting the accusations as truth and making a grave decision like the dissolution of the Governing Council therefrom. At least there should have been an investigation to establish the veracity or otherwise of the charges. This becomes even important in view of the fact that the unions who made the allegations had even behaved in ways that make their claims questionable. Had the Visitor through the Minister of Education taken its time to investigate the claims, he would not have settled for the embarrassing decision against the Governing Council.

    Certainly, the OAU SSANU and NASU cannot be taken seriously. The university laws on the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor do not even recognise any input from them in the process of appointing a university executive. Why their clangour of disapproval of the emergence of Prof.Ayobami Salami as the Vice-Chancellor of the university sounds more deafening than those of the legitimate actors is beyond me. I agree with Prof. Rowland’s position: There is no doubt that candidates who lost but do not want to come to terms with their loss are the hidden hands pulling the strings of the unions’ puppets.

    President Buhari must reconsider the disbandment of the Governing Council. Apparently there was no due diligence favoured before it was disbanded. There is also in office a substantive Vice-Chancellor that he cannot sack. If he cannot reverse his step as men of justice are wont to do, then the view that his government is hostile to justice and the rule of law is true. In the name of all that is good, I appeal to President Buhari to consider the petition of the dissolved Governing Council and cause an investigation to take place. This should go on while the school is going on with its normal activities. The court case by the unions should go on too. There is a substantive Vice-Chancellor in place; if an objective investigation proves the process that produced him was improper, then the right thing can be done. Justice is never known to be served where the claim of a party to a dispute is upheld as gospel truth.

     

    • Wale Erinfolami,

    Mayfair, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

  • Council warns residents against blocking drainage

    The Sole Administrator of Iru-Victoria Island Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Princess Aderemi Adebowale yesterday warned residents to stop constructing permanent concrete slabs on the drains or face sanction.

    Princess Adebowale at a briefing said such action usually caused the blockade of the drain and in turn leads to flooding during rainy season.

    She said: “We have discovered that majority of the residents and offices constructed permanent concrete slabs on the drains in front of their buildings and this has made it difficult, if not impossible to clean the drains by delisting them during environmental sanitation exercise.

    “These permanent concrete slabs have been responsible for the blockage of the drains and consequently, the flooding that comes with the rains. We therefore implore occupiers of this building to remove these concrete slabs and replace them with removable ones for easy access’’.

    She enjoined them to ensure regular cleaning of their environment especially on the designated environmental sanitation day stipulated by the Lagos State Government in order to avoid possible health consequence.

    Speaking about the menace of street trading, the sole administrator implored concerned individuals to obey the law, adding that it is essential for parents to invest in their children’s education in order to be useful to the society.

    ‘’The menace caused by street trading in many of our streets cannot be over emphasised. We have heard several meetings at various levels with different groups concerning this challenge. We therefore implore all concerned individuals to seek re-absorption into the existing Onala/Oniru market for their activities. Government will not hesitate to bring all defaulters to book,” she said.

  • APC criticises Obiano for non-conduct of council poll

    APC criticises Obiano for non-conduct of council poll

    The Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised Governor Willie Obiano for using caretaker committees in the state’s 21 local government areas, instead of conducting a fresh poll to elect their chairmen.

    Also, the party faulted the N20 million the governor promised each of the 177 communities in the state for what it called developmental projects.

    It described the governor’s action as a ploy to wet the ground ahead of 2017 governorship election.

    Addressing reporters yesterday in Awka, the state capital, APC State Secretary, Chukwuma Agufugo, wondered why Anambra was drifting to a broke and debtor state.

    He noted that the government’s move was parochial as it was allegedly caused by lack of vision.

    Agufugo bemoaned the level of development the state government was expecting to derive from its move.

    The party’s spokesman said instead of development, it would cause a crisis between and among the individuals, leaders and communities.

    He condemned the move, urging the government to look beyond what he called petty policies aimed at advancing a second term bid of the APGA administration.

    Agufugo advised the APGA government to implement policies that would engender the socio-economic growth of the state and avoid going back to the mannerism of the previous administration of sharing tax payers’ money to suspected cronies.

    He said: “You will recall that the state government recently borrowed some money and just sent a bill, which was approved by the House of Assembly, to apply for a bailout loan of billions of naira from the Federal Government”

    The APC spokesman advised the APGA-led administration to return the development burden of the rural areas to the local government areas, as enshrined in the Constitution, by first conducting a free, fair, credible local government election.

  • Appeal Court denies foul play in case by ex-Rivers council chair, Amachree

    The Court of Appeal has denied an allegation of foul play in its decision to change the panel of Justices of the Part Harcourt division of the court  hearing the appeal filed by a former Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government of Rivers State, Ojukaye Flag Amachree, accused of murder.

    The court’s Media Officer, Sa’adatu Musa said, in a statement yesterday, faulted claims in a recent publication by a Rivers State-based group, as Integrity Friends for Truth and Peace Initiative (IFTPI), to the effect that changing the panel to hear the bail application by Amachree amounted to abuse of judicial powers.

    She said the decision of the court’s President, Zainab Bulkachuwa to consttitute a fresh panel to hear the application was informed by a request to that effect by Amachree’s lawyer, Ken O. Atsuwete.

    Mrs Musa said: “On 13th June, 2016, a letter was received by the office of the Hon. President from one Ken O. Atsuwete, Esq. a Solicitor in the Law Office of K. O. Atsuwete & Co. located at No. 42, Isiokpo Street, D/Line, Port-Harcourt, Rivers and representing the Appellant in the case of Ojukaye Flag Amachree v. The State (CA/PH/16CR/2016).

    “In the said letter, the Solicitor requested His Lordship for an assignment of his Client’s bail application to a fresh appeal Panel. In order to safeguard the integrity of the local Panelist and in exercise of his constitutional powers, his Lordship constituted a new Panel to determine the bail application.