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Reps Promise To Give 5% FCT Area Councils Deduction Legislative Backing
By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils and Ancillary Matters, has that it will look into the possibility of giving legislative backing to the five percent deduction from Area Councils funds for the traditional institutions, upgrade of the trade stools and creation of more chiefdoms for effective functions.
Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Fredrick Agbedi stated these during an interactive session with the traditional council in FCT on Monday in Abuja.
Agbedi said “We recognize and appreciate the critical role traditional rulers play in cultural preservation, security, conflicts resolution and community development in governance.
“Your leadership has been instrumental in fostering peace and stability within the FCT, and your contributions to local development is invaluable.
“I also want to use this avenue to acknowledge sets of your requests regarding the allocation of five percent from the funds designated for the Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory, to support traditional institutions. However, the disbursement and allocation of funds within the FCT are governed by provisions of statutory budgetary framework that prioritize various sectors, including infrastructure, healthcare, education and social welfare.
“While we acknowledge the merit of your request, the current financial framework does not explicitly provide for such an allocation to traditional institutions. Any allocation of such funds will require legislative review and policy amendments to ensure compliance with existing financial regulations.
“Additionally, we wish to inform you that there is currently an Area Councils Administration Establishment Bill that has just gone through the first reading in the House of Representatives. This committee will liaise with all relevant stakeholders to consider all avenues for creating provisions that address the concerns of traditional rulers, including the allocation of funds for traditional institutions. In the interim, we encourage traditional councils to also engage with Area Councils to discuss potential avenues for partnerships and mutually beneficial initiatives that align with existing budgetary provisions.
“We also assure you that we’re open to further discussions on this issue, and will continue to support the recognition of traditional institutions within the broader governance structure. That said, we remain committed to collaborative efforts toward enhancing the welfare of traditional institutions and to explore possible mechanisms though which the role of traditional rulers can be better supported within the bigger and financial framework of the FCT and Area Councils”.
In his remarks, Chairman of the FCT Traditional Council, HRH, Alhaji Adamu Baba Yunusa (Abaji Chiefdom) informed the committee that the graded chiefs under the council have 17 chiefdoms across the six Area Councils with Ona of Abaji as the only 1st class chief.
“The Council’s operations are faced with myriads of challenges that inhibit its functioning, including inadequate financing of the institution, lack of existing legal/policy framework that will strengthen the financing of traditional institution in the FCT”, he said.
He therefore appealed that the implementation of five percent of local government allocations as being done by some states for traditional rulers will go a long way to addressing those challenges.
President Donald Trump said Monday in an interview with CBS that the war with Iran was “very complete” and that the United States was far ahead of his initial timeline of around a month.
US stocks jumped higher and oil prices sank in after-hours trading following Trump’s comments, despite the fact that there were no immediate signs of the conflict abating.
“I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force,” Trump told CBS News by phone.
“Their missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown up all over the place, including their manufacturing of drones,” he added. “If you look, they have nothing left. There’s nothing left in a military sense.”
Trump told the US broadcaster that the United States was “very far” ahead of his initially stated war time frame of four or five weeks.
The US leader has given similar assessments in recent days of battle damage from the US-Israeli strikes that began on February 28, but had not gone as far in saying that the war was nearing an end.
Just last Friday, Trump issued a statement that Iran’s “unconditional surrender” was the only acceptable outcome for ending the war.
And his comments came about an hour after the Pentagon posted on social media that the United States had “only just begun to fight.”
CBS reported that when asked if he thought the war could wrap up soon, Trump answered: “Wrapping up is all in my mind, nobody else’s.”
Trump also threatened Iran if it tried to close the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping lane where oil tanker transit has already virtually halted, sending energy prices soaring around the world.
He said he was “thinking about taking it over” even as he insisted that traffic was starting to move.
The US president however had few words for Iran’s new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was elected to replace his slain father Ali Khamenei.
“I have no message for him. None, whatsoever,” Trump said, adding that he had someone else in mind to lead Iran.
Trump earlier told the New York Post he was “not happy” with Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment.
AFP
Nollywood icon Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has opened up about the strength and trust that have sustained her 30-year marriage, revealing she has never had to confront her husband over infidelity.
In an interview on the Afropolitan podcast, the actress and philanthropist described her union with husband Matthew Ekeinde as built on mutual trust, selflessness, and zero ego clashes. She emphasized that she has never fought over another woman in their three decades together.
“I’ve been married to him now 30 years. I’ve never fought over a girl, you know?” Omotola said. “He doesn’t disturb me. If I have to go to my work, I go to my work. I come back. He trusts me totally. I trust him.”
The mother of four stressed that divorce is not an option for her personally, though she made it clear she is not against it for others.
“Divorce is not an option for me. It doesn’t mean it’s not an option for you. Let’s get that straight. I’m not against divorce,” she clarified. “I just always believe that marriage is a very personal thing. My marriage can never be the same thing as your marriage. No two marriages are the same because no two persons are the same.”
Omotola explained that every relationship has different “ingredients,” and what works for her may not apply to others facing trust issues or betrayal.
“You might be dealing with someone that has broken your trust and you’re trying to build that back,” she noted. “So those things are different… For me, how do you want to penetrate? It’s going to be very hard because I know this person. I’ve been with this person for 30 years, since I was 18.”
The veteran actress praised her husband’s character, describing him as “very selfless” and free of ego, qualities she credits for the peace and longevity of their marriage.
With over three decades in the acting profession, Omotola is known for movies like Blood Sister, RattleSnake: The Ahanna Story, Alter Ego, amongst others.
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has warned that petrol prices could surge to nearly N2,000 per litre if current trends persist.
This is following Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals’ hike of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), to N1,175 per litre from N995 on Monday.
PETROAN urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) to urgently boost domestic refining capacity to insulate Nigeria from global petroleum market shocks. PETROAN president, Dr Billy Gillis-Harry said, “PMS could rise close to N2,000 per litre while AGO may approach N3,000 per litre if the situation persists,” Dr Harry warned.
PETROAN specifically called on NNPC Group CEO Engr. Bayo Ojulari to restart production at local refineries, including the Area 5 Plant at Port Harcourt and Warri Refinery, which operated briefly before shutting down for profitability assessments.
Dr Harry linked the volatility to the Israel-US-Iran conflict, with drone and missile attacks disrupting oil routes and supply chains. Before the crisis, he noted, petrol sold at N774 per litre (now over N1,000, up 30 per cent) and diesel (AGO) at N950 (now N1,400+, up 49 per cent).He stressed rehabilitating government refineries to leverage Nigeria’s crude reserves under NNPC custody, making them less vulnerable than import-reliant private ones.
Continued hikes, he warned, would fuel inflation, job losses, economic hardship, higher transport costs, and pricier goods—PMS powers daily mobility, AGO industry.
Dr Harry lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s oil and gas reforms, urging him to order immediate refinery restarts for citizen relief and economic stimulus.
Iran war ‘pretty much’ over – Trump
‘I’ve never fought my husband over infidelity’ – Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde
Petrol May Hit N2,000 per Litre Amid Refinery Price Hike, PETROAN Warns
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