The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Council

  • Spelling Bee: Council pledges greater support for schools

    The Chairman of Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of the Lagos State, Apostle Oloruntoba Oke, has said his administration will provide more learning tools to pupils and teachers to improve the standard of education in public schools.

    Oke, who was represented at the Spelling Bee competition by his wife, Pastor Modupe Oke, lauded the initiator of the project, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

    He said: “Over the years, the competition has become a flagship event in the school calendar and a source of inspiration for school children to aspire to excel not just in English Language but in their academics generally.”

    Urging the children to take advantage of the modern library and the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre provided by the administration, Oke said plans were underway to renovate and provide materials for public primary schools in the local government area.

    The council’s Supervisor for Education, Babajide Atala, admonished the children to work hard to enable them excel in their academics.

    The contest was attended by 16 public primary schools and 10 secondary schools.

    Master Makinde Samuel of Iju Station Primary School I, won the first position; Miss Ukwandu-China Michelle of African Church Primary School, came second, while Master Adeyemi Oluwadamilare of FACM Primary School I, was third in the primary schools category.

    Master Ayansola Abeeb of Ifako-Ijaiye Senior High School topped the secondary cadre, while Master Yusuf Ramon, of Sonmori Comprehensive High School and Miss Emmaku Precious, of Keke Senior High School, won the first and second runners-up.

     

  • NHIS cash: Council seeks CBN’s intervention

    Worried by conflicting figures on the diverted and invested funds of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Governing Council of the agency has asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to intervene on the involvement of 17 banks.

    Executive Secretary/ Chief Executive Officer Prof. Usman Yusuf claimed that N720billion could not be accounted for. Auditors said N138billion was trapped in 17 banks.

    Some NHIS workers yesterday faulted the Executive Secretary, saying only N405billion was released to the agency in 12 years.

    Based on the conflicting figures, the Governing Council will meet next week to take a decision on the query given to the NHIS Executive Secretary and how he arrived at “invested” N720billion, which could not be accounted for.

    The NHIS Council, through its chairman, Dr. Enyantu lfenne, has sought the intervention of the CBN.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The NHIS Council has written the CBN  to help reconcile records;  assist in reviewing the involvement of banks in the alleged diverted funds of the agency; and to help recover the trapped cash.

    “The council is inundated with different claims. We have N720billion; N138billion and the latest representation by some workers that only N405billion was released to NHIS in 12 years (2005-2017) by the Federal Government.

    “It is left to the CBN to help in getting to the roots of these claims and counter-claims.”

    It was also learnt that the Governing Council will meet next week on the query given to the NHIS Executive Secretary.

    A top source said: “The NHIS boss only made a disputed power-point presentation to the council  but he is yet to address many issues in the query.

    “Some workers have released a document claiming that only N405billion was released to NHIS in 12 years. We will meet next week to hear from Prof. Yusuf on how he arrived at N720billion.

    “Definitely, there is rot in NHIS and the present board, headed by Dr. Ifenne, is up to the task of cleaning the Augean stable.”

    A copy of the document made available to council members by workers indicated that NHIS received about N405billion.

    “”It is notable that the total amount of money received from the Federal Government by NHIS since inception is only a little over N405billion.

    “Consider that out of this, payments were released for the provision of care to enrollees over the period. Add that to payment of salaries, and staff emoluments, plus funds for administrative purposes.

    “Out of the funds(between 2005 and 2017), NHIS paid over N206, 543, 351, 980.53 to enrollees and hospitals, including  Capitation(N154, 027, 951, 296.44); HMO Admin Charge(N29, 804, 580, 410.51); and Fee for Service (N22, 710, 820, 273.58).

    “The balance had covered personnel, overhead cost and about N145 billion left in banks and TSA.

    “As at Sept. 2015 when the funds were to be moved to Treasury Single Account(TSA), the global fund of NHIS , including investments, was about N145billion.

    “We have been spending from it because there is no more investment and no more interest. Today, there is about N95billion in banks and TSA for the NHIS.

    “The NHIS Executive Secretary  does not know the critical technical details of  the Scheme’s operations.”

     

     

    “This means Yusuf’s allegation of a N720billion that was said to have disappeared is, in the first place almost 100% larger than total receipt by the Scheme in the period.

    “This is irrespective of whatever percentages of interests on investments of the Scheme’s fund had accrued over the period.

    “This therefore is another instance of the Executive Secretary misleading government, the public and stakeholders, to attract sympathy, and direct attention away from wanton abuses of  office which are been pressed against him.

