Governance

The Federal Government says it will initiate criminal actions against elected officials who collude with governors to divert allocations meant for the 774 Local Government Areas in the country.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, said the decision was in line with the judgment of the Supreme Court that granted financial autonomy to LGs.

The AGF, who spoke at the 2024 Annual General Conference of the Abuja Chapter of the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents, NAJUC, described the diversion of LG funds by governors as an impeachable offence.

He said the Federal Government was aware that some governors had planted their loyalists in the various LGs through shambolic elections.

According to the Justice Minister, though FG could not interfere with the LG elections, it would, however, drag the elected officials to court should they mismanage funds released to them from the federation account.

Insisting that it was the deplorable condition of many LG Secretariats across the country that moved FG to drag the 36 state governors before the Supreme Court, the AGF said his office would not also hesitate to file another action to challenge the powers of state governments to conduct Area Council elections.

He said: “The situation was also such that even when the secretariat needed to buy stationeries, you had to notify the governor in advance that you want to spend your money. And we have listened to such funny arguments before and after the judgment, to the effect that, oh, they are not mature enough. I said, how better are you? Are you any better? Leave them.

“And we have been drawing these into the ears of the local government officials that look, the governors have immunity, but you don’t have.

“So, it is very easy for you to get yourself to Kuje or other prisons spread across Nigeria.

“Before I go further, let me say that even before the pronouncement of the Supreme Court, there were so many pressures coming from left, right and centre. But I give kudos to President Bola Tinubu, who despite the pressure, was able to stand up and say that he is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that the 774 local governments are also people to be protected and he did so.”

The CJN, who was represented by the Secretary of the National Judicial Institute, Mr. Abdullaziz Olumo, urged journalists to avoid sensationalism in news reporting.

She further expressed concern over what she termed as “trial by media,” where premature narratives prejudge cases, sometimes infringing on constitutional rights.

Earlier in his keynote address, Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, said there was need for the judiciary to continue to live up to expectations by ensuring that justice is not sacrificed on the alter of technicalities.

Speaking on the theme of the conference: “The role of courts in the enforcement of judgments,” Ozekhome maintained that courts must hold the balance of scale between feuding parties, even as he cautioned judges against denying lawyers the opportunity to effectively present their case in court.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Abuja Chapter of NAJUC, Mr. Kayode Lawal, while pledging the commitment of the media to fair and balanced reporting, also called for a holistic reform that would ensure that lawyers who compromise judges, are promptly and adequately punished.

Vanguard/Simeon Ugbodovon

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Judiciary

The Supreme Court on Thursday, gave the 36 state governors of the federation, seven days, to file their defense in the suit brought against them by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).

The apex court issued the AGF, two days to file his reply upon receipt of the governors’ defense.

That within 2 days of service, the plaintiff will reply after being served the reply of the defendant Counter affidavit,” the court stated

A seven-man panel of the apex court led by Justice Garba Lawal, issued the order while ruling in the application for abridgment of time argued by Fagbemi.

He held that the decision of the court was predicated on the national urgency of the suit and the non-objection from the Attorneys-General of the states of the federation.

The apex court held that filing of all processes and exchanging of same must be completed within the time.

The court also ordered all state Attorneys-General absent to be present in court on the adjourned date.

All defendants absent should be served with fresh hearing notice and be in court on the adjourned date,” it stated.

The eight states whose Attorney General were absent in court despite being served with hearing notice were, Borno, Kano, Kogi, Niger, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, and Sokoto.

The Attorney General of Ebonyi State and the chairman of, the body of state Attorneys-General, Dr Ben Odo, speaking on behalf of the other AGs, said they had a meeting and he has their consent of no objection to the suit.

“I have the consent of all the Attorneys General not to oppose the motion”.

Onyechi Ikpeazu, (SAN), who represented the Anambra State Attorney General, asked for more time.

AGF however asked the court to give them seven days as nine days have already elapsed.

The AGF, earlier told the court that the matter requires urgency.

We have filed our written address, from the nature of the case, it requires urgency and I am happy to report that there is no counter affidavit. I want to state that the importance of this matter underscores all the state of the various Attorney-Generals of the state,” he said.

The court however gave the state governors seven days to file their responses and proceeded to adjourn the suit till June 13 for a hearing.

Fagbemi, in a suit marked SC/CV/343/2024, on behalf of the Federal Government, dragged the 36 state governors in the country to court for seeking full autonomy of local governments.

The AGF sued them through their respective State Attorneys General.

The AGF, in the suit predicted on 27 grounds, urged the Apex Court to issue an order, prohibiting state governors from unilateral, arbitrary, and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected local government leaders for local governments.

