Some governors in the country may be getting more desperate to share in the monthly allocation to local governments if revelations by some sources, including a council chairman and a party candidate, are anything to go by.

Findings by Sunday PUNCH showed that some governors have devised means to continue cornering council funds through secret oath-taking deals and agreements with elected chairmen.

The Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to the 774 LGs on July 11 and directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to pay allocations directly to their accounts.

Consequently, the Federal Government on August 20 set up a 10-member inter-ministerial committee to implement the court’s ruling. 

Sunday PUNCH gathered that the panel, headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, had concluded its assignment and would submit its report any moment from Monday, October 14.

A few days after the Supreme Court judgment, state governors asked for a three-month moratorium before the commencement of direct allocation to the LGs to enable them to conduct elections.

Ebonyi, Bauchi, Kebi, Oyo, Kwara, Imo, Enugu, Sokoto, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, and Rivers are the states that have conducted LG elections.

The President of the National Union of Local Government Employees, Ambali Olatunji, earlier this month disclosed that the Federal Government would commence direct payment of allocations into the accounts of each LG by the end of October.

An elected council chairman in one of the South-West states told Sunday PUNCH that he was compelled to pledge allegiance and give his state governor access to the funds all the time.

According to the chairman, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, he and his colleagues repledged their loyalty to the governor after the Supreme Court verdict.

He said, “After the Supreme Court judgment, we met the governor and pledged our allegiance to him. We told him we would always abide by his directive on our LG funds. I cannot say we did that voluntarily; something propelled us to do it. Maybe I wouldn’t be the local government chairman now if I didn’t pledge because that was before our election. You should understand beyond what I have said.”

A senior media officer in the same state told Sunday PUNCH that part of the agreement the chairmen had with the governor was continuous remittance of their funds to a dedicated state account.

“I am privy to their arrangement. The chairmen were asked to pledge allegiance that they would continue to remit money to the state when the direct allocation commences. The only grace they have with the arrangement on ground now is that after payment of teachers and other workers, the chairmen will take N5m as security vote; the vice chairman and other principal officers will also have their running costs, while N10m will be set aside for the running of the local government. The rest of the allocation will then be sent to the state”, he added.

Also, a local government chairmanship candidate in one of the southern states told Sunday PUNCH that he and his colleagues took an oath to follow their governor’s directive on LG funds before they were cleared to be the candidates of the party.

“We are to follow the governor’s directive on local government funds; that was our pledge, and I don’t think it is bad,” he stated.

At least five other chairmen contacted by our correspondents in the North-East declined to comment on the matter.

The council bosses, after listening to Sunday PUNCH, said they had nothing to say.

A political analyst in Sokoto State, Abdul AbdulKareem, said Nigerians should not expect anything special from the chairmen.

“Why will you be deceiving yourself to ask such things from them; no one among them will admit to such questions. The only thing we know is none of them can do anything without instructions either from the governor or the leader of the party in the state. They were all appointed into that place for a purpose and can’t go contrary to that,” he added.

A former local government chairman in Ogun State, Wale Adedayo, urged chairmen to resist every attempt by governors to arm-twist them to remit their allocations back to states.

Adedayo, who was removed as the chairman of Ijebu East LGA of Ogun State for accusing the state governor of diverting LG funds, also urged the Federal Government to set up machinery to track and monitor LG funds.

“If quality local government chairmen are elected, none of them will agree to any arrangement by governors to return their allocations to states.

“President Bola Tinubu needs to revisit what President Shehu Shagari did during his tenure. Shagari had presidential liaison officers in all the states of the federation to monitor local government activities for the Federal Government. Tinubu also needs to appoint liaison officers for each state of the federation so that they can monitor local governments.

“The governors have taken the Federal Government to court to abolish EFCC. They are doing this so that nobody will be able to hold them accountable and essentially to continue to divert local government funds. They know that it is only the EFCC that can expose them so they don’t want the EFCC there again,” Adedayo said.

