COVER
Fresh Tension Looms in Rivers as LG Chairmen’s Tenures Expire
From Alice Onukwugha, Port-Hardcourt
There is tension across some of the twenty-three local government areas in Rivers state as the tenure of the council chairmen expired yesterday.
The tension was ignited by the decision of the LG chairmen in the state under the aegis of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria to remain in office citing the Local Government Amendment Law No 2 of the 2024 by the Martin Amaewhule-led 27 House of Assembly members extending their tenure by six months.
The State ALGON Chairman, Allwell Ihunda, who is also the Chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, insisted that the law by the House of Assembly empowers them to remain in office.
It will be recalled that the Law by the lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, empowers the council chairmen to remain in office over the alleged failure of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to conduct local government elections.
Only last month, Governor Fubara at an event in Port Harcourt had warned the LG chairmen not to do anything that would truncate the peace of the state, saying they have a few days to leave office.
At a press conference last week, the embattled former Speaker Amaewhule had warned Governor Fubara against nominating caretaker committee members to fill vacant positions in the 23 councils of the state, saying the lawmakers will not accept such a move.
The outgoing council chairmen, who were elected during the tenure of Wike as governor have been having a running battle with the latter’s successor, Governor Fubara, following the disagreement between the two political leaders, even as they have vetoed the Governor to enact about six laws.
Against this backdrop, youths in Degema yesterday occupied the council secretariat, locked the entrance and mounted in front of the gate.
The youths, who were seen singing war songs, appeared battle ready as they insisted that they would not allow the chairmen to remain in office after serving out their tenure.
They said they will remain there to ensure the outgoing local government chairman does not return to the council.
Singing in their local dialects, the youths chorused that the council chairman has failed, saying, “He is a failure. You must go’.
At Asari-Toru Local Government Area, hundreds of youths stormed the council headquarters in Degema and occupied the facility.
Many of the youths were seen in different groups in front of the secretariat and the entire stretch of the road leading to the entrance, even as some could be heard saying, ‘Asawana’ a popular slang among the Ijaws which signifies solidarity, even as others arrive the scene in droves.
The youths said they will remain until Wednesday when work resumes and dared the council chairmen to come to the secretariat.
But in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area and Obio/Akpor LGA, there was a huge security presence to prevent any security breaches.
Over six police patrol vans in front of the shut entrance of the secretariat on Monday morning. The patrol vans were manned by fierce-looking security operatives but movements of people were not restricted.
The outgoing chairman of Eleme LGA, Obarilomate Ollor, has warned those eager to throw him out of office not to come close to the council, saying they will be resisted.
Ollor, while addressing stakeholders at the first Annual General Meeting of the Aleto Clan Association held in Port Harcourt said he had gotten wind of plans to invade the council on June 17th, and threatened to unleash terror on such invaders.
“Some people are ganging up, they want to use force to enter into the local government. Let me tell you, the local government is not a community town hall or students union secretariat.
“That is a government facility. So stay away from there except the law permits you to go there.”
ALGON Seeks 4-Year Tenure for LG Officials
On the other hand, the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) has called for the adoption of a unified four-year tenure for elected local government officials in the country.
National President of ALGON, Alh. Aminu Muazu-Maifata, made the call in an interview with newsmen on Monday in Lafia.
Muazu-Maifata said that the move would ensure good governance and quality representation at the grassroots level.
The president called on the National Assembly to urgently amend the nation’s constitution to unify the tenure of local government officials across the country.
“The tenure of local government officials should be made four years to enable us to deliver on our campaign promises to the electorate.
”It is unfortunate that the tenure of local government officials in some states is even one or two years.
”So, I wonder how these officials will deliver good governance within such a short period,” he lamented.
On the N62,000 minimum wage proposed by the Federal Government, the ALGON boss called on the federal government to increase the monthly allocations of the 774 local government areas in the country.
He maintained that the move would enable the councils to pay the new minimum wage when it finally becomes a law.