    “These wild, spurious and sensational media screams  are calculated also to distract public attention from serial infractions and breach of Procurement processes, administrative standards and irresponsible disparage of superior authorities, including the Minister and the Governing Council of the Scheme.

    “The wild allegations were clearly without addressing the issues raised in the Councils’ query to him.”

     

  • Court stops Ortom from dissolving Local Government councils in Benue

    A Makurdi High Court presided over by Justice S. O Itodo  has granted an interim injunction  restraining Governor Samuel Ortom from dissolving Local Government Councils in Benue state .

    Ruling on a Motion ex – parte brought by counsel to Chairmen of local government councils  Barrister  F. A .Nomor ,Esq in the state, Justice Itodo said ” after careful and detailed consideration of the issues contained in Motion Ex Parte,the application is granted as prayed.”

    The Judge also restrained the governor from making any proclamation that is capable of preventing local government chairmen, who are applicants in the matter from their peaceful enjoyment of two (2) year tenure of their respective councils .

    Justice Itodo also restrained the governor and any of his agents from stopping the statutory allocations of the local government councils pending the the hearing of the motion on notice which is slated for hearing on July 23.

  • Council to hold Business Summit

    Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos will on July 11 hold maiden Ejigbo Business Summit.

    The event will take place at Pinkron Hotels at Bucknor Estate, Ejigbo.

    According to the council Chairman, Monsuru Bello a.k.a Obe, former presidential aide Prof Pat Utomi will lead the discussants.

    Bello said the summit would pave the way for the creation of a Central Business District (CBD) in Ejigbo for those who cannot go to the Island to transact businesses.

    “We want to make our council secretariat as a one-stop shop for every business transaction. This will aid our desire to increase the internally generated revenue (IGR). Our budget for this year is N1.5 billion and cannot be met by allocation from the Federal Government, hence the need to look inward to finance the budget. But we will not inconvenience the residents with increase in their annual dues to the council because this is a government that respects the rights of the people,” he said.

    The council chief appealed to the Lagos State Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal to deploy an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) to his domain.

    This, he said, would forestall breakdown of law and order.

    “Those who want to invest in our council need assurance of security and we all know that security is a major challenge to all the three tiers of government. On our own part, we will try to man every entry and exit point to discourage criminally-minded people and strengthen intelligence gathering to help the police curb insecurity,” he said.

    The council’s vice Chairman, Dr Olatunde Olusunmade, who is the Summit Committee Chairman, said others expected at the summit were Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Babatunde Ruwase, Commissioner for Information and Strategy Kehinde Bamigbetan, his counterpart in Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Muslim Folami, Lagos State Local Government Service Commission Chairman Babatunde Rotinwa and  Ojon of Ejigbo and Ijanland Oba Moroof Ojoola.

    According to him, the theme of the summit is “Corporate governance: Roadmap to shared prosperity in Ejigbo LCDA.”

  • Council prosecutes firm for ‘disposing human waste on streets’

    The Environmental Health Department, Aba South Local Government of Abia State, has arrested two workers of Junifon Nigeria Ltd, a public toilet/waste disposal operator in Aba, for allegedly channelling human waste into streets.

    A director in the department, Mrs. Onyinyechi Nwaigwe, told reporters the suspects had been arraigned at an Aba Magistrates’ Court.

    She alleged that the company, at 1/3, Asa Road, Aba, channelled faeces from a cesspit into the gutter.

    Nwaigwe said the waste flowed to York Street and Aba Town Hall in the council headquarters.

    She said an abatement order had been issued to the company to rebuild its cesspit and channel its waste properly or face prosecution.

    The director said the company was, last month, issued an abatement notice, adding that “this second abatement notice will be the last warning to the firm.

    “It will no longer be business as usual for the company and others.

    “This department has declared war on environmental pollution and will work to make Aba safe and healthy for residents.”

  • Update: Oyo LG Polls: APC wins 65 councils, 610 wards

    The candidates of the ruling All Progressive Congress have been declared the winners of the 610 wards, 33 local governments and 35 local council development areas elections held  last Saturday in the state.

     

    The announcement of the results which started at about 2pm Sunday did not end with the final local government was announced at about 8: 10 pm.

     

    Baring last minute changes, the newly elected council chairmen and councillors will be sworn in on Monday at the House of Chiefs, Parliamentary Building, House of Assembly Complex, Agodi Secretariat, Ibadan.

