NEWS
FG To Begin Direct Allocation Payments To LG In January
Starting from the end of January, local government areas across Nigeria will begin receiving their allocations directly from the Federal Allocation Account Committee (FAAC), marking a major step towards local government autonomy.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, made this announcement during an interview on Arise News on Thursday night.
He underscored President Bola Tinubu’s determination to implement the Supreme Court’s landmark July 2024 ruling, which declared that state control over local government funds is unconstitutional.
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The ruling, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agbim, mandated that local government allocations should be paid directly to them or through the states.
However, citing inefficiencies in the latter option, the court ordered direct payments to local councils.
This decision followed a lawsuit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who championed the cause for the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
Although the ruling was handed down in July, its implementation had been delayed to ensure the necessary systems were in place.
Dare confirmed that the required arrangements are now finalized, and local governments are set to start receiving funds directly by the end of this month.
“We have a President who ensures local government autonomy. I spoke to a local government chairman, who said, ‘Oh, I will be getting N2.9bn, instead of the N200m I was getting before,’” Dare revealed. “From the end of this month, LG will receive the money directly.”
Dare also called for increased scrutiny of state and local government financial management.
“One state collected N499 billion last year—nearly four times its previous allocation—yet there’s little to show for it,” he pointed out.
While the federal government is often criticized for its handling of finances, Dare urged that the spotlight also be placed on how states and local governments manage their resources.
“The framers of our constitution created the three tiers of government for a reason. It’s time to hold states and local governments accountable,” he added.
This move is expected to empower local governments financially, enhancing their ability to carry out development projects at the grassroots level.
The United States Supreme Court has upheld a contentious law that could see TikTok banned from U.S. app stores as early as this Sunday.
The decision hinges on TikTok’s ownership by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, and has sparked significant debate regarding national security, data privacy, and the broader implications for social media platforms within the country.
The announcement was confirmed by DiscussingFilm, which reported, “The Supreme Court will uphold the TikTok ban. The app will likely be banned in the U.S. on Sunday.”
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This development follows ongoing concerns from U.S. lawmakers over the potential risks posed by TikTok’s ties to China, including fears about data harvesting and its alleged influence on American users. For months, the Biden administration and members of Congress have pressured ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations to alleviate these concerns. However, no deal has been reached thus far.
The Supreme Court’s ruling has led to widespread discussions about the future of TikTok and other foreign-owned platforms in the United States. Some critics argue that the ban could set a dangerous precedent for limiting free expression, while others see it as a necessary step to protect national security.
As the deadline approaches, TikTok users and influencers in the U.S. are left scrambling to understand the implications of the ban and explore alternative platforms. Unless ByteDance complies with the government’s demand to sell the app, TikTok may disappear from U.S. app stores in the coming days.
Power supply has been disrupted in several areas of Abuja, including parts of the Presidential Villa, Maitama, Wuse, Jabi, Life Camp, Asokoro, Utako, and Mabushi, following an incident of cable vandalism.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) disclosed that vandals targeted a 132kV transmission line, stealing underground cables and a 40-meter stretch of 1x500mm XLPE conductor.
The affected cables supply bulk electricity to the Central Area transmission substation in Katampe.
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“Consequently, areas experiencing power outage include Maitama, Wuse, Jabi, Life Camp, Asokoro, Utako, Mabushi, and parts of Presidential Villa,” TCN General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, said in a statement on Friday.
Mbah confirmed that the incident has impacted eight distribution feeders, disrupting over 60 percent of the power supply to Abuja.
She further noted, “The vandalism of this critical infrastructure is suspected to have occurred near the Menillum Park axis of Abuja.”
In response to the disruption, the TCN has deployed engineers to repair the damaged cables. “We appeal to residents in the affected areas to remain patient while efforts to repair the damaged cables are underway,” Mbah added.
She also expressed concern about the recurring issue of cable vandalism, which continues to hinder power delivery nationwide.
Mbah called on Nigerians to remain vigilant and to help protect power infrastructure from further acts of vandalism.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) also issued a notice confirming the outage and its impact on customers.
“Dear Valued Customers, this is to inform residents around Federal Secretariat, Wuse Zone 1-7, Central Mosque, Energy Commission, Transcorp Hotel, Eagle Square, Yar’adua Centre, the entire Central Area, TCN HQ, CAC HQ, NYSC HQ, INEC, the entire Maitama, Kado Estate, parts of Jabi District, Area 7, 8 & 10 Garki, and its environs that the power outage being experienced is due to a fault on the 132kV lines 1&2 from Katampe to AT5 Central Area Transmission Station,” the notice read.
Efforts to repair the damaged cables are ongoing, with authorities working to restore power to the affected areas as quickly as possible.
The Appeal Court has affirmed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
The confirmation was announced through a post on the Labour Party’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
It read: “Barr Julius Abure remains the LP National Chairman, Appeal Court Rules.”
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Further verification was provided by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, who confirmed the development in a phone call.
This ruling follows a previous judgement by a Federal High Court, which had also recognised Abure as the rightful leader of the Labour Party.
The latest decision by the Appeal Court solidifies Abure’s leadership and is expected to bring clarity to the party’s internal structure.
More details on the ruling are expected to be released soon.
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