On his part, the immediate past chairman of the Ogun State chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Babatunde Emilola-Gazal, called for the review of the revenue-sharing formula in order to give local governments more funds.

Emilola-Gazal said the current sharing formula was “unfair and skewed” in favour of both the state and federal governments.

He argued that most local governments might still be unable to meet their financial obligations with the current revenue-sharing formula even if the Federal Government paid allocation directly into their accounts.

He said, “There is no reason for what Anambra State Government or any other state government wants to do. It is not right, it is not justifiable, it is wrong and unfair at a time when everybody is looking forward to more development at the grassroots level.

“There is a problem with the revenue sharing formula. As of today, the 774 local governments in the country take 20.6 per cent of what accrues to the federation account, the state governments take 26 per cent while the Federal Government takes 52 per cent.

“There is a need for the revenue sharing formula to be revisited so that more funds will be given to the local governments than what is presently done. How can 774 local governments take 20.6 per cent while the Federal government takes 52 per cent of what is in the federation account. That sharing formula is inappropriate, it is skewed in favour of the Federal Government and that needs to be addressed.

The Secretary-General, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Mohammed Abubakar, added that the organisation was on top of the situation.

He said, “Yes, we are aware of the scheme of governors. But, there’s something ALGON is also facing. The leadership of the association sometimes also looks at the body language of their governors because these governors are in control of the chairmen. But, you know, we have the registrar trustees of the association, who to some extent are not chairmen in council. So, they seem to be the ones that are leading the pack on the agitation that this must be implemented. Some chairmen sometimes will not want to be in the bad book of their governors. So, they don’t speak out when necessary.

“But I can assure you that the board of trustees is on top of the issue. Very soon, you will hear from the trustees speaking and following up on the necessary authority to implement this. I can assure you that majority of the chairmen were excited when they learnt about this.

“They are trying to also avoid the situation whereby they will begin to be forced to return money to the governors after getting it from the Federal Government directly. So, I think they are also not comfortable with it and we guess we will find a way to pass the message through so that they don’t also get into trouble with their governors.”

Abubakar said some governors had also been making attempts to divide the association, adding that leaders of the group were countering such moves.

The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Edo State, Olumide Akpata, on Saturday said he won’t challenge the result of the September 21 gubernatorial election.

Akpata emerged third with 22, 763 votes in the election. He lost to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, who raked in 291,667 votes to defeat PDP’s Asue Ighodalo, who came second with 247,274 votes.

Three weeks after the contest, Akpata said he wouldn’t approach the Tribunal, despite citing irregularities and electoral malpractice in the exercise.

“My decision not to contest the election results at the tribunal is not an indication of compromise; rather, it is a strategic move aimed at redirecting our energies towards systemic changes that our democracy desperately needs,” he said.

“This moment calls for a paradigm shift in our approach to electoral reform. We cannot continue to operate within a system that incentivises manipulation and disenfranchisement.”

Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has kicked against the scrapping of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), saying it is not the right time to do so.

The governor stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Hard Copy which aired on Friday.

He argued that rather than abolishing the anti-graft agency, it should be strengthened to work better in fight corruption cases.

“For me, it is not the right time that we should kill the Economic (and) Financial Crimes Commission whether it has come wrongly or rightly,” Fintiri said.

“We need to strengthen it, we need to make it work better, we need to remove the politics within it that sometimes some people cry that they are being witch-hunted instead of going for the real issue.”

Govs Challenge EFCC’s Legality

The governor also weighed in on the recent suit filed at the Supreme Court by 16 state governors challenging the legality of the laws establishing the commission.

On Wednesday, the apex court fixed October 22 to hear a suit filed by 16 state governments challenging the legality of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The suit, instituted by the Kogi State government and 15 other states, is challenging the constitutionality of the laws establishing the EFCC.

The 15 other states joined in the suit, marked: SC/CV/178/2023, are Ondo, Edo, Oyo, Ogun, Nassarawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa, Enugu, Benue, Anambra, Plateau, Cross-River and Niger.

