Politics
Soludo Inaugurates State, LG Joint Account Committee
Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Soludo, has inaugurated a nine-member Committee for the State-Local Government Joint Account.
The Governor inaugurated the committee shortly after the State Executive Council meeting, at the Government House, Awka, on Monday.
Speaking shortly after performing the inauguration, Governor Soludo appreciated the members for accepting to serve and commiserated with them for coming to serve in some very difficult circumstances.
According to the governor; “the resources aren’t there. But at the same time, you are being called upon to do some very special disruptive function. It is going to be a lot of hard work. Why do I say that? Because you are being called upon to do very disruptive work at a time of major challenges in the country. Major challenges in the finances of the state and local government and you’ve been called upon to find the solution.
“We are going to be employing over four thousand teachers, it’ll be charged to JAAC. Meanwhile, you have over fourteen billion naira debt in terms of arrears of gratuity and pensions. Part of it we have started to pay and so on and so forth.
The governor further explained that the local system is largely twofold, including its financing and its administration.
“We are going to set up the local government administration. That’s definite. But the administration of the local government is a bit of a challenge. The infrastructure in the various local governments including the ones that have been burnt down and need to be repaired as well as the workload. Even staff don’t go to work in the local governments. But we must eventually get the services down to the people”, the governor said.
“For us we have the vision to have responsibility devolve to base and to have a local government that is empowered from the base, to deliver development to the grassroot. And consequently, the finances that are very limited will have to be run in a different way. We have a peculiar local government system where the staff and other obligations of the local government are pooled together.
On local government autonomy, Professor Soludo said: “I hear people talk about autonomy. If you want to implement a strict autonomy, it’ll mean that each local government will employ and pay its staff. That’s what it’ll mean but this is not the case. That’s why you find someone in Idemili working in Ayamelum and someone from Ayamelum working in Nnewi South because they have a pool system”.
Governor Soludo also took time to explain that resources accruable to the State governments from the federal are low because of NNPC’s inability to remit a kobo to the federation account, which they may not do again because it is now a limited company, emphasising that there should be some sort of competitive system in place for the various local governments.
He said; “we are trying to devolve the responsibilities; waste management, security because we are now doing security at the community level, issues of environment and so on and so forth. My aspiration and with you as the Committee, we are going to work together so that they too can compete and have lee way to raise their own revenues.
They should become creative in generating revenue. Of course, when that lingers, we also expect you together with the service commission, to have some thought about not just to run the account, but you also have a job to do to have a new local government system and the financing framework that will deliver development to the people”.
We are seeking to have a local government that truly works”, Soludo added.
The Governor pointed out that regarding the management of the JAAC, a lot of things will be done differently after careful thought process, especially in terms of financing options.
“Some have got some assets that they can charge. Some have shops that they can ‘premise’ while some run mass transit system and so on and so forth. With the wisdom and calibre of people that make up this commission, I’m sure you will deliver because our intention is to rejuvenate the local government system”, the Governor concluded.
Civil Society Coalition for Good Governance, Budget and Accountability has condemned the defection of the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Executive Secretary, Civil Society Coalition for Good Governance, Budget and Accountability, Amb. Emmanuel Nkweke, who said this in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt also described as illegal all legislations passed by the defected lawmakers.
Amb. Nkweke described the defection as “monkey politics’, queried the rational behind the action of the lawmakers few months after being sworn into office, adding that members of the civil society community were yet to be told reasons for the defection.
“Up till now, we are yet to be told why they defected just few months of being sworn into office. For me, that is monkey politics”, he said.
He urged the lawmakers to go back to their former party and beg Rivers people for forgiveness, adding that if that is done, they may be welcomed back.
Amb. Nkweke also cautioned the lawmakers not to allow themselves to be used to do the bidding of an individual, adding that the present administration in the state needs the support of all to move forward.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the group has commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for giving civil societies the latitude to operate freely in the state.
He alleged that civil societies were caged in the last eight years, adding that there was no breathing space for civil societies in the last eight years in the state.
Amb. Nkweke described civil society as the engine room of democracy as it engages in sensitisation on the policies and programmes of government, regretting, however, that their inputs were never taken into considerations.
“Civil societies give signals, civil society creates the awareness and sensitize the people towards achieving a reliable democracy.
‘’i want to let you know, very frankly, that civil society space in Rivers State, for the past eight years, was suffocated. There was no breathing space, they didn’t breathe. Civil society was dead completely”, he said.
Amb. Nkweke said the situation also affected upcoming activists as some of them had to operate from hideouts.
By: John Bibor
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on President Bola Tinubu not to condone incompetent personalities in his government.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, NANS President, Comrade Pedro Obi, expressed concerns about the competence of the Minister of State for Youth Development and the SSA to the President on Student Engagement.
Comrade Obi, after staging a peaceful protest at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), reiterated that the NANS will not be intimidated and will continue to fight for the interests of Nigerian students.
He said, “The message is very simple, we have incompetent people who have been appointed to offices. It’s unfortunate and it’s not the President’s fault, of course he believes in Nigerian youths and has also given us the opportunity to showcase our capacity in various roles that he has given us.
“We have the SSA to the President on Student Engagement, who has shown incompetence. He cannot continue to hold that office and we are calling on Mr. President that he should be sacked with immediate effect.
“Also we have the Minister of State for Youth Development. We are also calling that immediately he should be sacked, because he has left what he ought to do and has dabbled into the affairs of NANS.
“These people have displayed incompetence and are destroying the youth community. There are so many competent youths that President Tinubu can pick from.
“NANS can never be intimidated. This is an organisation that we grew up to meet and we will continue to protect the dignity of this organisation.”
Receiving the NANS on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office in the SGF, Dr. Maurice Nnamdi Mbaeri, assured the NANS of relaying back their complaints to the SGF which he said will land on the listening ears of President Tinubu.
According to him, “I have listened to the complaints you raised. I assure you that your complaints will get to the listening ears of Mr. President.
“Let me assure you that I’m happy this was also re-echoed in the NANS President’s speech that President Tinubu has indebt love for the youths of Nigeria and also for the students of Nigeria. This has been demonstrated by polices that (has) been put in place for the youths.
“I want to assure you that the President has your concerns in his heart and he’s always ever ready to attend to your needs.
“With this, I am going to report back to my boss the SGF, who will take up the matter with the President. I urge you to continue to maintain peace and tranquillity. Don’t do anything that will make Mr. President feel bad about you.”
Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyiorchia Ayu, has withdrawn the court action he instituted against the party over his controversial removal from office barely two years into his four year term.
His action has removed legal impediments likely to militate against the emergence of his replacement from the North Central.
Several meetings have been held and being planned following this new development.
On Tuesday, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) passed a vote of confidence on the Ag. National Chairnan, Amb. Umar Damagum, whom members said has discharged his functions creditably.
It was gathered that the North Central Caucus of the party had long before now started mobilizing to ensure that the zone produces Ayu’s replacement to complete his tenure which expires in 2025.
In a related development, Amb. Damagum has held series of meetings with various groups to perhaps shore up his chances of retaining his seat as acting chairman.
He led the members of the NWC on Wednesday to interact with the PDP National Ex-officio ahead of the NEC meeting.
Immediately after the meeting with them, he led the NWC members to another meeting with the State Party Chairmen from the 36 States, including FCT, Abuja.
The meetings were held at the NEC Hall, PDP National Secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, in Abuja.
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