News
Despite LG autonomy, Nigerian governor spends millions on vehicles for council officials
Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has spent millions of naira to purchase brand new SUVs for chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of the state’s local government councils despite the July 2024 Supreme Court judgement affirming the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local governments.
On 13 November, Mr Otu, represented by the Deputy Governor of Cross River, Peter Odey, presented Coolray SUVs to 18 vice-chairpersons at the Government House Calabar.
Mr Odey was assisted by the Governor’s Chief of Staff, Emmanuel Ironbar.
A spokesperson to Governor Otu, Nsa Gill, in a press statement on 14 November, said the SUVs were meant to enhance productivity and efficiency at the local councils.
The statement said the Vice-Chairperson of the Obubra Local Government Council, Leonard Ogwa, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, “expressed gratitude” to Mr Otu for the vehicles.
Mr Ogwa said the vehicles would “enhance the smooth and efficient operation of their offices”.
The statement quoted Mr Ogwa as assuring them they would work alongside their council chairpersons to “build on the governor’s achievements.”
Cost of SUVs
According to information available on the Internet, the retail price for a Coolray SUV is between N14,700,000 (Coolray SUV – Dynamic Plus), N13,900,000 (Coolray SUV – Dynamic) and N16,900,000 (Coolray SUV – Sport Plus).
At a unit price of N16,900,000, 18 Coolray SUV—Sport Plus would cost N304,200,000, but the Cross River State Government must have spent much more than that if that is the exact brand it bought for the officials. This is because of the characteristic opaque nature of government procurement processes in Nigeria, which makes them susceptible to prices of goods and services being inflated.
According to the statement, Governor Otu had earlier presented Ford SUVs to the chairpersons of the 18 local councils.
The governor may have spent at least a billion naira to purchase the vehicles for the council chairpersons and vice-chairpersons.
Where did the money come from?
PREMIUM TIMES asked Mr Otu’s spokesperson why the governor should give out vehicles to officials of local councils when the councils are expected to enjoy financial autonomy.
“The autonomy is still there, and the governor abides by the judgement of the Supreme Court, but you also know that even the (Nigerian) constitution also gives power to the House of Assembly to make laws for the administration of the local governments,” Mr Gill responded.
He said the governor’s giving out vehicles to the officials of the local councils does not diminish the regional government’s autonomy.
PREMIUM TIMES also asked Mr Gill where the money for purchasing the vehicles came from.
“You know, for sometimes, there was a joint account (between the state government and the local councils) operation, and there were some reserve funds, so to say, in the joint account.
“I can’t say that the fund came from there, but I know they may have come from there as well,” he responded.
Mr Gill, however, said Governor Otu will not operate the joint account.
He said there is some kind of partnership between the local and state governments to develop Cross River.
Our reporter asked Mr Gill about the possibility that vehicles for local officials may not have been a priority need of the councils.
“First, the chief executives of the councils need to be mobile. The departments in the councils will also need vehicles. And those vehicles (needed by the departments) will be bought directly by the councils,” he responded.
Background
Before the landmark Supreme Court judgement, local councils and their officials existed at the mercy of the governors of their respective states.
Many governors deliberately refused to conduct local elections for several years. They were comfortable appointing their allies to run the affairs of the councils and dictating to them how to use the councils’ funds.
In some cases, the governor arbitrarily dissolved the leadership of some councils and handpicked a new set of officials.
With the Supreme Court judgement, the joint account has been abolished. The Accountant General of the Federation has been mandated to pay funds that belong to the local government directly into a council’s bank account.
The Supreme Court also declared setting up a caretaker committee to run local councils illegal.
The 2026 UTME, which began on April 16, is expected to continue until April 22 across examination centres nationwide.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Friday announced that it had released the results of 632,788 candidates who sat for the first day of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
A statement by the JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin noted that the results of candidates who sat the 2026 UTME on Thursday, 16 April 2026, have been released and are now available for viewing.
To check their results, he advised candidates to send UTMERESULT via SMS to 55019 or 66019, using the same phone number (SIM) used during registration.
He, however, said that at this stage, candidates may view their results only; printing is not yet available.