When asked if Adamawa would join the suit, the governor said he is still discussing with the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.

He explained that he wasn’t aware when the 16 states filed the suit at the apex court to challenge the legality of EFCC.

“As of yesterday, I am not. I am still going through it with my attorney general. If the need be, I will join but at the moment I am not.

“I was not aware when they went to court. Now that I am aware, I will look at the document, I will look at the issues involved,” Fintiri said.

Some suspected gunmen, Saturday afternoon, killed a councilorship candidate, Adeyinka Adeleke, in the Jide Jones area of Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The victim was said to be the All Progressives Congress Councillorship candidate for Abeokuta South Local Government Ward 15 in the forthcoming November 16 Local Government elections.

PUNCH Online gathered that the assailants stormed the area in a tinted car while shooting sporadically.

Our correspondent learnt from a source privy to the incident that the gunmen attacked Adeleke, shot at him and left him in the pool of his blood.

A video of the incident which surfaced online showed the lifeless body of Adeleke while sympathisers’ voices were heard in the background wailing.

An anonymous source told our correspondent that the incident created palpable tension in the area as residents scampered for safety.

The source said, “Some gunmen killed the All Progressives Congress councilorship candidate for Ibara Ward 15, Adeyinka Adeleke, today.

“The gunmen came in a tinted car, shot him, and hit him with stones till he died. There was tension in the area as people were scampering for safety.”

Another source, who sought anonymity, narrated that the assailants arrived in a tinted car from which one of them stepped out, shot Adeyinka at close range and later smashed his head ensuring that the victim was dead.

The deceased was said to have been a transport union worker in the Panseke area of Abeokuta during his lifetime.

“The Killing happened around 2 pm, it took everybody by surprise… No one knows if it is a cultist attack or not. The people in the area are already locking their shops, everywhere is tensed up now, it is so sad,” the source said.

A senior police officer in the area confirmed the incident to our correspondent while stating that the family took the corpse away.

The police source said, “Yes, the incident happened. His family decided to take his body for burial.”

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, was yet to respond to messages sent to her line as of the time of filing this report.

Dangote Group is preparing to begin crude oil production to support its $20 billion refinery. For this purpose, the company is seeking a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel with a capacity of 650,000 barrels.

Production is expected to begin at its two Nigerian oil assets, Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 71 and 72, in the fourth quarter of 2024, following initial challenges in securing crude oil supply from International Oil Companies (IoCs).

According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, the FPSO will be essential for producing and storing crude oil, enhancing the operations of the Dangote refinery.

Dangote holds an 85% stake in West African E&P Venture, which has a 45% working interest in OMLs 71 and 72, while the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) holds the remaining 55%.

First E&P, a Nigerian upstream company, is also involved as the operator of the blocks. The oil licenses are situated in shallow waters in the Niger Delta, near the Bonny terminal.

The Kalaekule and Koronama oilfields, located within the blocks, were discovered in 1966. Shell started production two decades later. Output peaked at 21,000 barrels per day in 1999 but declined by 2003.

The fields are estimated to hold recoverable resources of nearly 300 million barrels of oil and 2.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Production is anticipated to begin in 2026, with a potential output of 43,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2036.

The planned startup of production from OMLs 71 and 72 is expected to help Dangote resolve crude oil supply issues and provide a steady feedstock for its refinery operations.

A suspected car thief, Joseph Ada, arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command, has disclosed that he intends to use the proceeds from selling his former boss’ car to fund his father’s burial.

This was disclosed in a statement made available on the RRS Facebook page on Friday.

According to the statement, Ada had duplicated the key of the vehicle while working as a driver to his former boss before he was sacked in June.

Ada allegedly stole the vehicle on Wednesday where it was parked in the Lekki area of the state and proceeded to Ikeja to sell the car.

He was, however, apprehended by the RRS operatives who were acting on actionable intelligence.

