The Supreme Court, on Thursday morning, ruled that it is unconstitutional for state governors to withhold funds budgeted for local government administrations.
The court held that the Federal Government should pay any money standing to the credit of the Local Governments in the Federation directly to the Local Government Areas managed by democratically elected officials.
READ ALSO:Supreme Court to rule on local council autonomy Thursday
Justice Emmanuel Agim, in a lead judgement, on the historic ruling also held that it is unconstitutional for state governments to retain and use allocation meant for the LGAs on their behalf without transferring the same to them as provided in Section 162(3) of the Constitution.
The apex court’s judgement followed a suit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, seeking full autonomy for the 744 LGAs in the country.
More to come…
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Supreme Court in historic ruling grants local govts full financial autonomy
UK-US relations ‘stronger than ever’ – PM Keir Starmer
UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has said that the special relationship with the US remains stronger than ever.
Starmer stated this when he met with the US President Joe Biden.
According to the BBC, the new prime minister met President Biden for the first time at NATO’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington just hours before their private talks in the Oval Office.
The new UK Prime Minister said his first face-to-face talks with President Biden were an opportunity to recommit to NATO and the special relationship between the UK and US.
Speaking with journalists in the White House, Starmer reiterated the importance of the special relationship, saying that it was forged in difficult circumstances, endured for so long, and stronger now than ever.
On his part, President Biden described the US and UK as the best of allies, saying that the UK was the transatlantic knot that ties NATO together with its European members.
The meeting comes as Starmer is looking to form a new security pact with EU nations to strengthen co-operation on defence.
The two leaders’ meeting came as Nato agreed further support for Ukraine at the Washington summit.
Starmer also confirmed that the UK’s £3bn a year military aid for Kyiv would continue.
President Biden said “things are moving in the right direction, I’m feeling really optimistic”.
UK-US relations ‘stronger than ever’ – PM Keir Starmer
Flooding, winds batter South Africa’s Cape Town
Several areas of Cape Town were flooded Thursday after heavy winter rains and gale-force winds battered the city, ripping off roofs from homes and damaging thousands of makeshift dwellings, South African officials said.
The City’s Disaster Operations Centre said informal settlements around the city, including the major township of Khayelitsha, had been particularly affected by the flooding.
Several roads, including major highways, were flooded and there were concerns about rising water levels at dams.
“We are working on between 14,000-15,000 structures that have been affected but that number keeps changing,” provincial disaster management centre spokesman, Wouter Kriel, told AFP.
“Some are houses, some are structures… including informal settlements which have been badly affected,” he said.
An AFP correspondent saw several houses that had lost their roofs in strong winds that also bent power lines, with electricity outages reported in several areas.
Cape Town resident Sammy Gelord said the wind ripped off the roof of his home in the Wynberg suburb.
“I never saw something like that in my life — it just took the roof and everything,” he told AFP.
The Western Cape education department ordered dozens of schools across the city and other parts of the province to close Thursday because of severe weather warnings in place until Friday.
The South African Weather Service warned that “disruptive rain leading to flooding and possible mudslides” was expected for Cape Town as well as the Drakenstein and Stellenbosch areas beyond the city.
Several cold fronts have battered the region over the past few days, with mountainous areas experiencing rare heavy snowfalls. Authorities reported at the weekend that the extreme weather had left thousands of people homeless.
The Western Cape provincial government has appealed to national authorities for emergency aid.
AFP
Nigerian lawmakers launch yet another probe into influx of illegal firearm
Nigeria’s House of Representatives, on Wednesday, announced a probe into the alleged surge of illegal firearm imports, raising concerns about national security and potential links to criminal activity.
This move comes after the recent seizure of a massive cache of weapons at the Onne Port in Rivers State.
In early July 2024, Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) officials intercepted a 40-foot container containing over 800 rifles and a significant amount of ammunition. This seizure highlighted the vulnerability of Nigeria’s borders and the potential for illegal arms trafficking.
The House Committee on Customs and Excise will spearhead the investigation. The committee chairman, Leke Abejide, has emphasized the need to scrutinize activities within bonded terminals and free trade zones, which are often seen as potential loopholes for smuggling.
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Abejide said, “We will scrutinise the operations of the bonded terminals to identify and eliminate any illegal activities and those found to be non-compliant with regulations will face severe consequences, including possible closure.”
He added that it was necessary to prevent the free zones from becoming havens for illicit activities that threaten the nation’s security and economic health.
“This committee is committed to working closely with the Nigeria Customs Service and other relevant authorities to enforce strict measures and restore integrity to the bonded terminals and free trade zones while ensuring that they serve their intended purpose of facilitating legitimate trade and contributing to the growth and prosperity of our nation,” Abejide added.
The influx of illegal firearms poses a significant threat to Nigeria’s security. These weapons can easily end up in the hands of criminal organizations, fueling violence, kidnappings, and armed robberies. The readily available firearms can also exacerbate intercommunal conflicts and social unrest.
The probe will likely delve deeper into the source of these illegal imports and the networks facilitating them. Investigating potential corruption within border security and the involvement of international arms traffickers will be crucial.
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Ukraine relies on allies as Russia strikes power grid
With Russian attacks on energy infrastructure causing power cuts, Ukraine is depending on its central and eastern European neighbours to keep the lights on.
Ukraine in recent weeks has resorted to consumption restrictions and rolling blackouts after Russian forces stepped up attacks on the country’s power stations and transmission lines.