The 2026 UTME, which began on April 16, is expected to continue until April 22 across examination centres nationwide.
How To Print Your Official Result Slip
The result slip carries the candidate’s passport photograph, full scores, and details required for admission processing.
It will be made available for printing on JAMB’s e-Facility portal at efacility.jamb.gov.ng and attracts a fee of N1,500.
Once activated, candidates should follow the steps below.
– Visit efacility.jamb.gov.ng.
– Log in with your registered email address and password.
– On your dashboard, click Print Result Slip.
– Click Continue with Payment and pay the N1,500 fee.
– Select 2026 as the examination year and enter your JAMB registration number.
– Download and print the result slip.
Check Your Score Via SMS
– Make sure you have at least N50 airtime on the phone number linked to your JAMB registration.
– Send UTMERESULT to 55019.
– Your score will be delivered to you via SMS.
Other Tips
– If you have forgotten your password or email address, use the Forgot Password option on the portal or visit a JAMB office with your registration details.
– Keep multiple printed copies of your result slip, as institutions typically request it during screening and admission.
– Use only JAMB’s official websites — efacility.jamb.gov.ng or portal.jamb.gov.ng to avoid scams.
JAMB Cautioned Against Manipulation
Candidates were strongly cautioned against manipulating the SMS received from the official platform (55019/66019) to fabricate or alter scores with the intent to mislead others, including parents.
“Such actions constitute a serious criminal offence. The Board treats such misconduct with the utmost gravity.”
“Currently, two candidates and one parent are in custody for engaging in result falsification using AI and other electronic means. Any candidate found culpable will face the full consequences of the law”, JAMB warned.
The examination is ongoing, and results will continue to be released as they become available.
Troops of Operation Enduring Peace have arrested nine suspected Berom militia members responsible for targeted killings, and recovered arms and ammunition following an operation in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.
This followed the ongoing security concerns linked to recurring attacks and cycles of violence in the area.
A counter-insurgency and security expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed this in a post on X.
He stated that the suspects were arrested at about 0135 hours on April 18, 2026, when troops deployed at Ganawuri responded to reports of suspected criminal movement towards the Danwal general area.
He said that troops intercepted and arrested the suspects, who were found with blood stains on their bodies, raising suspicion of recent involvement in silent killings.
According to him, those arrested were identified as Gyang Dantoro, Samson Davou, Choji Yakubu, Vincent Adamu, Pam Dalyop, Femi Badung, Jacob Musa and Choji Chaga, all residents of Danwal and reportedly of Berom extraction.
Items recovered from them include three motorcycles, one pistol, one submachine gun, one locally made revolver rifle, 20 rounds of pistol ammunition, and one locally fabricated rifle, among other items,” he said.
Fear in the Middle East as Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the United States of violating prior understandings amid an ongoing naval blockade.
In a statement on Saturday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that control of the strategic waterway had “returned to its previous state,” citing continued US restrictions on Iranian ports as justification for the move.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital global transit route, is a chokepoint through which a significant share of the world’s crude oil passes daily. Any disruption is expected to send immediate shockwaves through global energy markets.
Reacting to the development, US President Donald Trump insisted that Washington would not back down, stating that the naval blockade “will remain in full force” until “our transaction with Iran is 100% complete.”
He did not elaborate on the specifics of the “transaction.”
Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had offered a contrasting position, saying the strait remained “completely open” to commercial vessels.
He emphasized that maritime activities were proceeding “in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon” and along “the coordinated route as already announced.”
The conflicting statements have added to confusion over the actual status of the waterway, with shipping companies and global observers scrambling to assess risks in real time.
Meanwhile, President Trump also disclosed that Israel had been “prohibited” from launching further strikes on Lebanon, as a fragile 10-day ceasefire entered its first full day.
The pause in hostilities has allowed tens of thousands of displaced civilians to begin returning to their homes after weeks of intense Israeli bombardment.
The situation remains fluid, with fears mounting that any miscalculation in the Gulf could trigger a wider regional confrontation.
Observers say the coming hours will be critical in determining whether diplomatic channels can ease tensions or if the standoff will deepen further.
JAMB: See How To Check, Print 2026 UTME Result Slip
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