The statement read, “Around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, operatives of Rapid Response Squad, who were acting on intelligence arrested one Ada Joseph, 27 in Ikeja, Lagos for trying to sell his former boss’s car.

“Ada stole the former boss’s Toyota Camry, 2015 model from where it was parked in Osapa, London, Lekki, Lagos around 7:00 a.m. By 11:00 a.m. he was in Central Business District, Alausa to sell the vehicle to a willing buyer.

“The employer had sometime in June 2024 sacked Ada after about a year of working with him. Unknown to the boss, Ada, his driver had hatched a plan and duplicated the car key.”

The statement continued that upon his arrest, Ada confessed that he had stolen the vehicle because he wanted to use the proceed from selling the vehicle to bury his father.

“The suspect confessed to the crime and disclosed that he wanted to use the proceeds of the sale to bury his late father.

“The owner was later alerted, and both the suspect as well as the recovered vehicle have been transferred to the State Command for further investigation,” the statement concluded.

PUNCH Online reported on July 3 that the state Police Command apprehended a 36-year-old robbery suspect, Amos Daniel, who stole his employer’s vehicle on the same day he was hired as a driver.

Daniel had confessed to having taken the car to his church to give testimony of God’s miraculous provision.

The Kano State Anti-corruption and Public Complaints Commission has commenced a probe into alleged N1.5billion foreign scholarship fraud.

The commission grilled two top officials of the state’s Ministry of Higher Education regarding the issue of 1,001 students supposedly studying in India and Kenya.

The state government sponsored 1,001 postgraduate students to pursue master’s degrees in India and Uganda.

The initiative is part of the government’s foreign scholarship scheme which was inaugurated by Governor Abba Yusuf.

Mr Yusuf, who recently hosted a farewell dinner for the first batch of 550 beneficiaries of the scholarship at the Government House, commended ex-governor Rabiu Kwankwaso for introducing the scheme.

It was however gathered that only 418 students were sent abroad for studies, raising questions regarding the whereabouts of the remaining students.

Contacted, the commission’s Public Relations Officer, Kabiru A. Kabiru, confirmed the report, saying the two top officials were interrogated over the alleged scholarship scam.

He said an investigation was ongoing to identify and bring those responsible for the alleged scam to justice.

Mr Kabiru said, “Preliminary investigations uncovered fraudulent activities at the office of the Ministry for Higher Education over the postgraduate students to pursue master’s degrees in India and Uganda.

“We opened an investigation to find out the truth of the matter. Whoever is found to have been involved, will be prosecuted, no matter how highly placed.’’

NAN

Wizkid, the award-winning Nigerian singer, is set to release his new single ‘Piece of My Heart’ on October 18.

The singer announced the release date in a recent Instagram post. He accompanied the post with the caption: “Oct 18th #pieceofmyheart”.

‘Piece of My Heart’ is reportedly a track of ‘Morayo’, Wizkid’s forthcoming album. The singer has been teasing the project for months.

The song also features Brent Faiyaz, the American singer and songwriter.

The Grammy winner has yet to reveal the release date for ‘Morayo’. In March, Wizkid revealed that ‘Morayo’ is not an Afrobeats project.

The singer has been in the news over the past few days after he reignited his rift with Davido — after the ‘Unavailable’ singer announced his first single of 2024.

The ‘Made In Lagos’ hitmaker also taunted Ademola Adeleke, Davido’s uncle who is governor of Osun state.

Born Ayodeji Balogun, Wizkid gained prominence in 2011 when he released his debut album ‘Superstar’.

He has released four additional albums including, ‘Ayo’, ‘Sound From The Other Side’ in 2017, ‘Made In Lagos’ in 2020, and ‘More Love, Less Ego’ in 2022.

The singer has also received numerous recognitions, including a Grammy Award in 2021 for his collaboration with Beyoncé on the hit song ‘Brown Skin Girl’.

