Politics
Oyo Govt Trains Councillors, Clerks On Legislative Duties
No fewer than 351 councillors and 33 clerks of the Legislative Councils of the 33 local councils in Oyo State, on Wednesday, in Ibadan, began a three-day training on legislative roles and duties in local government administration.
The Tide source reports that the training is being organised by Office of the Special Adviser on Legislative Matters, in conjunction with the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.
Speaking at the occasion, Special Adviser to Gov. Seyi Makinde on Legislative Matters, Mr Adejumobi Ademola, said that the training was aimed at intimating and grooming the newly-elected councillors on their legislative duties and oversight functions.
Ademola, who said that the training would enable the councillors understand the rudiments of their assignments, added that they would be given proper orientation on legislative activities at the grassroots level.
He commended Gov. Seyi Makinde for approving the training, saying that it would enhance the job of the councillors and clerks of the legislative councils.
The governor’s aide urged the councillors to avoid clashing with the executive in their respective council areas, stressing that they should replicate the existing harmonious working relationship between the executive and the legislature at the state level.
While calling for strict observance of the principle of separation of powers, he called on chairmen to allow the legislative arm to perform their functions without interference to avoid confusion.
In his address of welcome, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr Segun Ajekiigbe, said that the training was first of its kind in recent time.
He said further that it was aimed at setting the pace for greater things to happen in all the local government councils in the state.
Ajekiigbe said that government decided to put the training together to address the ‘serious lacuna’ observed in the series of research conducted on local government administration in Nigeria since the advent of the current dispensation in 1999.
“The republic largely identified the wide gaps between council chairmen and councillors as major encumbrances to grassroots development.
“The gaps were attributed to superiority complex between the executive chairmen and councilors, occasioned by educational qualifications, experience and social status,” he noted.
He stated that the present administration in the state would cement the relationship between the councillors and council chairmen, with the intention to raise the bar of local administration in the state.
The permanent secretary further said that the role of councilors, as the true representatives of the masses, in facilitating anticipated developments to them could not be swept under the carpet.
“As councillors, you must take cognisance of your role in carrying out executive oversight and ensuring budget management, effective use of budget resources and transparency in budgeting.
“It is incontestable that meaningful development does not happen overnight.
“Nations that have witnessed and still experiencing transformation rely on effective strategic planning in governing their people,” he said.
Ajekiigbe tasked the councillors on a new paradigm shift that would engender a workable strategic development plan.
NAN reports that Dr Stephen Lafenwa, of Department of Political Science, University of Ibadan, delivered a lecture on “Local Government Structure and Significance of Elected Councillors in Grassroots Development.”
In the same vein, Dr Musah Abdulwasi, Chairman, State House of Assembly Service Commission, delivered a lecture on “Understanding the Act of Lawmaking at the Local Government Level.”
The duo emphasised the need for the council officials to understand the place of local government in the provision of good governance for the masses.
Abdulwasi, a former Deputy Speaker of the assembly, added that the task of lawmaking was very crucial to good enhancing governance at the grassroots. (NAN)
The Tide source reports that the committee, reportedly backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, is making moves to reclaim the Wadata Plaza headquarters months after it was sealed following a violent clash between rival factions of the party.
Senior officers at the FCT Police Command told our source that while they had not received an official briefing, police personnel would be stationed at the secretariat and other key locations to maintain peace.
The Acting National Secretary of the Mohammed-led committee, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, announced last week that the secretariat would reopen for official activities on Monday (today).
He dismissed claims that ongoing litigation would prevent the reopening, saying, “There are no legal barriers preventing the caretaker committee from resuming work at the party’s headquarters.”
However, the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) has fiercely rejected the reopening move, insisting that Sen. Anyanwu and his group remain expelled from the PDP and have no authority to act on its behalf.
Speaking with The Tide source, the committee’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, declared: “They are living in fool’s paradise. The worst form of deceit is self-deceit, where the person knows he is deceiving himself yet continues with gusto.
“Even INEC, which they claim has recognised them, has denied them. They are indulging in a roller coaster of self-deceit.”
Mr Ememobong further revealed that letters had been sent to both the Inspector-General of Police and the FCT Commissioner of Police, stressing that the matter was still in court and warning against any attempt to “resort to self-help.”
“The case pending before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik was instituted by the expelled members. They cannot resort to self-help until judgment is delivered,” he said.
He warned that reopening the secretariat would amount to contempt of court.
A senior officer at the FCT Police Command, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that officers would be deployed to the area to avert a repeat of the November 19 violence that led to the secretariat’s initial closure.
“The command would not stand by and allow a breakdown of peace and order by the party or anyone else. Definitely, the police will have to be on the ground,” he said.
Another officer added, “There will definitely be men present at the secretariat, but I can’t say the number of police officers that would be deployed.”
When contacted, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, said she had not been briefed on the planned reopening and declined to comment on whether officers would be deployed.
Asked to confirm whether the secretariat was initially sealed by police, she responded, “Yes,” but refused to say more about the current deployment plans.
The Kano State House of Assembly has debunked the purported impeachment plan against the Deputy Governor, Aminu Gwarzo.
The Tide source recalls that the Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, recently sparked controversy during an interview session with a local radio station.
Mr Waiya called on the deputy governor to resign for failing to follow his principal, Gov. Abba Yusuf, in defecting from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the spokesperson to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Kamaluddeen Shawai, while addressing journalists in Kano on Saturday, described reports circulating in some media outlets about Mr Gwarzo’s impeachment as baseless and misleading, emphasising that no such plan is underway.
Mr Shawai further stated that the House remains focused on its legislative duties and oversight functions rather than engaging in speculative political manoeuvres.
The spokesperson urged members of the public and the media to verify information before sharing it, stressing the importance of accurate reporting in maintaining political stability in the state.
He said, “There is absolutely no motion or initiative within the House to remove the deputy governor.
“These reports are false and should be disregarded by the public. The deputy governor continues to serve in his capacity with full support from the House.
“Our priority is good governance and serving the people of Kano, not circulating rumours.”
She made the declaration during an interview with Nigerian football legend, Mr Segun Odegbami, during a live radio interview on Saturday.
Prof. Obasanjo, who is also former commissioner in the state, ruled out a return to the Senate, stating that her focus was firmly on the governorship race.
“So, moving ahead, I’m not going to be Commissioner. Like I said, I’m not even going back to the same party because I think that’s old and I don’t see the use of it. And I’m not going to go back to the Senate,” she said.
“Like the Americans would say, there’s no need. And this is what I told my associates, when this all started. I said, the only thing I’ll come back to do is the governorship.
“And we have started that journey. We are going to see it through. And so that’s the journey I’m on. And we are very serious about it. I mean we are very dedicated to it.”
The politician also confirmed that she recently joined the APC, explaining that her return to active politics followed persistent calls from supporters.
“Like I told you, a group of people who I did not bring together, have been working, I think, for two years now. And then they started talking to me about a year ago, saying, ‘Look, we think you are the best candidate. We want you back,’” she added.
Her declaration sets the stage for what may become a keenly contested governorship race in Ogun State ahead of the 2027 elections.
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