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OGUN: LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION AND IGR By Michael-Azeez Ogunsiji
Democracy in Nigeria today, is no longer peoples oriented as opined by the progenitors of this concept; rather, what we have now is AUTOCRACY where only the few enjoy the dividends through the workforce of the majority and amass wealth for their selfish interest and personal gain.
Few months back, there was much ado about the establishment of additional 37 LCDAs by Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State as the development was greeted with mixed reactions.
While many argued that, the establishment of such would only further impoverish the state owing to the fact that the existing 20 Local Government Authority were inadequately funded, government hinged its claim on bringing development to the grassroot.
Though, the intention of Governor Amosun was political, but of course, bringing government to the doorstep of the people will aid development, no doubt about that, our fear of the LCDAs is inadequate funding in this situation that the state government has taken over the Local Government account all in the name of Single Treasury Joint Account. I make bold to say that, such move was a ruse and will only hamper the activities of the Local government.
A local government is a local administration under which local communities are organized to maintain law and order. It is also defined as a non-self governing body set up by an act of Parliament, a decree, or by the Constitution to administer a territory or a political entity for the benefit of a stronger government which normally cannot or does not want to rule the area directly.
Local Governments have been described as “the strength of free nations” because of their effective control of Local affairs for the good of all.
Local Government in traditional Nigerian political systems was established through the instrumentalities of traditional authorities. These were Emirs, Obas, Chiefs, Age-grades and Council of elders. It was the societal interaction of these traditional political institutions that authoritative allocation of values were made for the society. With the advent of British colonial rule in Nigeria, the chieftaincy institutions were involved in the system of Local government called the indirect rule.
Indirect rule is a system of government in which the British ruled the people through traditional rulers according to the native laws and customs. When the indirect rule collapsed due to the Aba women riot in 1929, local government after the civil war underwent reforms in Nigeria.
The Eastern (East Central and South-eastern states) and Mid-Western states adopted a one-tier local government system called Divisional Councils. In the local divisions, emphasis was placed on decentralization, democratization, efficiency and effectiveness of the councils.
However, as the Federal military government prepared to hand over power to civilians, it reformed the local government system throughout the country in 1976. It recognized local governments as the third tier of government.
The 1976 reform was intended to stimulate democratic self-government and to encourage initiative and leadership potential and enshrine the principle of political responsibility. But today in Ogun State, Governor Ibikunle Amosun administration doesn’t give a damn to the existence of Local government authority.
Instead of empowering the 20 local governments with their respective allocations to effectively discharge its obligation to the people, the APC administration in Ogun State has crippled the LG with inadequate fund, but created additional 37 LCDAs to serve his selfish objectives.
With such inappropriate establishment, one begin to wonder how the governor will finance them considering the low income of Federal allocation for local government.
Even in the face of the global economy doldrums which Nigeria is not an exception to, definitely such effect will take its toll on federal allocation to State governments down to local government, that is why local government administrators have been constitutionally empowered to generate revenue to execute its projects.
Local governments in Nigeria derive their revenue from internally generated revenue, statutory allocation from states, constitutional allocation from the federal government account, grants, donations and advances from banks.
Part of the internally generated revenue of the local government include; rates imposed on the use of specific items whether individually or government owned. These rates include water rate, tenement rate, capitation rate and motorcycle rate.
Another means of generating fund by the local government to remain independent is motor Park and stallage fees. Others include, registration of births, marriages, deaths and house numbering. But today, Governor Amosun in his megalomania style of leadership overthrew the responsibility of the local government and rendered them stagnant and under performing
The motor Park fees is now being collected by the governor’s political thug, Mr. Akeem Adeosun a.k.a Jango, while house numbering and signages fee collection is now being handled by a private agency connected to the governor.
Little wonder the rural settlers are deprived of the basic amenities expected from the local government such as, road maintenance, refuse clearing, provision of portable water like borehole, environmental sanitation, public enlightenment on new government policies, provision of health facilities, job creation, provision of primary education among others.
Infact, allocation from both federal government account and state government as approved by the State House of Assembly are now allegedly being controlled by Mr. Governor himself.
