The Cross River State House of Assembly has initiated the process to amend the Local Government Law 2007, introducing provisions to expand political appointments and enhance local government administration across the state.

The bill, sponsored by Rt. Hon. Davies Etta, representing Abi State Constituency, was debated on Tuesday in Calabar.

It proposes increasing the number of appointees in each Local Government Area (LGA) to 50. Among the new roles are 16 Special Adviser positions and a cadre of officials known as Ward Relation Officers.

According to the bill, “The Chairman of Council may appoint such a number of Special Advisers to assist him in the discharge of his duties, provided that appointments, when added to other statutory appointments, shall not exceed a total number of 50.”

The proposed Ward Relation Officers will hold ranks equivalent to Special Advisers and will report directly to the Chairmen of their respective LGAs.

This move, the Assembly says, is aimed at fostering grassroots engagement and improving governance at the local level.

Another key provision of the bill seeks to elevate the office of the Head of Local Government Administration (HOLGA) to the status of a Permanent Secretary within the state public service.

The amendment stipulates that HOLGAs will enjoy all the rights, privileges, and entitlements of Permanent Secretaries, including pensions.

“The office of the HOLGA shall be equivalent to the office of a Permanent Secretary of the State Public Service and shall enjoy all rights and privileges of the Permanent Secretary, including pensions,” the bill states.

It also specifies that appointments to the HOLGA position must be made exclusively from within the local government service in the state.

The bill, which has passed its first and second readings, has been referred to a joint committee on Local Government Affairs, Judiciary, and Public Accounts for further review and consultations with stakeholders.

Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, underscored the importance of the proposed amendment, noting that it would strengthen local government administration and improve service delivery to the grassroots.

The Assembly is expected to hold further deliberations before making a final decision on the proposed amendments.

Donald Trump has completed his return to the White House with his inauguration as the 47th President of the United States (POTUS).

Trump’s historic return, on account of adverse weather conditions, happened with a remarkable ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda, on Monday.

In his inaugural address, President Trump outlined a bold agenda for his administration, touching on issues of gender, race, border control, economic reforms, and energy policies.

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President Trump asserted that his administration would recognise only two genders — male and female — effectively dismissing identities such as transgender, non-binary, and genderqueer.

President Trump asserted, “This week, I will end the government policy of engineering race and gender into every aspect of public and private life. Henceforth, it will be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.”

He unveiled plans to overhaul the trade system, introducing an “External Revenue Service” to collect tariffs from foreign countries, promising to shift the economic burden away from U.S. taxpayers.

“I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens,” Trump stated.

The POTUS vowed to make America a “manufacturing nation” again by leveraging the country’s vast oil and gas reserves.

“America will be a manufacturing nation once again. We will use our liquid gold — oil and gas — to bring prices down, fill our reserves, and export energy worldwide. We will end the Green New Deal and revoke the electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto industry,” he said.

On border control, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border and announced measures to combat illegal immigration.

“All illegal entry will be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions of criminal aliens. The Remain in Mexico policy will be reinstated, and catch-and-release practices will end. Troops will secure our borders to repel this invasion,” he announced.

He also pledged to designate cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to combat criminal networks.

The POTUS announced the formation of a Department of Government Efficiency and outlined measures to tackle inflation and high costs.

He also promised an aggressive crackdown on crime, leveraging federal and state resources to eliminate gang activity.

“As commander-in-chief, I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions,” President Trump added.

He recounted an assassination attempt during his campaign, framing his survival as a divine sign of his purpose to “make America great again.”

In addition, President Trump criticised America’s healthcare and education systems, promising significant reforms to address inadequacies exposed by recent natural disasters.

The event, attended by lawmakers, distinguished guests, and family members, marked the beginning of President Trump’s second term. Vice President JD Vance was also sworn in, taking the oath of office in a ceremony presided over by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

It was gathered that earlier in the day, President Trump and Melania Trump met with outgoing President Joe Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden, continuing the tradition of a handover meeting between administrations.

At a pre-inauguration rally, President Trump addressed supporters, promising to pardon January 6 defendants and issuing executive orders on his first day in office.

Despite freezing temperatures, the ceremony proceeded with President Trump expressing confidence in his administration’s vision and America’s future.

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his love for Edo people, assuring him of continued support ahead of the 2027 Presidential polls.

Gov Okpebholo’s support was conveyed in a statement on Monday, in Benin City under the signature of Chief Press Secretary to Edo State Governor, Fred Itua.

According to Itua, Gov Okpebholo stated this in his goodwill message during a food outreach by the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), through its Social Investment Programme (SIP).

At the event which held at the New Festival Hall of Government House, Benin City, Edo State, Gov Okpebholo said the electorate in Edo State will give the President 100 percent of their votes in the 2027 presidential election for remembering the vulnerable in the State.

The RHI food outreach began on the 8th of March, 2024, and about seven states, including Edo, have benefited from the initiative so far. The other States include Kano, Benue, Nasarawa, Ekiti, Cross River, and Gombe, while states like Kwara, Kogi, and Abia are next in line.

Gov Okpebholo commended the First Lady of Nigeria and Chairperson of RHI, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her love and motherly role in ensuring that the people of Nigeria enjoy the dividends of democracy.

He noted that the initiative of the First Lady would not have been successful without the support of President Tinubu, assuring him that the people of Edo State will support him for a second term if and when he decides to run.

“The entire people of Edo State are very appreciative of this kind gesture of food outreach and donations of different food items to the vulnerable in Edo State.

“We are happy in Edo State, and the people are beginning to see and enjoy a new dawn. Look at food items all over the place in this hall, all thanks to the president and his wife for this great initiative that Edo people are benefitting from today.

“We are assuring you, Mr. President of our 100 percent votes in the State come 2027 presidential election, and if possible, we will give you more than 100 percent,” he declared.

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, recalled that the food outreach commenced in March 2024.

Represented by the wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, the First Lady said the initiative has made significant progress in supporting women and youths for the betterment of their lives.

She advised beneficiaries not to sell the food items but to make good use of them for the benefit of their families.

“This food outreach began last year in March 2024 in Abuja to provide vulnerable households with food to support their families. We have been able to distribute food items to seven states across Nigeria.

“The RHI has made significant progress in efforts to support our people, particularly women and youths, for a better life. Under this initiative, there will be more activities this year that cover Education, Health, Economic Empowerment, Social Investments and Agriculture. This programme aims to further compliment the renewed hope agenda of the President Tinubu administration,” she said.

Coordinator of the office of the First Lady of Edo State, Edesili Anani Okpebholo, thanked the First Lady for the initiative which in less than two years has touched the lives of millions of Nigerians, assuring that the vulnerable in the State will get the food items.

She also appreciated Gov Okpebholo for his developmental strides in less than three months in office. She noted that his support for the RHI programmes in the State has recorded great success. Items distributed included noodles, semovita, and pasta, among others.

Other guests at the food outreach included the Secretary to Edo State Government Musa Ikhilor; Deputy Chief of Staff, Pius Alile; Wife of former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Anna Shaibu; leaders of market women; serving commissioners; political women leaders across the state; heads of security agencies in the state, Permanent Secretaries, several widows, among others.