Muazu-Maifata, who is the Chairman of Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, however, lauded Gov. Abdullahi Sule for granting autonomy to all the councils in the state.
He called on other governors to emulate Sule toward the overall development of the country, particularly the grassroots.
On the security of Lafia, he explained that the partial curfew imposed in the locality was a measure to tackle the increasing rate of kidnapping and other crimes within the state capital.
“We restricted the movement of motorcycles between 6pm and 6:00am and tricycles between 8pm and 6am.
“This is because security reports have it that criminal gangs are using this means of transportation to perpetrate crimes and operate between the restricted hours,” he explained.
Muazu-Maifata, however, said that the security situation in Lafia has improved; adding that better strategies would be adopted for the safety of lives and property.
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Former Governor of Kogi State Yahaya Bello yesterday honoured the invitation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
A statement from Bello’s Media Office signed by Michael Ohiare said that the decision was made after due consultations with his family, legal team and political allies.
The statement read, “The former governor, who has great respect for the rule of law and constituted authority, had all the while only sought the enforcement of his fundamental rights in order to ensure due process.
“The case has been before a competent court and Alhaji Yahaya Bello had been duly represented by his legal team at every hearing.
“It is important for the former governor to now honour the invitation of the EFCC to clear his name as he has nothing to hide and nothing to fear.
“The former governor believes firmly in the efforts of the administration of President Bola Tinubu to place Nigeria on the path of sustainable economic development and support the fight against corruption in the country.
“It is on record that he was the first Governor of Kogi State to put in place an anti-corruption mechanism to check graft and ensure that the resources of the state work for the people of the state.
“He was accompanied to the EFCC Headquarters by high profile Nigerians.
“It is our hope that the commission will be as professional as necessary and respect his fundamental rights as a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Details of his engagement with the operatives of the anti-graft agency will be disclosed later.”
However, EFCC denied that the former governor was in its custody.
The commission, in a statement by its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale said that Bello remained wanted with a subsisting warrant of arrest.
He said, “Media reports today that a former Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello is in the holding facility of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC is incorrect.
“The commission wishes to state that Bello is not in its custody.
“Bello, already declared wanted by the commission for alleged N80.2 billion money laundering charges, remains wanted with a subsisting warrant for his arrest.”
Bello was declared wanted after the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo helped the embattled former governor to escape arrest in April.
Ododo’s arrival with heavy security at the residence of the ex-governor in Wuse, Abuja prevented the EFCC men from effecting his arrest.
Ododo’s entourage drove out with Bello in the governor’s car.
Since then, it was said have holed up in the Kogi State Government House, Lokoja.
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State yesterday handed over a truck of palliatives he recently confiscated in Makurdi to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) with a charge on them to conduct a thorough investigations bordering on alleged diversion.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), had on Sept.
11 through the office of the representative of House of Representatives for Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency, Terséer Ugbor deployed two trucks of palliatives to his constituency for onward distribution to IDPs and vulnerable households.However, one of the trucks containing several materials worth millions of naira was confiscated by the state governor.
Our correspondent had earlier reported that the seized truck was conveying assorted relief materials meant for IDPs in the Kwande/Ushongo federal constituency was caught offloading its contents at a private residence around Kilometre 2 in Makurdi.
Further checks revealed that the palliatives, which were loaded from a NEMA warehouse in Jos found their way to a private residence under the directives of Ugbor.
The governor explained that he gave a standing order that the truck be impounded and moved to Government House Makurdi so as to know why goods released from NEMA for distribution to IDPs in Kwande and Ushongo could be offloaded at a private residence in Makurdi.
Alia who spoke at NEMA headquarters upon his return from the United Kingdom expressed displeasure over the discovery of some hidden facts regarding the matter.
He explained that preliminary investigations revealed that the goods were coming from NEMA and were meant to be sponsored by the state government and lifted by the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
In a letter from NEMA headquarters addressed to the representative of the Kwande/Ushongo constituency, Ugbor, who lobbied for the materials, the agency specified that the state government should pay for the expenses of lifting the materials in Jos and that the materials be taken to the state by NEMA and handed over to SEMA.