The FG, further contended that Nigeria as a federation, is a creation of the 1999 constitution with the President, as the Head of the Federal Executive arm of the Federation and has sworn to uphold and give effects to the provisions of the Constitution.

The suit accused the state governors of gross misconduct and abuse of power.

Punch/ Oluwayemisi Owonikoko

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Politics

The Accord Governorship Candidate for the 2023 election in Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Adelabu says a better package awaits monarchs and chiefs in the state if elected.

Chief Adelabu who made this known in Igboora during his ongoing consultations across the zones in the state, assured monarchs of adequate welfare by ensuring the prompt release of five per cent that was allocated to them adding that there would be more welfare package for the monarchs and chiefs. 

“I solicit your support by voting for All Accord candidates in Oyo state in the February and March 11 governorship election to correct the anomalies in the present administration in the State and to bring good governance to the people of Oyo.”

I urged you to use your vote to elect me as Governor of Oyo State come 2023 and shun violence before during and after the election”, Adelabu said

Chief Adelabu who expressed disappointment that the Local Government administration had performed below expectations since they were elected over 18 months ago, promised to support local government autonomy to drive rapid development in the grassroots.

He also met with traders and artisans in Igboora where he promised to support them through free loans to boost their trades.

Dayo Adu

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Politics

The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, has criticized state governors for refusing to support local government autonomy, describing them as enemies of the masses.

NULGE traced Nigeria’s hydra-headed problems of banditry, terrorism, killings, unemployment, hunger, kidnappings, insurgency and drug abuse being perpetrated by youths to neglect of the local government by successive governments.

The NULGE President in Ekiti, Mr Babatunde Olatunde, said this in Ado Ekiti at a media parley sponsored to galvanise support for the passage of the Local Government Autonomy Bill before state assemblies.

Mr Olatunde said: “Governors opposing full autonomy for our 774 councils are doing so for selfish reasons, and I consider them as enemies of the people, enemies of our nation”.

The Holy Bible says when the foundation is destroyed, what would the righteous do? The local government system has been relegated. No wonder our youths are engaging in ritual killings, banditry, kidnappings and yahoo-yahoo because the foundation upon which we are built had been destroyed.

“The continued challenges of insecurity, insurgency, and corruption are largely traced to the systematic destruction of the local governments. All these social vices staring us in the face were not there before 1999. The only antidote to all these is local government autonomy”.

“It is time the cord, connecting Local Governments to states, be cut off, so that they can enjoy financial autonomy to be able to meet the needs of the people”.

“Enough of not respecting the tenure of council officials, enough of local governments not having the full financial benefit of their monthly allocations. 75 per cent of the people live in the rural areas and that should be a basis for our councils to be fully operational”.

“The bill is now at the doorstep of the Houses of Assembly, we are crying loud and clear that they should pass it in the interest of over 75 percent living in the rural areas. They should come to the aid of Nigerians. We are not here talking about salary increment, but talking about how to fix Nigeria.”

Vanguard

Politics

The conference of Speakers of the State Legislature of Nigeria has frowned at the exclusion of the State Policing in the Resolution of the National Assembly in the ongoing constitution amendment.

This was contained in a communiqué issued in Ibadan, Oyo State at the end of its 2022 first quarter general meeting with the theme, “The Imperative of On-Going Alteration of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The conference, however, directed its Committee on Constitution Review to further laise with the National Assembly with a view to ensuring State Policing is reconsidered, in view of the unfortunate prevailing security challenges in the country.

It also condemned in strong terms the deadly attacks by the terrorists on the Abuja-Kaduna Train on Monday 28 March, 2022 and calls on the security agencies and the federal government to go after the terrorists while ensuring that the kidnapped passengers are rescued unhurt.

Earlier, at the opening ceremony, Chairman of the Conference of Speakers and Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly, Mr Abubakar Suleman, said the meeting was to further look into the bills with a view to ultimately guiding participants on their roles to ractify the resolution of the National Assembly.

Mr Suleman described the ongoing legislative processes of constitution amendment as one of the viable ways of addressing many of the issues currently causing agitations in the country.

In their sperate remarks, Speaker of Kano State House of Assembly, Mr Amisu Ibrahim, his Delta State counterpart, Mr Sherif Oborevwori, and Niger State Assembly Speaker, Abdulahi Wuse said the bills on financial autonomy for local government might require more attention.

In a goodwill message, Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde who said constitutional amendment is a must for the country to move forward, admonished the speakers to take the conversation beyond the electoral act and consider issues of state police and resource control.

Earlier in a welcome address, the host, Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, OYHA, Mr Adebo Ogundoyin gave assurance that the forty-four alteration bills before the state legislatures would get the desired attention.

Mosope Kehinde