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Senators bicker over source of funding for regional devt commissions

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Senators on Thursday bicker on source of funding for the various Zonal Development Commissions created by the Senate along with the House of Representatives .

This is as it struck out some provisions of section 23 of their establishment bills , conferring operational immunity on board and executives of the commissions .

Division on approval of source of funding recommended for the commission among Senators arose during clause by clause consideration of the South – South Development Commission Establishment bill 2024 in plenary Thursday which is used as operational and structural template for the other commissions .

Senate Committee on Special Duties had in its report , recommended that 15% of Statutory allocations of member States in a commission , should be used to fund the commission by the federal government .

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But some Senators like Senator Yahaya Abdullahi ( PDP Kebbi North ) , Wasiu Eshinlokun ( APC Lagos East ) , Seriake Dickson ( PDP Bayelsa West ) etc , raised observations on the recommendation .

Specifically , Senator Yahaya Abdullahi , said the provision would lead to litigation against the federal government by the State government as no state would like its statutory allocation to be tampered with in the process of funding a zonal development commission .

” Mr President , distinguished colleagues , the 15% of statutory allocations of member States , recommended for funding of their zonal development commissions , would be litigated against by some state government”, he said .

In a bid to quickly correct the meaning read into the 15% statutory allocation of the State by Senator Yahaya Abdullahi and many other Senators who indicated interest to comment , the Deputy President of the Senate , Barau Jibrin, quickly rose to correct their impression .

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Senator Barau in his explanation told the Senate that the 15% Statutory allocation of member states for funding of their zonal development commission , would not entail any deduction from their statutory allocation .

” Mr President , distinguished colleagues , the 15% of Statutory allocation of member states , recommended for funding of Zonal Development Commissions by the federal government, is not about deduction at all .

” What is recommended as contained in the report presented to us by the committee on Special duties and being considered by the Senate now , is that 15% of statutory allocation of member states in a zonal development commission would by way of calculation by the federal government, used to fund the commission from the Consolidated Revenue Fund .

” Each state has monthly statutory allocation, 15 % of which as contained in this report being considered, will be calculated by the federal government and removed from the consolidated Revenue Fund for funding of their Development Commission .

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Despite Barau’s explanation, many of the Senators still not convinced, indicated their interest to speak , but prevented from doing so by the President of the Senate , Godswill Akpabio who said the provision was in order as constitutionally supported .

” We don’t need to be debating on whether 15% statutory allocation of member states in a commission would be deducted or not in view of provisions of section 162 ( subsection 4) of 1999 constitution which empowers the National Assembly to appropriate from either the Consolidated Revenue Fund or Federation Account .

” 15 % of statutory allocation of member states , has been recommended by the Senate and by extension , National Assembly , for funding of their zonal development commission by the federal government, anybody who want to go court over that may do so “, he said .

He consequently put the question on adoption of the provision for voice votes to Senators and ruled that the ayes have it .

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In his remarks after the passage of the consolidated bills , Akpabio thanked the Senators for spending several hours on final consideration and amendment of the Zonal Development Commission which according to him , would serve as bedrock for the newly created Ministry of Regional Development.

The bills cosidered and passsed are the South – South Development Commission Establishment Bill 2024, North West Development Commission Act ( Amendment) Bill 2024, South East Development Commission Act ( Amendment) Bill 2024 apart from the South West Development Commission Establishment Bill 2024 and North Central Development Commission Establishment Bill 2024 earlier passed.

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BREAKING: Jubilation As PDP Wins All 30 LGs In Osun State(See winners)

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSSIEC, has announced that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won all the local government and councillorship positions in the just concluded local government elections in the state.

The Chairman of the Commission, Hashim Abioye, made this announcement via a Facebook Live broadcast on Saturday evening.

Abioye stated that PDP candidates secured all the councillorship seats in all 332 wards in the state, as well as the chairmanship elections in all 30 local government council areas.

