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PASAN/JUSUN Strike: Lagos Assembly urges governors to ensure full-scale autonomy for Judiciary, Legislature

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Eid-el-Fitr: Speaker Obasa Congratulates Muslims, Tasks On Lessons of Ramadan

PASAN/JUSUN Strike: Lagos Assembly urges governors to ensure full-scale autonomy for Judiciary, Legislature.

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– Obasa commends successive governors of Lagos for autonomy

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– Encourages state speakers to remain firm on demand for autonomy

– Says without legislature, there is no democracy

The Lagos State House of Assembly has called on the Nigerian Governors Forum to recognize and activate Executive Order 10 signed by President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2020 granting full-scale autonomy to state legislatures and judiciary.

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The House also commended the striking members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) for remaining resolute on ensuring that the two arms of government enjoy autonomy.

 

 

 

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, who presided over the day’s plenary, appreciated the lawmakers for contributing to the debate raised under ‘matter of urgent public importance by Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti-Osa 2).

 

 

“I commend PASAN at the Lagos State House of Assembly for permitting us to have our own sittings in this hallowed chamber. I  sincerely commend the boldness and sincerity of the purpose of both PASAN and JUSUN.

 

 

“Looking back, I thank and commend the 2003 legislators of this Assembly for initiating the bill that granted us autonomy. I also commend the Governors of Lagos State from Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for sustaining the autonomy of the legislature in the State.

 

 

 

“Lagos is not the only State enjoying autonomy for the legislature currently, Delta State has been granted autonomy.

 

 

 

“We want to use this medium to call on all state governors through the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) to speed up their considerations and implement full-scale financial autonomy.

 

 

 

‘We also call on the State Houses of Assembly through the Speakers Conference to be bold and do what is right and in the eye of the constitution.

 

 

 

 

“We are talking about restructuring and devolution of power, but these should start from the states.

 

 

 

 

“Devolution of power and restructuring should start from home. If that is not done it would be wrong to start telling the Federal Government to share power with states. We appeal to the Governors Forum to start working on the autonomy for the legislature and the judiciary,” Speaker Obasa said, noting that without the legislature there is no democracy.

 

 

 

Raising the motion earlier, Hon. Yishawu urged his colleagues to call on the Conference of Speakers to have the political will to defend their autonomy.

 

 

 

While praising Lagos for ensuring autonomy for the legislature, Yishawu described the action of JUSUN and PASAN as geared towards strengthening democracy.

 

 

He said the governors had nothing to fear about the autonomy being demanded.

Contributing, Hon. Desmond Elliot (Surulere 1) noted that the industrial actions embarked upon by JUSUN and PASAN are in order as lack of autonomy would weaken the other arms of government.

 

 

 

On his part, Hon. Victor Akande (Ojo 1) said
it was appalling to subject any arm of government to ridicule or to the whims and caprices of another arm like it is with the legislature and executive of some states.

 

 

 

He recalled President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that funds should be deducted from the source for states that failed to implement it.

 

 

 

Hon. Femi Saheed (Kosofe 2) argued that the legislature and the judiciary have the right to be independent of the executive as it would make them work effectively.

 

 

 

 

Leader of the House, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade (Ikorodu 1), noted that the budget of a state includes what should go to the other arms of government aside from the executive. He, therefore, wondered why the legislature and the judiciary would be denied financial autonomy.

 

 

 

 

He lamented the impact of the strike actions in the affected states.

Hon. Rasheed Makinde (Ifako/Ijaiye 2) described autonomy as a constitutional matter that is not even supposed to be debated.

 

 

 

He said that it was wrong for anybody to deny the arms of government what they deserved.

 

 

 

For Hon. Setonji David (Badagry 2), “the former American President, Donald Trump did not want to leave office, but the country has strong institutions. The governors should free the legislature and the judiciary.”

 

 

 

Also speaking, Hon. Abdulsobur Olayiwola Olawale (Mushin 2) recalled how the autonomy for the two arms of government was influenced by Speaker Mudashiru Obasa while he was the Chairman of the Conference of Speakers.

 

 

He noted that separation of power could only come when the three arms of government are independent.

 

 

Hon. Olumuyiwa Jimoh (Apapa 2) said what the other arms currently suffer was initiated by the military.

 

 

“The military has really destroyed the system, which is why the people think that it is only the executive arm of government that is important. Even the proclamation of the legislature by the executive arm of government is something that should be looked into,” he said.

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Governor Fubara Cries Out

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Governor Fubara Cries Out

 

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Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has alleged that there are fresh plans to cripple his government.

 

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Fubara disclosed this during a meeting with members of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions at the government house, Port-Harcourt.

 

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The governor noted that leadership and respect is not earned by force.

 

He maintained it is the character and style of a leader that will encourage and engender the love and respect of the majority of the people.

 

 

Fubara noted that governance is solely about the interest of the people and leaving behind, good legacies; warning that power, no matter how long it is wielded will sure come to an end one day.

 

 

The federal lawmakers who were in the state to carry out an assignment thought it wise to visit the Governor and give him a few words of encouragement before they leave town.