Though, one valid claim from one of the Governor’s aides was that, there were allegations and counter allegations on the local government leadership ranging from financial misappropriation, under performance and financial embezzlement, but one critical question the good people of Ogun State should ask Mr. Governor or any of his spokespersons is that, why is it that the Federal government has not taken over the affairs of the state despite allegations of corruption, misplaced priority projects? Why is Ogun State Government taking over LG activities in Ogun?
Another heart pondering issue on the shredded part of the LG is the issue of local government elections. One of the basic features of the 1976 local government reform in Nigeria is tenure of office.
The local government councilors are to be elected on a three-year basis. The normal life of a local government Council is also three years, although, the governor of a state could order the dissolution of the council if found incapable of discharging its functions effectively. The Governor may appoint a caretaker committee pending a fresh election. But after one year in office and the dissolution of the local government caretaker committee across the 20 functional Council areas, no plan as it is by the state government to conduct an election into the council areas.
The Governor’s decision of not conducting local government election in the state maybe connected to public outcry over the failed promises and hardship inflicted on the people by the APC government in the state, hence, the fear of losing the council areas to oppositions in the state remain the beginning of wisdom for the governor.
However, the constitution remains the grundnom for governance in Nigeria, and many informed political analysts are of the opinion that the Governor Ibikunle Amosu led regime cannot afford to run foul of constitutional provisions on tenure of caretaker executives at the local government and as such must prepare to hold elections soonest in consonance with extant constitutional provisions.
NNPCL and Corruption’s Final Throes
By Pius Olasanmi
In the twilight of the Obasanjo administration, when Nigerians were still capable of being outraged, when Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of refineries was a buzzword that still held some mysticism to bamboozle citizens, during a conversation, a certain man said something profound. The man said, “As a businessman, if I were the owner of these refineries, knowing that they are three decades old, I would take the last money I have, hire bulldozers, raze them to the ground, and obtain loans to build new ones.”
When we pressed him further on why he would engage in such waste, he explained that repairing the refineries is the real waste. He explained that even if the TAM were honestly carried out, a thirty-year-old refinery would never compete favourably with a new one that would integrate contemporary technology. Operating at its best, such a refinery would never be comparatively more efficient. It is therefore pointless to have spent another one naira on the refineries at that point.
A few months later, I had a conversation with a then-lawmaker on an entirely different matter. I mentioned that the National Assembly has failed by not crafting legislation that would criminalise and punish public office holders who foist wrong decisions on the country. The logic: a public office holder need not steal to be punished, wrong decisions should attract penalties for an office holder who opts for the worst of all options when there are less injurious ones.
These established premises speak to the ongoing nauseating efforts at revisionism by those who wrecked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its previous iteration, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Notably, this campaign to rewrite history is traceable to Engineer Mele Kolo Kyari, the disgraced immediate past Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL and his hirelings. They have suffocated the news and the public opinion space with even more lies than they spun while in office.
The Saint Kyari campaign is anchored on convincing Nigerians that the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries were fully functional when he was booted out of office. So brazen is the campaign that one of its talking heads challenged the group chief executive officer (GCEO), Engr. Bayo Ojulari, to “inform Nigerians categorically what happened to the functioning refineries he inherited from his predecessor, Engr. Mele Kyari.” The effrontery.
We have not forgotten so soon the charade that followed the baffling claim that Nigeria has spent $2.8 billion on the repair of the refineries, while they are not churning out even a single litre of refined product among them. Saint Kyari and his goons played all manner of tricks, all of which embarrassed President Bola Tinubu, who had counted on ticking off the return to productivity of the refineries as part of his achievements, only to realise that he was deceived into celebrating phantoms. Tragic.
Lest we forget, 200 trucks were arranged as props in a well-directed video clip to celebrate the re-streaming of the Port Harcourt Refinery. The disappointment. Nigerians were to learn from several reports that the Port Harcourt refinery was not producing and was instead using old, stored petroleum products to load trucks. Worse still, the Kyari crew was passing off sanction-tainted Russian-sourced crude oil refined in Malta as locally refined products. More insult was piled on the assault on our collective sensibility with the lies that the Port Harcourt Refinery exported semi-finished products. Brazen.