‘Made In Lagos’ was recently announced as the most streamed Nigerian album of all time on Apple Music

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has filed a lawsuit against Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), seeking N100 million in damages for the freezing of his accounts since 2019.

Sowore claims that the bank’s action violates his fundamental right to property.

The lawsuit, filed by his lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, at the Federal High Court in Lagos, accuses GTB of freezing Sowore’s accounts without valid justification or prior notice.

Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), opened the accounts in 2015.

He alleged that since 2019, the restrictions on his accounts have caused him significant financial hardship, disrupting his business activities and day-to-day life.

Effiong described the account freezing as unlawful, stating, “The arbitrary freezing of my client’s accounts without due process is not only illegal but also a blatant violation of his fundamental rights.”

Sowore is demanding that GTB immediately unfreeze his accounts and pay N100 million in compensation for the damages caused.

He emphasized that despite multiple complaints and a formal demand letter, the bank has refused to lift the restrictions, leaving him unable to access his funds and forcing him to borrow money to cover his expenses.

The lawsuit outlines that Sowore’s accounts, including his current, savings, and debit card accounts, have been inaccessible since 2019.

The activist is also seeking a court order to prevent GTB from unlawfully interfering with his accounts in the future and to cover the costs of the legal proceedings.

In his statement, Sowore expressed frustration over GTB’s lack of response and the financial embarrassment caused by the restrictions.

He added that the prolonged freeze on his accounts has severely impacted his business operations and personal life.

The charge read, “A Declaration that the Respondent’s act of freezing and restricting the Applicant’s accounts with Account Numbers: (1) 0169510647 (Current Account); (2) 0169510867 (Savings Account); (3) 0169510850 (Current Account); (4) 0171422811 (Master Card/Visa Debit Account Type) and Account Name: Sowore Omoyele Stephen respectively, all domiciled with the Respondent; Guaranty Trust Bank Ltd is unlawful, unconstitutional, null and void and a breach of the Applicant’s right to property guaranteed by the provisions of Section 44 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Article 14 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification And Enforcement) Act LFN 2010.

“An Order of this Honourable Court directing the Respondent to lift the restriction placed on the Applicant’s accounts with Account Numbers: (1) 0169510647 (Current Account); (2) 0169510867 (Savings Account); (3) 0169510850 (Current Account); (4) 0171422811 (Master Card/Visa Debit Account Type) and Account Name: Sowore Omoyele Stephen respectively, all domiciled with the Respondent; Guaranty Trust Bank Ltd.

“An Order of perpetual injunction restraining the Respondent whether by itself, its agents, privies/ or servants from unlawfully interfering with the Applicant’s accounts with Account Numbers: (1) 0169510647 (Current Account); (2) 0169510867 (Savings Account); (3) 0169510850 (Current Account); (4) 0171422811 (Master Card/Visa Debit Account Type) and Account Name: Sowore Omoyele Stephen respectively, all domiciled with the Respondent; Guaranty Trust Bank Ltd.

“An Order of this Honourable Court mandating the Respondent to pay to the Applicant the sum of 100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Million Naira) as general damages for the unlawful freezing of the Applicant’s accounts with Account Numbers: (1) 0169510647 (Current Account); (2) 0169510867 (Savings Account); (3) 0169510850 (Current Account); (4) 0171422811 (Mater Card/Visa Debit Account Type) and Account Name: Sowore Omoyele Stephen respectively, all domiciled with the Respondent; Guaranty Trust Bank Ltd.

“An Order of this Honourable Court mandating the Respondent to pay to the Applicant the cost of prosecuting the instant suit.

“And any other order(s) as the Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance of the case.

“I state for a fact that for years, specifically since 2019, all of the above-listed accounts which I opened with the Respondent have remained frozen, rendered inaccessible and inoperable by the Respondent.

“Up to date, the Respondent has not offered me any satisfactory and formal explanation in respect of the restriction it placed on my accounts.

“I have lodged several complaints yet the Respondent has refused to lift the restrictions placed on my accounts.

