Category: General

Governors Have Destroyed Local Govt Administration – Mamora

Former Minister of Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora has said that governors destroyed the Local Government administration in Nigeria by imposing caretaker chairmen on the people at the grassroots.

Mamora stated this in an interview on Channels Television on Friday.

He said, “If I would be very frank, the governors destroyed the local governments. That’s the truth. Don’t forget, I was very much involved. Local government chairmen were elected under Abdulsalami Abubakar in 1998 with a three-year tenure which should have terminated in 2001;

“But towards the end of the termination of the tenure, the local government chairmen under the aegis of ALGON started making moves to the National Assembly, then headed by Anyim Pius Anyim as Senate President and Ghali Na’aaba (of blessed memory) as the Speaker of the House.

“They (LG chairmen) were asking for the extension of their tenure to be four years in line with the state and the federal. That was the beginning.”

Speaking further, Mamora, who was the chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly in 2001, said the move was challenged because Section 7 of the Constitution has placed everything in the local governments under the state through laws made by the state house of assembly.

“We challenged it because it was like trying to usurp the powers of the state houses of assembly,” he added.

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly between June 1999 and June 2003 said the National Assembly went ahead with the bill to make local government chairmen tenured for four years, and he and his then colleague-speakers went to court.

“While the case was then in court because of the interest of the governors, they came in to join, and because they joined, the case was taken straight to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court ruled that the National Assembly had no business in determining the tenure.”

“Then President Olusegun Obasanjo invited us speakers to the Villa and appealed to us because their tenure was about to end and new local government chairmen were yet to be elected,” he added.

The post Governors Have Destroyed Local Govt Administration – Mamora appeared first on Naija News.

Gas Pipeline Explosion Rocks Rivers Community

Fuel Tanker Explosion Rocks Anambra

A gas pipeline explosion has occurred in the Obagi community of the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Naija News gathered that the explosion occurred on Wednesday evening and no casualty was recorded in the sad incident.

In a chat to Channels Television on Saturday, Ogba Local Government Chairman, Vincent Job, confirmed the incident, adding that the pipeline belongs to the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC).

He said: “Yes, it happened at Obagi but thankfully no life was lost. I’ve gone there myself and during my interaction with the indigenes they feel it’s as a result of equipment failure, though oil and gas experts may have something else to add.

“We had a very dastardly crude oil explosion at Omoku West. Yesterday too, we also had another one in a different location, that is Obagi. For us who are novices in the oil field, you will find out that some of this equipment has lasted for more than 30, or 40 years which calls for removal.

“You will find out that the locals are there and they suffer a lot of this degradation. The Federal Government and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) should ensure that their pipelines, and facilities are up to date.”

On his part, the traditional ruler of the community, Eze Clinton Elemele said, “The gas leak had been on since June of last year, we wrote to Agip and NLNG but after inspection, they both said the pipeline wasn’t theirs. Now it exploded and Agip have finally admitted that it’s their own.”

The post Gas Pipeline Explosion Rocks Rivers Community appeared first on Naija News.

I Only Receive N577,000 Monthly Pension From Lagos Govt – Fashola

Buhari Leaving Nigeria Better Than When He Took Over - Fashola

Former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has disclosed that he only receives N577,000 monthly pension as a former Governor of Lagos State.

Fashola made the revelation ton Saturday while appearing as a guest on Arise Television programme, Perspectives.

The former minister said the pension is the only financial benefit he receives from the Lagos State government.

He also said that he is not receiving billions of naira from the federal government as speculated by some Nigerians, after serving eight years as the minister.

Fashola stated that there were no financial benefits accrued to him as a former minister.

He said, “The benefit I get I think is N577,000 monthly pension from Lagos State. That’s all I get.

“So, in spite of all the stories that we got several billions of money (after leaving office), I’ve come out to deny that repeatedly. Well I don’t know how long it lasts, but all I know is that I get N577,000 per month consistently.”

Responding to a question on if he could advise current public office holders, the former Lagos governor said he was not in the position to issue advice but admonished that they “should remain true and authentic” in their duties.

See the video below.

[video width="888" height="478" mp4="https://www.naijanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/ssstwitter.com_1705770243596.mp4"][/video]

The post I Only Receive N577,000 Monthly Pension From Lagos Govt – Fashola appeared first on Naija News.