Meanwhile, Kyari and his hirelings called those who pointed out or protested these glaring scams all manner of names. They hid behind industry technicalities and jargon to create the impression that those of us who knew Nigerians were being robbed did not understand what we were saying. The point remains that a $2.8 billion investment can potentially build a refinery with a capacity of around 100,000 barrels per day (bpd). Of course, the actual capacity of such a refinery will depend on various factors, including the complexity of the refinery, the technology used, and the location. That is the amount that Kyari’s regime at the NNPCL took and did not give Nigerians refined products.
Fast forward to Kyari’s sack and the appointment of Engineer Bayo Ojulari, who has demonstrated that things can indeed be done differently. Kyari’s exit was expectedly followed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) going after him and his associates. The extent of the theft is better understood against the backdrop of N80 billion being found in the bank account of one of his associates. They went on the run.
Perhaps because the EFCC was biding its time on securing international warrants for the arrests of these characters on the lam, they have become emboldened. They have decided to fight back and rewrite the story of their participation in the greatest fraud against Nigerians. Engineer Ojulari’s renewed mindset, which is entrenching a semblance of the transparency Nigerians demand, became their natural target. The demons that once roamed around the corporation came out with malevolence. They started spinning stories of corruption to tarnish the incumbent who refused to hide their crimes. The objective: bring Ojulari down. But alas, he is winning the war as it stands.
His innocence is proven, and it is glaring that those who want him out are mere charlatans who can no longer ply their corrupt wares because of the impact of the new reforms. Corruption in the NNPCL is in its final throes. The fake news being unleashed against the incumbent leadership is akin to corruption’s last kicks as reforms in the sector strangulate it and its practitioners. The reforms must take place in the NNPCL, whether the industry demons like it or not.
As a parting shot, Kyari and his associates would do well to prepare their defence. In addition to accounting for the $2.8 billion they laundered in the name of repairing the moribund refineries, they must also answer for the poor decision to fix that which is irretrievably broken. Awarding contracts for Turn Around Maintenance of 59-year-old refineries that a right-thinking person had suggested should be demolished almost twenty years ago, when they were only 30 years old, is criminal. Trying to deceive Nigerians that the fake repairs worked is treason.
Olasanmi is a public affairs analyst writing from Lagos.
GRANDIS 5STAR LUXURY APARTMENT & SUITES SET TO REDEFINE LIVING IN VICTORIA ISLAND
Set to Rise elegantly against the Lagos skyline, is the Grandis 5Star Luxury Apartment & Suites. According to Adejuwon Ademola, The General Manager of the Development company, it is more than just a residential building
“it’s a lifestyle statement. Standing 17 floors high in the heart of Victoria Island, this revolutionary masterpiece of modern architecture will offer a panoramic 360° view of Eko Atlantic, Victoria Island, and Ikoyi, transforming every apartment into an exclusive penthouse experience for the world’s most discerning elite.”
Developed by Dumarco Construction Limited, a globally acclaimed company with decades of delivering complex, high-value projects in the highly regulated petroleum, oil, and gas industries, Grandis 5Star brings unmatched international safety standards, uncompromising quality, and timeless elegance into Nigeria’s luxury property market.
> “When you live in Grandis, you’re not just buying a home—you’re investing in peace of mind, world-class safety, and an effortless luxury experience that will remain pristine for decades,” says Adejuwon A. Ademola, General Manager of Dumarco Construction Limited.
The Gold Standard in Safety and Quality
Dumarco’s roots in the oil and gas sector mean the company operates to some of the strictest safety protocols in the world. Every stage—from conceptualization, design, construction, to long-term maintenance—follows internationally accepted procedures and quality assurance measures. Cutting corners is simply not in Dumarco’s vocabulary.
> “In the oil and gas industry, there’s no room for compromise. We’ve brought that same discipline and zero-tolerance for mediocrity into property development,” says Ademola. “That’s why Grandis will be one of the safest and most enduring residential developments in Nigeria.”
