Politics
Mohammed Advocates More Devolution Of Power To Local Govts
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, yesterday in Abuja advocated greater devolution of authority to local councils to enable them to perform optimally.
The minister made the call while addressing participants of Senior Executive Course 44, 2022 of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, near Jos, who visited him on a study tour.
Participants on the study tour are researching into “Strengthening Local Governance in Nigeria: Challenges, Options and Opportunities’’, a topic assigned to them by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The minister observed that local governments are critical to entrenching democracy and bringing about rapid development at the grassroots.
He expressed regrets that the third tier of government had remained inefficient and ineffective because of challenges, particularly that of the lack of full autonomy.
“There are issues and challenges that have over the years limited the capacity of local governments to execute their constitutionally assigned roles and responsibilities as a unit of administration with defined powers and authorities.
“State governments have covertly abused the provision of Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution which empowers them to make legislation for the functioning of local governments,’’ Mohammed he said
The minister added that there is ambiguity in the powers conferred on the states by the 1999 Constitution to legislate on the organisation and structure of local governments.
Speaking on financial autonomy for local councils, the minister, a lawyer, noted that the 1999 Constitution provided for allocation of funds to local governments from the federation account, thus giving them financial autonomy.
He said in contrast, the same Constitution made provision for the establishment of the ”States Joint Local Government Account’’ through which local governments would receive their allocations.
He noted that many state governments took advantage of the joint account to deprive local governments of vital funds, and thus incapacitating them.
The minister also faulted the inconsistency in the tenure of elected local government council officials compared to what obtains at the state and federal levels.
“In many cases, elections are not conducted and caretaker committees are allowed to function for periods even longer than the tenure of elected councils.
“This is a setback and has created political instability for the councils to focus on the real task of governance,’’ the minister said.
Responding, leader of the delegation, Dr Ibrahim Choji, thanked the minister for the presentation stating that it was one of the best outings of the team.
He said the minister’s presentation would assist the team in writing its reports and recommendations to the president.
The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, says he would not help President Bola Tinubu’s administration to correct the administration’s policies affecting the citizens.
Emir Sanusi spoke on Wednesday in Lagos as the chairman of the 21st Anniversary of Fawehinmiism (Gani Fawehinmi Annual Lecture 2025).
The emir stated that while there were “a few points” he could offer to explain the trajectory the administration had taken and how such decisions were predictable, he chose not to do so because “they don’t behave like friends.”
He said explaining the government’s policies would help the government, but he did not intend to assist them due to the way they had treated him.
“I can give a few points that are contrary, that explain perhaps what we’re going through and how it was totally predictable, most of it, and maybe avoidable. But I am not going to do that.
“I have chosen not to speak about the economy or the reforms or to even explain anything because if I explain, it would help this government, but I don’t want to help this government,” the emir said while addressing some of the points made by speakers about the economy.
He added: “You know they’re my friends, but if they don’t behave like friends, I don’t behave like a friend. So I watch them being stooges. And they don’t even have people with credibility who can come and explain what they are doing. I am not going to help. I started out helping, but I am not going to help. I am not going to discuss it. Let them come and explain to Nigerians why the policies that are being pursued are being pursued.
“Meanwhile, I’m watching a very nice movie with popcorn in my hands. But I will say one thing: What we are going through today is, at least in part, not totally, but at least in part, a necessary consequence of decades of irresponsible economic management.
“People were told decades ago that if you continue along this path, this is where you’re going to end up, and they refused to open their eyes. Now, is everything being done today correct? No.”
Emir Sanusi, who was deposed as the 14th Emir of Kano in 2020 by then-Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the current national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was reinstated as the 16th Emir of Kano in 2024 by the New Nigeria People’s Party-led Kano State Government.
His emirship has faced ongoing challenges from forces believed to be backed by the federal government, including federal officials’ continued recognition of his predecessor, Emir Aminu Ado Bayero.
Last month, the police barricaded his palace, with the state government accusing the federal government of orchestrating the action to stir unrest in the peaceful state.
The Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Oriyomi Onanuga, is dead.
Also known as Ijaya, Rt Hon. Onanuga, who was the member representing Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency, is said to have died following a brief illness.
This was confirmed in a tweet on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the House of Representatives, on Wednesday night.
Rt Hon Onanuga, who was born in Hammersmith, London, to Nigerian parents on December 2, 1965, was a politician and entrepreneur. She held the position of Deputy Chief Whip in the Nigerian House of Representatives since 2023.
She contested and won a seat in the House of Representatives under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019. She also served as the Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development.
Gov. Aiyedatiwa, however, exempted two members of the cabinet from the dissolution due to the critical nature of their duties.
The two commissioners exempted include the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo, SAN, and the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Omowunmi Isaac.
This was contained in a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
Mr Adeniyan said in the statement that “All the affected cabinet members are to hand over all government properties in their care to the accounting officers of their respective ministries.
Gov. Aiyedatiwa thanked the executive council members “for their service and contributions to the development of Ondo State under his administration and wished them well in their future endeavours”.