News
EFCC warns council chairmen against mismanagement
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.
“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.
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.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has began airlifting the sensitive election materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Benin, Edo State, ahead of the upcoming governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.
This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Deputy Director, Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Kabiru Ali.
The operation is part of the NAF’s efforts to ensure the timely and secure delivery of materials necessary for a smooth electoral process.
This development reinforces the collaboration between NAF and INEC to facilitate logistics and ensure a peaceful election in Edo State.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, had previously reiterated NAF’s commitment to providing airlift support for the swift movement of electoral materials during a meeting with INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
This airlift operation is a crucial aspect of NAF’s constitutional responsibility to provide Military Aid to Civil Authority, underscoring the force’s dedication to supporting democratic processes in Nigeria. With the election just days away, the NAF’s timely intervention will help ensure the successful conduct of the governorship elections in Edo State.
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State had earlier accused the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of working with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hunt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members and supporters in the state and force them into hiding ahead of September 21 governorship election.
Obaseki, who made the allegation when a delegation led by the former Head of State, Abdusalam Abubakar, met with him to get the governor and his party to sign peace accord, said that the IGP had made nonsense of his (Obaseki’s) role as the chief security officer of the state.
The governor had said that the police chief obtained a warrant to arrest 60 members and supporters of PDP in Edo and that the IGP sent an armed “gang” of policemen who invaded the state, attacked PDP members, shot at a local government chairman and arrested 10 persons who are currently being detained in Abuja without charges.
Asked by the former head of state if his party would sign the peace accord, Obaseki said, “The person who is supposed to enforce the peace accord is now an active participant in creating a destructive environment.
“We are now in a situation where from the Inspector General’s office, there are armed gang policemen who came into Edo State, invaded, arrested and took away PDP members.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has given reasons why he loves dancing.
The ‘Dancing Governor’, as he is fondly called, revealed this on Wednesday while responding to a tweet on X.
An X user, @Iwogoke, while praising the governor, stated that Adeleke has been busy fulfilling his electoral promises to the people of Osun State, while his political opponents believe he is only good at dancing.
Iwogoke tweeted, “I’m not flattering you, Your Excellency, your opponents think you can only dance but while they are busy shouting and calling you ‘Dancing Governor’, you are busy fulfilling your electoral promises to the people.”
Responding to the tweet via his verified X account, Adeleke explained that he loves dancing because it brings him joy.
Speaking further on his love for dancing, Adeleke highlighted that while dancing brings him immense happiness, his greater fulfilment comes from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Osun.
Outlining his administration’s efforts to enhance the state’s infrastructure, he noted that primary health centre rehabilitation is underway in at least 200 out of the 332 wards across Osun State, adding that road construction projects are also progressing in every local government area.
He wrote, “Dancing gives me joy, but delivering on my electoral promises and providing the dividends of democracy to the good people of Osun gives me even greater joy. Rehabilitation of primary health centers is ongoing in at least 200 out of 332 wards, and road construction is progressing in every Local Government!”
Ecoparl: Speaker Ibrahima Reaffirms Parliament’s Dedication to Regional Unity
Air Force Begins Moving Electoral Materials For Edo Guber Election
“Dancing gives me abundant joy and peace of mind”-Gov Adeleke
Just in: Terrorists ambush military truck, kill all soldiers on board
Nigerian Dancer, Korra Obidi Attacked with acid, stabbed on stage In UK
Meet Rare Gem 16 Years Old Chiaza, CEO of ‘RUN MARKET PLACE’
-
News21 hours agoPHOTOS: Finally, FCT Minister, Wike settles with the Duke, Nduka Obaigbena, publisher of Thisday, Arise Tv
-
News20 hours agoOver 3000 Lagos Residents Rendered Homeless As Govt Officials, Policemen Demolish, Set Buildings On Fire
-
News17 hours agoPopular Ekiti Born Philanthropist, Funso Ayeni Bags PhD in US Varsity
-
Politics20 hours agoRivers PDP elders tackle Ada George over attack on Wike
-
Economy17 hours agoSEE Black Market Dollar (USD) To Naira (NGN) Exchange Rate Today
-
News20 hours agoFG Issues Flood Alert As Cameroon Releases Water From Lagdo Dam
-
News15 hours agoJust in: Wanted ex-Kogi gov, Yahaya Bello honours EFCC invitation
-
News21 hours agoHire and fire Gov Fubara fires LG chairman, appoints caretaker immediately