To ensure transparency and prevent (project complacency), Dumarco deliberately separates the developer, contractor, and consultant roles, engaging only the most competent professionals in each respective field. Dumarco’s project team includes globally recognized contractors such as Julius Berger, Cappa & D’Alberto, and Elalan, Migliore Construczione & Tecniche (MC&T) and their partners VENCO IMTIAZ CONTRACTING COMPANY (VICC) based in Dubai, UAE, Business Contracting Limited, alongside leading consultants like Morgan Omanitan & Abe, LAMBERT, and James Cubitt.
Grandis – Investments, appreciation, returns and profitability
Our selection process for the location of the project alone was pains-taking and completely thorough scientific process. Top professional companies were employed to conduct a scientific data acquisition and analytical survey of the entire Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki and Eko Atlantic before a project site is selected. Analyzing and acquiring areas developmental charts and trends, studying and gathering historical and present sale prices, rental charge and occupancy rates over a 50 year period from every individual street before the selection of the location of any of our developments especially true for the Grandis Project
He adds,
“Our clients and residents can be rest assured that the location of Grandis has been scientifically proven through all existing data to provide our clients with a 100% occupancy rate, highest developmental location, highest rental income and investment returns. ”
The Grandis Experience
Located minutes away from international corporate headquarters, embassies, and landmarks such as Eko Hotel, Radisson Blu, and the Radisson Red, Grandis offers unmatched convenience for professionals, diplomats, and high-net-worth individuals. Every residence is designed for both indulgence and efficiency, with high-grade finishes, smart-home systems, and private amenities that ensure seamless living.
From sunrise over the Atlantic to the glittering Lagos night skyline, residents will enjoy uninterrupted luxury, supported by discreet and highly trained staff, advanced security systems, and a design that prioritizes comfort and privacy.
> “We designed Grandis for people who want everything—security, elegance, convenience, and the assurance that their home will look as spectacular in 20 years as it does on day one,” Ademola notes.
A Legacy That Lasts
With its combination of visionary architecture, peerless safety, and meticulous maintenance planning, Grandis is built to remain iconic for generations. Thanks to Dumarco’s meticulous approach, the building’s service charges are expected to remain low while its value and appeal continue to appreciate over time.
In a market often marred by shortcuts and substandard practices, Mr Ademola says
Grandis stands as a beacon of what luxury living should be—safe, spectacular, and built to last.
“Grandis 5Star Luxury Apartment & Suites — Where safety meets sophistication, and every detail is designed for a life well-lived.”
He added
Website -www.dumarcoltd.com
Project website – www.26idowutaylor.com
Email [email protected]
Tel / WhatsApp +234 9077777883
GM – Adejuwon A. Ademola
celebrity radar - gossips
Nationwide Talent, One Broadcaster: Tinubu Picks Pedro, Bello, Din, Mohammed to Lead NTA
Tinubu Overhauls NTA Leadership: Media Powerhouse Rotimi Pedro Takes Helm as DG
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced a major shake-up at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), appointing renowned media executive Rotimi Richard Pedro as the new Director-General in a move widely seen as a bold step toward modernising the state broadcaster.
Pedro, a Lagos native, brings nearly 30 years of expertise in broadcasting, sports rights, and marketing communications across Africa, the UK, and the Middle East. A trained entertainment and intellectual property lawyer, he also holds an MSc in Investment Management and Finance from City University Business School, London.
In 1995, Pedro founded Optima Sports Management International (OSMI), which rose to become one of Africa’s leading sports content providers—distributing premium events such as the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Cup, and CAF competitions to audiences in over 40 countries.
His career highlights include top roles at Bloomberg Television Africa and Rapid Blue Format, as well as advisory work for FIFA, UEFA, Fremantle Media, and the African Union of Broadcasters (AUB). At the AUB, he was instrumental in securing exclusive pan-African free-to-air media rights for all CAF competitions.
Alongside Pedro’s appointment, Tinubu named Karimah Bello from Katsina State as Executive Director of Marketing, Stella Din from Plateau State as Executive Director of News, and Sophia Issa Mohammed from Adamawa State as Managing Director of NTA Enterprises Limited.
Industry insiders credit Pedro with building commercially viable broadcast platforms, driving sponsorship growth, and delivering world-class content to African audiences. His appointment marks one of the most significant leadership changes at NTA in years—signalling the government’s intent to strengthen the broadcaster’s competitiveness in a fast-evolving media landscape.
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