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EFCC warns council chairmen against mismanagement

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Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has warned chairmen of local council areas that it will not tolerate any form of financial mismanagement at the grassroots level.

The warning followed the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments. The commission vowed to closely monitor local government activities to ensure good governance, accountability, and transparency.

It gave the warning at a national dialogue organised by Agora Policy, themed, ‘Enthroning Accountability in Local Government in Nigeria”, in Abuja, yesterday.

A representative of the EFCC chairman, Friday Ebelo, said: “Good governance encompasses three essential elements: accountability, transparency, and citizen participation. For these elements to be effective, we need dedicated and development-minded individuals to manage local council administrations.

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“We must make a deliberate effort to bring the presence of governance to our people, ensuring that citizens feel the impact of governance in their daily lives, particularly in areas such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure development.”

Agora Policy founder, Waziri Adio, emphasised the need for reforms in rural council areas, stating: “Local government areas are the least trusted, least capacitated, and least interesting to the public.” Adio lamented that local councils were failing to meet expectations.

“Only 28 per cent of citizens trusted local government administration, down from 58 per cent in 2000,” he quoted from Afrobarometer’s 2008 survey. Africa’s Director of the MacArthur Foundation, Kole Shettima, emphasised the need for local council reforms, citing a conversation where a villager expected President to fix a local water issue.

EFCC warning came just as Concerned Northern Forum (CNF) called on the Commission to probe 36 state governments on the usage of statutory allocations from the Federal Government, as part of measures to address hardship faced by the citizenry.

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The group’s spokesperson, Abdulsalam Moh’d Kazeem, at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, remarked that the call was based on the realisation that some state governors had refused to channel money and other palliatives to vulnerable Nigerians in their domains.

The forum blamed the situation for the nationwide protests, which led to loss of lives and properties worth billions of naira across the country. The forum also called on the Federal Government to consider punitive measures in states, where sensitive government property and infrastructure were destroyed during the nationwide hunger protests.

The forum stressed the need to relocate the affected facilities to neighbouring states with functional governors to serve as incentives for hard work and dedicated stewardship.

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Video: Tinubu Arrives Lagos, Meets Old ‘Friend’ Papa Ajasco

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has arrived in Lagos for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Tinubu arrived at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, at noon on Wednesday, December 18.

Tinubu had earlier today presented the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the 10th National Assembly in Abuja.

His arrival was disclosed in a post via the X handle of his Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, on Wednesday, December 18.

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The caption reads: “President Tinubu arrives in Lagos where he will spend the Christmas. He is received by H.E #jidesanwoolu and members of the Lagos Executive Cabinet.”

Upon arrival at the Lagos airport, Tinubu met his ‘longtime friend’, Abiodun Ayo Yinka (a.k.a Papa Ajasco).

Disclosing this, Olusegun wrote: “Beautiful moment between PBAT and his long-time friend, Mr Abiodun Ayo Yinka (a.k.a Papa Ajasco) at the Presidential Wing of the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.”

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How FG paid N199billion as electricity subsidy for Nigerians in December

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The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has stated that the government of Nigeria paid N199 billion as electricity subsidy for December 2024, up from N194.26 billion in November.

The disclosure was made in NERC’s December 2024 Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) report, published on its website.

According to the report, Band-A customers continued to pay N209/kWh, while tariffs for customers in Bands B to E remained frozen at December 2022 rates.

However, the Nigerian government is expected to pay N29.10 billion in subsidies for consumers under Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (DisCo) and N26.68 billion for those under Ikeja Electric.

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The rise in subsidies is attributed to a higher exchange rate pegged at N1,687.45 per dollar, an inflation rate increase of 33.9%, and adjustments in available power generation capacity.

NERC also retained the benchmark gas-to-power price at $2.42/MMBTU, as determined by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

Meanwhile, the Commission noted that tariffs would remain subject to monthly adjustments based on key indicators, including inflation, exchange rates, and gas-to-power prices.

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Lagos Mosque Takes Down ‘Jesus Christ is Not God’ Banner After Backlash

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Through this removal, the mosque’s administration has seemingly acquiesced to the widespread criticism and pressure from the public to remove the banner widely perceived as inflammatory and divisive.

The Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos State has removed a contentious banner that bore the inscription, “Jesus Christ is Not God”.

This action was substantiated by a widely circulating video on social media platform X, in which a member of the community, identified as Tunde Alabi, asserted that he had personally visited the mosque on Wednesday evening to verify the removal.

The initial placement of the banner in front of the mosque had previously sparked a firestorm of controversy, eliciting a multitude of comments from Nigerian netizens.

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These online commentators had unequivocally condemned the management of the mosque, strenuously urging the pertinent authorities and stakeholders to intervene and address the situation.

Through this removal, the mosque’s administration has seemingly acquiesced to the widespread criticism and pressure from the public to remove the banner widely perceived as inflammatory and divisive.

In a video shared by an X user, Adeleke Opeyemi, the community source, Tunde Alabi, said the backlash pushed him to ask for the removal of the banner.

The video narrator said: “My name is Tunde Alabi. I am a member of the Lekki Muslim Community. I noticed a banner pasted in front of our mosque, causing some controversies. I sent a message to the mosque community and was told that it had been removed, so I came to confirm myself. As you can see, the one that was removed is supposed to be behind me.”

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Alabi also apologised for the issues that the banner might have caused.

“I am not speaking on behalf of the mosque. I am speaking for myself. I am sorry for any inconvenience this might have caused. Today is the 18th of December,” he added.

The contentious banner garnered widespread public attention following a social media post by renowned Nigerian actress, Wumi Tuase.

She took to platform X to express her profound dismay and disappointment upon discovering the banner, emblazoned with the inscription “Jesus Christ is Not God”, prominently displayed in front of the Lekki Central Mosque.

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She said, “I don’t like to get into religious conversations, but I found it very weird that Lekki Central Mosque has this in front of their gate.”

Tuase’s public expression of discontent resonated with many, prompting a national conversation about religious tolerance, respect and the role of places of worship in promoting unity and understanding.

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