Governor Fubara told them that as far as he was concerned there is no political crisis in the state.

Fibara declared that he will never buckle under any pressure especially the deliberate attempts being made to cripple his government.

Leadership, according to him, is about the touching the lives of the people positively.

“He added that the love and respect of the people can never be earned by force or intimidation.

Governor Fubara maintained that he would continue to empower the people and focus on building good legacies in the state.

Governor Fubara also used the opportunity to call on the National Assembly to defend what is right and speak out when things go wrong.

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Billionaire, Arthur Eze Advocates For Tinubu

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Billionaire, Arthur Eze Advocates For Tinubu

Billionaire, Arthur Eze Advocates For Tinubu

 

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Billionaire, Arthur Eze, has urged Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu while praising his inclusive approach to governance.

 

 

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He made the remarks in a video widely shared on social media, which showed him donating N20m to a church.

Billionaire, Arthur Eze Advocates For Tinubu

 

Eze said, “Tinubu has no boundary. If you go to Abuja, you will see Wike, an Igbo man as a minister. Umahi is Igbo man, as minister. No boundaries. All the types of people we want.

 

 

 

“So this Nigeria, after eight years, it will change. It has started changing. Now, I beg everybody to support him before we die.”

 

 

This is not the first time the billionaire has praised the Tinubu administration.

In October 2023, speaking at the Holy Mass to mark the 65th birthday of Rev Fr Patrick Alumuku at St Louis Catholic Church, EFAB Global Estate, Mbora, Abuja, Eze said the appointments of ministers and heads of agencies by Tinubu was fair.

“The President has been fair in his appointments to the three major regions; the East, West, and North. Nigerians should support the President as he continues his transformational agenda,” Eze said.

 

 

 

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Bayelsa State Government pledges free land to FHA.

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Bayelsa State Government pledges free land to FHA.

Bayelsa State Government pledges free land to FHA.
…As the Managing Director/Chief Executive, Hon Oyetunde Ojo visits the state.

 

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The Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency Senator Douye Diri has pledged to make land available to the Federal Housing Authority free of charge to support the Renewed Hope Agenda programme of President Ahmed Tinubu.
This was disclosed Friday, 3rd May 2024 when when the Managing Director and Chief Executive, Hon Oyetunde Ojo paid him a courtesy visit.

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Bayelsa State Government pledges free land to FHA.

The FHA Chief Executive had in his address told the governor that his team was in Bayelsa state in continuation of the Authority’s nation wide consultation with State governments in preparation for the take off President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda programme on Housing.
Hon Ojo said Bayelsa was the 18th state FHA.consulting and taking the message of President Tinubu to in about 3 weeks. He reminded the Governor that Mr President from his campaign manifesto had made the provision of affordable housing to Nigerians a priority.
The MD said that the new FHA management he is leading, in playing a prominent role in the realization of this agenda has resolved to consult all the States in the country.
He reiterated that the Authority would no longer engage in any housing project without consulting with the people the houses are being built for. In his words, ” … gone are the days we will sit in Abuja and decide what to build for the people”.
Hon Ojo told Governor Diri that the state governors as the custodians of land in the states are so crucial in the provision of affordable houses and are also in the best position to know the exact housing needs of their people.
He therefore told the Governor that FHA has come to ask for land from the state for the Renewed Hope Housing programme. Continuing, the MD said, “… we have come to ask for land to develop. We are not going to speculate. We will sit with your people to design the houses to your taste because you know the .culture of the people “.
Hon Ojo underlined the need to carry along the people in any housing project from the beginning to give the the desired sense of ownership. This he said is the antidote to the issue of houses not taken on completion.
On the models and affordability, the MD re – echoed the Authority’s stance on carcas, where only the exterior, electrical and plumbing would be provided and finishing left for the people. He used the opportunity to once more condemn imposing finishing on the people, a matter that adds to unaffordability of houses.
He noted that the Authority also would build Studio apartments and One Bedrooms in consideration of the youths and those starting life.
The FHA CEO also hinted on the Diaspora City initiative, where Nigerians living abroad would have befitting houses back home and saved from fraudsters.
FHA Hon Oyetunde noted is known for developing cities within cities. The value chain benefits of Housing and construction he noted leads economic growth through job creation and is used all over the world to fight inflation.
Finally, he asked for the collaboration of the state government in providing off takers for the project and granting waivers to the Authority which would reduce the cost and aid affordability.
The State Governor, His Excellency Senator Douye Diri in his response appreciated the MD and his team for the pragmatic style of leadership in FHA. He stated that he gas following the Authority’s tour of states in the country for consultation, noting that is the way to go..
He decried what he called the attitude of some government officials who stay in Abuja and take decisions for the people.
In his words ‘:..most officers in Federal Government stay in Abuja and take decisions for others”.
He said that the Authority’s decision of consulting with the people should be the standard practice. By consultations, the Authority would have avoided lots of factors that can impede project delivery. “This should be the standard of every Federal Government officer”, he stated.

Governor Diri who expressed happi

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