“I state for a fact that through my Solicitor, Iboroabasi Ntong, Esq. of Inibehe Effiong Chambers, I wrote a demand letter demanding that the Respondent lift the restrictions placed on my accounts and pay me compensation for the prolonged restrictions placed on my accounts which have incapacitated me from carrying out banking transactions and impeded my legitimate businesses and affairs.

“The demand letter is dated 23rd April, 2024, and it was duly served on the Respondent.”

The case is expected to proceed at the Federal High Court, with Sowore seeking both financial restitution and the restoration of his banking privileges.

The House of Representatives has advanced a bill proposing the establishment of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal University of Nigerian Languages, aimed at promoting the study and preservation of Nigerian languages and culture.

The bill, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and eight other representatives, passed its first reading on Thursday.

The bill outlines that the university will be dedicated to fostering education in Nigerian languages and cultures for students of diverse backgrounds, regardless of race, creed, or political beliefs.

According to Section II, Part I of the bill obtained by Naija News on Saturday, provides that the university when established shall, “Encourage the advancement of learning and to hold out to all persons without distinction of race, creed, sex or political conviction, the opportunity of acquiring a higher education in Nigerian languages and cultures.”

Additionally, the university aims to produce graduates equipped to use Nigerian languages for societal growth and engage in research, innovation, and postgraduate training to help harness Nigeria’s natural and human resources.

It is expected to collaborate with other national institutions engaged in language and cultural studies to advance Nigeria’s linguistic heritage.

Outlined responsibilities include providing Nigerian language training and consultancy services, conducting outreach programs, and supporting in-service training and continuing education.

Section 1(2) of the bill emphasizes that the university’s mandate is to develop professionals skilled in Nigerian languages, enhance communication in local languages for national unity, and support knowledge acquisition in these areas.

The federal institution, when established would also “Act as agents and catalysts, through postgraduate training, research and innovation for the effective and economic utilization, exploitation and conservation of Nigeria’s natural, economic and human resources.

“Establish appropriate relationships with other national institutions involved in training, research and development of Nigerian languages and cultures.

“Provide and promote sound basic training as a foundation for the development of Nigerian languages as well promote and emphasise teaching and research activities around Nigerian languages, including outreach programmes, in-service training, continuing education, and adaptive research,” among others.

The mandate of the university as spelt out in Section 1(2) includes “To teach and train high calibre Nigerian languages professionals.

“Provide Nigerian language services and consultancy.

“Conduct research and participate in outreach and community services and facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and skills in different Nigerian languages.”

The President of Nigeria will serve as the university’s Visitor, with powers to conduct periodic visitations to ensure the institution’s operations align with its objectives.

Section 14(2) mandates that visitations occur at least every five years, allowing the President or designated representatives to examine the university’s activities.

The President who is the visitor to the university, in Section 14 (2), is required to “As often as the circumstances may require, not being less than once every five years, conduct a visitation of the university or direct that such a visitation be conducted by such person or persons as the visitor may deem fit and in respect of any of the affairs of the university.”

Sub-section 3 provides that, “It shall be the duty of the bodies and persons comprising the university to make available to the visitor and to any other person conducting a visitation in pursuance of this section, such facilities and assistance as he or they may reasonably require for the purposes of a visitation.”

Moreover, the President will have authority to dismiss council members, except for the pro-chancellor and vice-chancellor, on grounds of misconduct or inability to fulfill their responsibilities, upon recommendation by the university council.

Section 15 (1) reads, “If it appears to the council that a member of the council (other than the pro-chancellor or the vice-chancellor) should be removed from office on the ground of misconduct or inability to perform the functions of his office or employment, the council shall make a recommendation to that effect through the Minister to the President after making such enquiry, if any, as may be considered appropriate.

“If the President approves the recommendation, he may direct the removal of the person in question from office.”

The bill is expected to move to a second reading in the coming weeks, opening the floor for a public hearing where stakeholders can provide input on the proposed university.