Lagos Assembly To Hold Second Public Hearing On LG Administration Bill

– invites Attorney-General for interpretation of Supreme Court judgment

Sahara Weekly Reports That The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday agreed to conduct another public hearing on a bill that seeks to review the Local Government Administration law of the state.

The House also invited the Attorney-General of the State, Lawal Pedro, for an interpretation of the recent Supreme Court judgment on financial autonomy for local governments.

The resolutions came at a sitting presided over by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa.

Dr. Obasa said the review of the Local Government Administration law is not aimed at scrapping the LCDAs but to further strengthen them.

“I agree on the need for us to schedule a second allotted day for the public hearing,” the Speaker said while adding that he had been inundated with calls by people who wanted to know the fate of the LCDAs.

“We are not scrapping the LDCAs. Rather, what we are trying to do is to look at the recent Supreme Court judgment in terms of Lagos and local governments’ joint account and fashion out a way where the parent local governments and the LDCAs work together without the LDCAs being shortchanged,” he added.

The Speaker also agreed on the need to work on the formal listing of the LCDAs by the National Assembly.

“Kano has 44 local governments, and out of Kano, Jigawa was created and has 27,” he said as he suggested a review of the revenue-sharing formula by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

Chairman of the Committee on Local Government, Hon. Sanni Okanlawon, had while reporting on the public hearing earlier conducted by the committee, said that many of the stakeholders invited for the event could not make it.

He attributed the poor attendance to the weather condition of the day just as he prayed the House to approve a second allotted day for the exercise.

Supporting Hon. Okanlawon’s request, his colleague, Hon. Ladi Ajomale said: “A lot of people are saying they do not understand what is going on and maybe the government is trying to wipe some people out of the local government system,” he said.

He also called for a liaison and better collaboration with the National Assembly to make the upper legislature understand why the LDCAs should be listed as substantive local governments.

On his part, Hon. Desmond Elliot noted that because of the size of Lagos in terms of population and its economic importance to Nigeria, it was imperative to work for the listing of the LCDAs.

“Anambra state has 21 local governments, and it is nowhere close to what Lagos has in terms of resources, economic importance, and dividends of democracy,” he said.

Eromosele Ebhomele

Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

My mum forcing me into prostitution, Delta schoolgirl alleges

A 15-year-old school girl in Delta State, Emmanuella Monday, has cried out for help from her hideout, after escaping from a man who her mother allegedly gave her to, urging relevant authorities to rescue her from her ‘abusive’ mother who she accused of allegedly trying to force her into child prostitution in exchange for money.

Emmanuella, who claims to be in Senior Secondary School 2 at Triumphant School, Effurun, in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, alleged that her biological mother had contracted her to unnamed men to take sexual advantage of her.

This was contained in a video sighted by our correspondent in Warri where the girl specifically stated that her mother took her to meet a man in a hotel on Sunday and thereafter eloped after dropping her off with the man.

Emmanuella said, “My mother has been taking me to men. And last Sunday, after church, she took me to meet a man in a hotel.  She left and said that she was coming back. She did not come back till the evening, and left me there.”

Emmanuella told PUNCH Metro that her mother took her to one Beeland Hotel at Orhuworun Road, Udu Local Government Area of Delta State “to meet an Aboki man and said she was coming back, and till it was late, she didn’t return.”

The girl informed PUNCH Metro that she however “managed to escape from the hotel room, when the Aboki man went to have a bath.”

But she deposed that she consequently became infuriated and refused to go back to the house.

She added, “So, on getting out of the hotel room, I did not go to the house again. I managed to find my way to a friend’s house and stayed with that family overnight. On Monday morning, I went to school and reported the matter to my teacher. And my teacher said she was going to do something about the matter.”

Emmanuella added, “This is not the first time my mother is taking me out to go and meet different men. And she is always concerned about me and marriage.”

When contacted on the phone, Emmanuella’s mother, Mrs. Eunice Asulie, told our correspondent that her daughter had been missing from home, adding that she had “been searching for her.”

She said, “My daughter, Emmanuella, has been missing for days and I have been searching for her everywhere and could not find her.  I don’t know her whereabouts. I am looking for her.”

Speaking further, the mother stated that she had reported the matter to the police at the division close to them and the police were also searching for her.

The proprietress of Triumphant Schools, Mrs Magareth  Oghuvwu, explained how Emmanuella got to school on Monday amidst sobs, narrating her ordeals in the hands of her own mother who, she said, wanted to force her into prostitution.

Oghuvwu posited that the school management thereafter contacted law enforcement agents on the matter.

@PUNCHNG

AANI CONGRATULATES AMBASSADOR HARUNA GINSAU mni ON HIS APPOINTMENT AS BOARD CHAIRMAN, NORTH WEST DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

The National President of the Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI), Ambassador EO Okafor mni, on behalf of the National Executive Committee and the entire AANI family, heartily congratulates Ambassador Haruna Ginsau mni, SEC 32, 2010, on his well-deserved appointment as the Board Chairman of the newly established North West Development Commission (NWDC).

This appointment bears eloquent testimony to Ambassador Ginsau mni’s long-standing dedication to public service and national development, as well as his sterling leadership, which he has demonstrated over the decades both in Nigeria and across the globe. His illustrious career in the Nigerian Foreign Service, where he served with distinction in various capacities, including as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Algeria and Sudan, as well as his leadership and excellent performances in Jigawa State and the National Assembly, have prepared him for this critical responsibility. His wealth of experience, passion for development, and unflinching commitment to the progress of our nation and humanity, make him exceptionally suited for this important responsibility.

AANI is extremely proud of Ambassador Ginsau mni’s achievements and his continued contributions to the nation. Therefore, we are confident that under his leadership, the NWDC will thrive and fulfil its mandate to drive sustainable growth and development in the northwest geo-political region of our great country. AANI pledges its full support to him as he takes up this onerous responsibility ensuring that he succeeds in this endeavour and service to humanity.

We also extend our profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and his administration for recognising merit and competence in appointing Ambassador Haruna Ginsau mni. This appointment once again highlights the quality and excellence that AANI members continue to demonstrate in service to our great country.

The AANI family wish Ambassador Haruna Ginsau mni God’s guidance, wisdom, and success in this new noble undertaking.

Brigadier General SK Usman (rtd) mni fnipr fapra fnarc FIOARM fspsp
Sarkin Yakin Kanwan Katsina
AANI National Publicity Secretary
Sunday, 20th October 2024