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.
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Development Bank of Nigeria Plc (DBN) has launched DAWN: DBN Action for Women in Nigeria, unveiled its Impact Report and presented MSME Data Assets at the seventh edition of Annual Lecture held in Abuja.
DBN, in a statement on Thursday, said while delivering a welcome address, its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Tony Okpanachi, said the central challenge was no longer reforms themselves but ensuring benefits reach businesses at end of the chain.
He asked how to make sure benefits reach traders in Onitsha, fabricator in Aba, farmer in Kebbi and young founder in Yaba, noting that MSMEs accounted for about half of Nigeria’s GDP and more than eight in every ten jobs, adding that when reform works for MSMEs it works for most Nigerians.
He explained that reform becomes prosperity only when entrepreneurs can act on it whether through long tenor loans to buy equipment, banks willing to take risk or skills and records needed to grow.
He said working through Participating Financial Institutions DBN provides longer term funding, partial credit guarantees through subsidiary Impact Credit Guarantee Limited and capacity building including Entrepreneurship Training Programme.
He disclosed that as at December 2025 DBN had disbursed a cumulative N1.4 trillion to MSMEs through 84 Participating Financial Institutions creating about 1.6 million jobs nationwide.
Under the new five year strategy, the Bank aims to reach more than two million MSMEs with deliberate targets for women led businesses, youth led businesses and underserved states.
On DAWN, Okpanachi said finance alone had not enabled enough women-led businesses to scale.
He said initiative brings together financing, guarantees and credit support, technical assistance, outcome linked grants and market linkages delivered through banks, microfinance institutions, fintechs, aggregators, cooperatives and direct channels.
Its priority sectors are agriculture and exports, healthcare, arts and creatives, technology and green business.
He said DAWN is about moving gender focused lending beyond intention and turning access into opportunity.
On the sidelines of the lecture DBN and African Development Bank held a signing ceremony of AfDB DBN 61 million United States dollars Gender Line of Credit development that reinforces Bank commitment to women led enterprises.
Okpanachi urged Participating Financial Institutions to extend lending into sectors and states where access to finance has been limited, policymakers and regulators to measure reform by what changes for business at end of chain and MSMEs to formalise, keep good records and use support now available.
The Vice President as Special Guest of Honour was represented by Dr Fred Iklaga Senior Technical Adviser in the Office of Special Adviser to the President on Economy.
Keynote speakers were Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Dr Karl Toriola, and Chairman of Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Dr Segun Ogunsanya.
Fireside chat featured Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank Abubakar Suleiman, manufacturing and trade entrepreneur Mrs Omoyemi Chukwurah and by video Kola Masha of Babban Gona.
The Secretary to the Government of Federation, represented by Augusta Warren Bekaredebo, said 2026 tax reforms would bring relief to many small businesses expressing optimism that a lot of businesses will be smiling by next year because they will be exempted from tax.
By Tambaya Julius, Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened possible nationwide industrial action following the failure of talks with the Federal Government over workers’ welfare, petrol prices and other outstanding labour demands.
The warning came after a meeting between the government and organised labour at the Ministry of Labour in Abuja on Thursday, October 22, ended without an agreement.
The congress has given the Federal Government until Tuesday, October 27, to make meaningful progress on the issues, warning that its relevant organs would decide the next line of action if the next meeting fails to produce concrete commitments.
The NLC has also directed its affiliates, state councils and civil society allies to begin mobilising members for possible nationwide action.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the NLC Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, expressed disappointment over what he described as the government delegation’s lack of preparedness for the negotiations.
According to the congress, organised labour presented its demands in good faith but left the meeting without any concrete commitments from the government.
The demands include a reduction in petrol prices to 2024 levels, renegotiation of the national minimum wage, implementation of agreed tax relief measures and resolution of the terms of settlement involving the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).
The congress also called for the resolution of issues raised by the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) over peculiar allowances, wage awards and hazard allowances.
The NLC said the government delegation lacked the necessary authority to engage meaningfully on the issues presented by labour representatives.
“The meeting between the Federal Government and organised labour, convened at the Ministry of Labour in Abuja on 22nd October 2026, has ended without resolution,” the statement said.
It added that the Minister of Labour requested that the meeting be adjourned until October 27 to allow the government to prepare adequately for further discussions.
The preparations, according to the statement, would include bringing relevant ministers and heads of departments and agencies to the negotiating table.
The congress said it remained open to dialogue but would not accept continued delays in addressing workers’ concerns.
“We will report back to our organs, and if no meaningful progress is made on Tuesday, the relevant organs of the NLC will decide the next line of action,” it said.
The labour body urged workers and members of the public to remain calm while the negotiations continue, even as it directed its affiliates and allies to prepare for possible industrial action.
“However, we urge all affiliates of NLC and TUC; all state councils and our civil society allies to be alert and start mobilising for a possible action across the nation while we hope that the tenets of our demands are met by the government,” the statement added.
The October 27 meeting is expected to provide another opportunity for both sides to address the outstanding issues and prevent a possible escalation of the dispute.
However, the NLC’s decision to begin mobilisation suggests that tensions could rise if the next round of talks fails to produce meaningful progress.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has barred its personnel from escorting politicians during campaigns for the 2027 general elections.
Zonal Commanding Officer, RS6, ACM Abimbola Owolabi, gave the directive during her maiden visit to the Cross River Command in Calabar on Wednesday.
Owolabi said patrol vehicles and sirens must not be used for political activities or private engagements, including weddings and funeral processions.
She directed officers deployed to campaign venues to focus exclusively on traffic management to prevent congestion and road crashes.
The zonal head warned personnel against leading political convoys or providing escorts for politicians, stressing that official vehicles must not be used for unauthorised purposes.
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