    The election was conducted in the 33 LGAs, 33 LCDAs, 610 wards and 4, 783 polling units across the state where 12 political parties participated.

     

    Chairman of OYSIEC, Mr. Jide Ajeigbe who declared the party the eventual winner appreciated the good people of the state for conducting themselves orderly and peacefully throughout the period of the exercise.

     

    He said “kudos need to be given to contestants for organising a violent-free electioneering campaign. Your conducts have been shown the kind of political maturity that Oyo state is known for.

     

    “It is, therefore, hoped that this kind of political maturity exhibited before and during the conduct of the election will be sustained now that the election is over so that good democratic values be further achieved at the grassroots.”

     

    Addressing the press after the final announcement of the result, spokesperson of the team of independent observers, Comrade Friday Maduka commended all the stakeholders including the government, the electoral umpire, the political parties, the security operative and the electorate for working together to achieve a successful election.

     

    He noted that, although the team observed high turnout of electorate in urban areas, he said same could not be said of the electorate in the rural areas.

     

    He particularly commended the electoral umpire for providing a level playing ground for all the political parties to participate in the election, the Oyo state government for considering it necessary to conduct LG Polls and providing the conducive environment for the participants to participate in the election.

  • Council presents budget

    The 2018 budget tagged “Budget of Development” was carefully drafted to meet the yearnings of the people of Badagry West Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Chairman, Gbenu-Henugbe Joseph  has said.

    Joseph said this while presenting the budget to the council legislators.

    The budget, he said, will complement efforts of the state government in developing the grassroots.

    Leader of the House, Oluwafemi Mukaila assured that the budget will receive a quick passage.

    The House leader urged the council Chairman and the management team to strive hard in implementing the proposed budget after passage.

    Head of Administration Kola Hundeyin expressed satisfaction about the cordial working relationship between the legislators and the executive since assumption into office.

  • Council inaugurates procurement committees

    IKOTUN Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Chairman Mrs Morenike Adesina-Williams has inaugurated three procurement committees to facilitate purchasing.

    They are: Procurement planning, Bids and Local tenders committees.

    She praised the Lagos State government for adopting innovative procurement rules and directed the principal officers of the council to embrace procurement procedures.

    She urged the new committee members to live up to the expectations.

    Head of Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance at the state Public Procurement Agency (PPA), Akintunde Subair urged that best international practices in procurement should be adopted at the council level, adding that council official officials should think global and act local on the issue.

    He sought fairness, transparency, competiveness and value for money, noting that the citizenry are now more conscious and are demanding accountability.

    He said: ‘’It is worthy that the adoption of the procurement law is to key to global best practices in public expenditure, such as International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) in financing and Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) in budget.’’

  • Council seeks peaceful Easter

    Celebration of Easter is meant to accentuate godliness, friendliness and merrymaking, hence residents should be moderate in celebration.

    Surulere Local Government Chairman Tajudeen Ajide said this while felicitating with the Christian faithful.

    Ajide sued for peaceful coexistence amongst all tribes and religions in the council.

    “We need to justify the sacrifice Jesus made which is highly essential and its tenets of godliness and friendliness should be exhibited by all during this period of Easter,” he said.

    He urged residents to expect more dividends of democracy, enjoining those without Permanent Voters Card (PVC) to get theirs so as to be able to perform their civic responsibility during elections.

     

  • Council lifts 100 widows, aged

    Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Chairman Alhaji Shamsudeen Abiodun Olaleye has distributed gifts and cash to 100 widows, physically-challenge and the aged people.

    Olaleye said the programme will run every quarter. He appealed to those who do not benefitted from the gesture to wait for the next edition.

    According to him, every deserving beneficiary cannot be captured at once due to paucity of funds.

    He said: “The point is everybody wants to benefit at the same time which is practically impossible. It is not about my officials. It is about patience of the people. We have addressed that from onset. We envisaged situation like this, that’s why we are appealing to them that those that do not benefit today (yesterday) stand a chance in the next quarter,” he said.

    Olaleye said the programme was parts of his campaign promises to cater for the less privileged in the council.

    “It’s very easy to maintain because it has been budgeted for. The extension has been stated in the financial book of the council and it is a campaign promise too. It is not just this programme, we have the Bursary programme that runs every quarter,” he said.

    According to him, beneficiaries have to be resident in the council regardless of which political divide such person belongs, adding: “we don’t draw a political line among those categories of people. You don’t need to be member my party, All Progressives Congress (APC) to be a beneficiary. All you just need is to be a resident of the local government and we determine that with your Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) card.”