Alia who discovered that some of the trucks conveying other materials such as mattresses were still missing, directed anti-graft agencies to liaise with a three-man committee from the state and conduct a thorough investigations to uncover more facts.
“It was also discovered that the materials were to be distributed directly to the affected persons by officials from the agency’s North Central Zonal Office in collaboration with the Benue State Emergency Management Agency team.
“I have directed that the Acting Executive Secretary of SEMA, James Iorpuu, officers of the EFCC, and a few others should monitor the situation and ensure that due process was followed and that the materials were distributed to the rightful people.
“I thank President Bola Tinubu for having Benue people at heart. I therefore use this opportunity to call on the National Assembly members to consider the conditions of vulnerable people in their states and ensure that they provide for their constituents whatever the federal government gives,” Alia stated.
The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Tersoo Kula in a statement in Makurdi, said the Director General of NEMA through a phone call, thanked the governor for being vigilant and also promised to continue to collaborate with the state government to ensure the fair distribution of materials coming from the Federal Government.
Similarly, last month, the governor uncovered the diversion of relief materials for an IDPs camp in Makurdi by SEMA officials.
The diverted food items include: 55 bags of rice, 24 bags of garri, Indomie noodles, beans among others.
The Executive Secretary of SEMA was perplexed, wondering how the governor got wind of the development.
Three staff of the agency were arrested in connection with the incident.The IDPs said diversion of relief materials by staff of SEMA was a common happening.
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reconstituted the board of directors of Keystone Bank.
In a statement by the bank on Wednesday, the move is part of the apex bank’s strategy to ensure sustained growth for the financial institution.
According to the statement, Ada Chukwudozie is the new board chairman alongside five other non-Executive Directors.
They are Abdul-Rahman Esene, Fola Akande, Akintola Ayodeji Olusoji, Obijiaku Samuel, and Senator Farouk Bello.
In addition, the CBN named two new Executive Directors, Ladi Oluwole and Abubakar Usman Bello.
Chukwudozie, a prominent figure in Nigeria’s corporate sector, brings nearly three decades of experience in business strategy, management, and administration.
Her expertise cuts across multiple industries, including De-Endy Industrial Company Limited, Dozzy Group, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, and Vogue Afrique Magazine.
Esene, with over 43 years of experience in banking, investment management, and corporate finance, has held leadership roles in major institutions including Fidelity Bank, Afrinvest, and Global Arbitrage International Inc.
Akande boasts over 25 years of experience in legal, compliance, and risk management, having worked with global brands like Cadbury, Stanbic Chartered Bank, and Shell.
Olusoji has a distinguished 30-year career in accounting, finance, and business development, having served at institutions such as Sterling Bank, Access Bank, and Intercontinental Bank.
Samuel with more than 35 years of experience in banking and treasury operations has left a significant mark on Nigeria’s financial sector, previously working with Zenith Bank and Fidelity Bank.
Senator Bello, a seasoned banker with over 20 years of experience, has led initiatives across both the public and private sectors, including the National Assembly and Guaranty Trust Bank.
The two new Executive Directors bring their vast expertise to the table. Oluwole, the new Executive Director of Risk Management comes with over two decades of experience in credit and enterprise risk management, including previous roles at Bank of America.
Bello, Executive Director for the Northern Directorate has extensive experience managing corporate, retail, and public sector clients.
Speaking on the appointments, Keystone Bank’s Managing Director and CEO, Hassan Imam expressed confidence in the new board members, adding that their wealth of experience would play a crucial role in the bank’s continued repositioning and growth.
“We are pleased to welcome the new chairman, non-executive directors, and executive directors to the board of Keystone Bank.
“We are confident that their extensive experience will be invaluable as we continue to reposition the bank to seize emerging economic opportunities while maintaining strong corporate governance and providing our customers with a secure and reliable banking experience,” Imam said.
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