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The names of the PDP chairmanship candidates and their respective local government council areas:

Babalola Wasiu Kayode – Boripe

Okunade Oluwafemi Adesanya – Egbedore

Adeyenuwo Rotimi John – Ife Central

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Agboola Francis Olajire – Obokun

Azeez Lateef Adeniran – Isokan

Aina Abayomi Adesina – Boluwaduro

Sodiq Samuel Oluwapelumi – Ola Oluwa

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Ajibade Oluwatoyin S. – Irepodun

Adebanjo Oladiti Tunmininu – Ilesa West

Ibironke Alade Adegboye – Atakumosa East

Aroke Muyiwa Aderemi – Ife South

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Kolade Obafemi Kolawole – Olorunda

Moshood Adekunle Kabiru – Iwo

Awotunde Abiodun Sarafadeen – Ifelodun

Akande Taiwo Adekunle – Osogbo

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Dada Feyisayo Ajibola – Atakumosa West

Amodu Taiwo – Ede North

Atolagbe Kayode Olayinka – Ifedayo

Akande Michael O. – Ife North

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Adeyekun Taiwo Adebayo – Oriade

Adeniran Adenike Felicia – Ayedaade

Afolabi Oyekola Lukman – Ede South

Odunyemi Haruna Bukola – Ife East

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Jooda Ambali Babajide – Irewole

Adewale Adeyinka Oluwaseun – Odo Otin

Ogunbiyi Solomon Akinyemi – Ayedire

Raimi Adenike Nafisat – Ejigbo

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Adebisi Jayeola Nasir – Ila

Ilesanmi Taiwo Sunday – Ilesa East

Alade Aderemi Fatai – Orolu

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DSS arrests three for assaulting operatives during LSHA crisis

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested three persons linked to the alleged assault on its officers during the crisis that rocked the Lagos State House of Assembly, following the removal Mudashiru Obasa, as Speaker

Apparently sensing danger, some lawmakers had mobilized their supporters to the Assembly Complex, but these supporters allegedly attacked some DSS officers who were invited by the Assembly leadership to secure the facility. Security sources revealed that “after extensive analysis of CCTV footage, we were able to clearly identify three of the suspects”.
“The suspects, Ibrahim Olanrewaju Abdulkareem, a photographer and two others attached to the Assembly’s Seargent at Arms, Adetu Adekunle Samsudeen and Adetola Oluwatosin Fatimoh, a lady, were consequently tracked and arrested during the week in different parts of Lagos,” The trio have since confessed to the crime and will soon be charged to court, the source said.

It would be recalled that the Lagos Assembly had in a leaked memo dated 14th February, 2025 and addressed to the DSS Director in the State, and Heads of other Security Agencies in Lagos State, told the Security Agencies in Lagos that, there was credible information to the effect that, Obasa had planned to forcefully reinstate himself today, February 18, 2025.
Accordingly, the Assembly management, held the view that, the development posed “a potential security threat” to it and its members.

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Police seal OSSIEC office, officials nabbed, says chairman

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Hashim Abioye, has claimed that the police have sealed off the headquarters in Osogbo.

In a video post on the OSSIEC X handle, Abioye accused the police of also arresting election officials and blocking journalists from covering the local government election.

According to him, several OSSIEC officials were detained while on their way to polling units on Saturday.

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Attempts by our correspondent to reach Abioye for further details proved abortive as his telephone line was switched off.

The OSSIEC chair, in the post, assured voters that materials had been deployed to affected areas.

So far so good, the reports have been positive and the conduct has been very smooth and peaceful as against the false alarm raised by the police. Everywhere is calm,” Abioye said.

“The only thing is that in some of the areas in which materials are supposed to have arrived for voters to cast their votes, we had reports of police arresting our officials.

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“I don’t know on whose order because there is no court order that warranted the arrest of officers of our officials.

“As it is, we have deployed materials to those units because we have enough on the ground.

For our people in the media community, I want to apologise for the inadequacy of the tags and the jackets because we have enough but the police sealed our office and that was not warranted at all.”

Abioye’s comments come after police had called for the local government election to be called off by the state government, citing a security threat.

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In a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Friday, the Police said it received credible intelligence indicating a likelihood of violence and significant security threats should the planned elections proceed.

The police explained that reports gathered from joint intelligence gathering revealed that various groups, including political elements and other interested parties, are mobilising to instigate unrest, disrupt public peace and undermine the democratic order.

However, the Osun State government acknowledged the police’s advice but insisted on going on with the election.

Channels Television reports that the election eventually went on as scheduled on Saturday.

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