Thankfully, Ukraine got connected to the European power grid literally hours before the invasion started in February 2022 after preparing for the move since 2017.
It was initially planned as a brief test of autonomous operation, which required it to disconnect from the Russian grid, but it never reconnected as Russian forces invaded.
Instead, it joined the western network at record speed, which then-EU energy commissioner Kadri Simson hailed as “a year’s work in two weeks”.
Ukraine’s electricity imports from neighbours Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have been growing steadily for months as Russian attacks on its power system have intensified.
In June, the imports amounted to 858.3 gigawatt-hours (GWh), a growth of 91 percent over May, said the Kyiv-based consultancy ExPro.
Hungary topped the June imports with almost 42 per cent of the total amount.
Slovak grid operator SEPS told AFP it had raised power exports to Ukraine from 2.6 GWh in full-year 2023 to almost 40 GWh in January-May this year.
On the other hand, both countries have refused to provide military aid to Ukraine as they foster friendly ties with Russia.
The imports based on bilateral agreements have enabled Ukraine to limit power cuts to certain hours of the day.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s domestic production is shrinking. The Green Deal Ukraine think tank has said the country produced 96,800 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of power in 2023, down from 103,800 GWh in 2022.
In 2021, before the invasion, Ukraine produced almost 158,000 GWh, according to the International Energy Agency.
– ‘Eroding’ defence –
The US-based Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) quoted analyst Maciej Bukowski as saying the dwindling supply was “eroding Ukraine’s defensive capabilities and directly threatening its security”.
“Essential infrastructure is crippled, which reduces civilian and economic resilience,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in June that Russia targeted the sector “to influence and subjugate nations”.
former Minister of State for Education
The late former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, is to be laid to rest in his hometown of Oginibo, Ughievwen Kingdom in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State on Friday, July 12, 2024.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman of the Burial Planning Committee, Chief Emmanuel Avworo, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri on Thursday.
Gbagi, who was Delta State Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections, died on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at the age of 62 years.
According to the statement, proceedings will commence with a Vigil Mass at his country home in Oginibo town on Thursday at 4 pm.
The burial ceremony is scheduled for Friday, starting with the Liturgy of the Word at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Oginibo, followed by the interment and entertainment of guests at his country home.
The statement urged friends, family members, political and business associates as well as members of the public, to attend the ceremonies and pay their respects to the late Gbagi, who was described as “one of the finest figures of the Urhobo nation”.
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Insecurity: Zamfara bans motorcycle riders from operating at night
The Zamfara State Government has banned night movement of motorcycles from 6pm to 6am due to the insecurity ravaging the entire state.
This was contained in a press statement issued by the Senior Special Adviser on Media (Broadcast), Jaafaru Mustapha Kaura, and made available to newsmen in Gusau, the state capital.
According to the statement, Governor Dauda Lawal said that the measure was taken at the security meeting held at the Government House in Gusau.
The statement further indicated that the governor expressed dismay over the continuous banditry activities in the state, stating that his administration is implementing formidable strategies to address the insecurity issue in the state.
He, however, commended the military and security agencies for their efforts in fighting the bandits, urging them to redouble their efforts.
Recall that the immediate past governor of the state, now a minister, Bello Mohammed, had during his tenure banned motorcycle riders from operating at night, yet it didn’t produce any beneficial results.
The former governor also shut down telecommunication networks across the state to arrest the situation, but nothing worked out as expected.
Insecurity: Zamfara bans motorcycle riders from operating at night
Supreme Court grants LGs financial autonomy
11th July 2024
The Supreme Court declared on Thursday that it is unconstitutional for state governors to hold funds allocated to Local Government administrations.
In its lead judgement read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court said the 774 local government councils in the country should manage their funds themselves.
More details later…
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BREAKING: Supreme Court orders Nigerian govt to pay local government funds directly
The Supreme Court has ordered all state governors to henceforth steer clear of the funds meant for the 774 local government areas of the country.
The apex court ruled that the control of local government areas funds by states is unconstitutional.
TVN recalls that Justice Garba Mohammed Lawal had on Thursday, June 13, reserved judgment in the suit and announced that parties in the matter would be communicated once the judgment is ready.
Justice Lawal, who led a 7-man panel of Justices of the Apex Court, announced the reservation of the judgment after the federal government and the governors presented their cases for adjudication.
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN presented the case of the federal government, while the 36 state governors presented their own cases through their lawyers.
BREAKING: Supreme Court orders Nigerian govt to pay local government funds directly
Skit maker, Zfancy, granted bail after arrest over disturbing pranks
The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the release of skit maker and prankster, Zion Ubani, popularly known as Zfancy.
This follows his arrest by the NPF-National Cybercrime Centre on July 4, in Abuja over prank videos that falsely accused him of serious crimes, including rape.
In an update on Wednesday, Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, announced that Zfancy was granted bail with a warning “to avoid pranks that could cause public unrest.”
Adejobi added that Zfancy released to the executives of the Practitioners of Content Creation, Skit-Making, and Influencers Guild of Nigeria.
The delegation, led by Special Assistant to the President on ICT Development and Digital Innovation, Tokoni Igoin, facilitated his release.
Adejobi noted that the controversial videos were ultimately found to be scripted.
“While encouraging positive creativity among the youthful populace, the NPF urges content creators to responsibly use social media and avoid spreading misinformation that may incite public disorder,” he said.
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