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Ibori Bombs Supreme Court, APC

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Former governor of Delta State, James Onanefe Ibori has come down hard on the Supreme Court of Nigeria (SCN) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the fiscal autonomy granted to Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas.

Following the handing down of the SCN’s decision on the matter on Thursday, the publisher of Daily Independent took to his verified X handle to vent his disappointment at the architects of what he termed “a severe setback on the principle of federalism” as enshrined in the Constitution.

Ibori could not hide his anger at the SCN’s decision, which he stated ran contrary to section 162(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

In the tweet, which was signed with his full names, James Onanefe Ibori, he wondered why the apex court should turn blind eyes to section 162(6) of the constitution which states that, “Each State shall maintain a special account to be called “State Joint Local Government Account” into which shall be paid all allocations to the Local Government Councils of the State from the Federation Account and from the Government of the State.”

It is the considered opinion of the respected godfather of Delta politics that “The court’s ruling on the matter is an assault on true federalism.”

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Supreme Court Grants LGAs Autonomy

He expressed optimism that the ruling would be reviewed sooner than later to right the wrongs.

“It is my sincere hope that the judgement delivered today will be reviewed at the earliest time possible because it clearly stands the concept of federalism on its head,” he stated.

Ibori wrote, “The Supreme Court has dealt a severe setback on the principle of federalism as defined by section 162(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The section expressly provides thus:

“Any amount standing to the credit of the Federation Account shall be distributed among the Federal and State Governments and the Local Government Councils in each State on such terms and in such manner as may be prescribed by the National Assembly”.

“Sections 6 provide further clarity on the subject matter.

(6) Each State shall maintain a special account to be called “State Joint Local Government Account” into which shall be paid all allocations to the Local Government Councils of the State from the Federation Account and from the Government of the State.

“The court’s ruling on the matter is an assault on true federalism. The federal government has no right to interfere with the administration of Local Governments in under any guise whatsoever. There are only two tiers of government in a federal system of government.

“I’m opposed to fiddling with the allocations to the Joint LG Accounts at the state level but that in itself does not call for this death knell to the clear provisions of section 162 of the constitution. The implications of the ruling are far reaching and the issues that readily come to mind are:

“1. Constitutional Interpretation: The Supreme Court’s ruling appears to contradict the explicit provisions of Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution. This raises questions about judicial interpretation and whether the court has overstepped its bounds in reinterpreting clear constitutional language.

“2. Balance of Power: The ruling potentially shifts the balance of power between the federal government and states. By allowing federal intervention in local government finances, it arguably centralizes more power at the federal level, contrary to the principles of federalism.

“3. State Autonomy: This decision could be seen as an erosion of state autonomy. States are meant to have significant control over their internal affairs, including the administration of local governments, in a federal system.

“4. Financial Independence: The ruling may impact the financial independence of states and local governments. If the federal government can directly intervene in local government finances, it could potentially use this as a tool for political leverage.

“5. Precedent Setting: This decision could set a precedent for further federal interventions in areas traditionally reserved for state governance, potentially leading to a more centralized system of government over time.

“That Local Governments must be “democratically elected” goes without saying. Yes, I agree, that’s the position of the constitution but withholding their allocation is not the way to go. It’s wrong.

“In the coming days, we will begin to fully understand the implications of the Supreme Court decision. An assault on the constitution is not the answer to fiddling with the Joint LG Account. If the ruling is saying Governors cannot temper, touch, fiddle with the Joint Accounts, that’s fine because they shouldn’t be doing that in the first place. But asking the Federal Government to pay Local Governments allocations to the account of the Local Government directly will lead to utter chaos and avoidable friction in governance.

“Like the Hon. Justice Oputa JSC of blessed memory once said in describing the Supreme Court ” we are not final because we are infallible, but we are infallible only because we are final”.

“It is my sincere hope that the judgement delivered today will be reviewed at the earliest time possible because it clearly stands the concept of federalism on its head.”

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Nigeria’s Debt Service Ratio Falls To 65% As Tinubu Tackles Economic Woes

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In an effort to reduce Nigeria’s debt burden and stabilize the economy, President Bola Tinubu announced on Monday that the country’s debt service-to-revenue ratio has fallen from 97 to 65 percent over the 17 months since he took office.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony for seven new ministers at the State House, Abuja, Tinubu emphasized the government’s progress in stabilizing the economy despite challenging conditions.

READ MORE: Ibadan Man On Why He Used 76 Women For Ritual, Ate Others

“For us, it was a challenge when the nation was servicing its debt with 97 percent of its revenue. It was nothing but the edge of the cliff,” Tinubu said.

“But today, I can report to you that we have brought that down to 65 percent, and we have never defaulted in meeting all obligations, both foreign and domestic.”

His remarks follow Afreximbank’s recent projection that Nigeria’s debt service-to-revenue ratio could reach 110.4 percent by 2024.

Afreximbank’s 2024 Nigeria Country Brief warned of a troubling upward trend in debt servicing, which could see the ratio surge from 33.8 percent in 2017 to a projected 110.4 percent next year.

However, with continued reforms, the report suggested the ratio might decline to 62.6 percent by 2025.

In the first nine months of 2023, debt servicing consumed 66.9 percent (₦5.79 trillion) of Nigeria’s total revenue, a slight improvement from 99.3 percent (₦4.23 trillion) during the same period in 2022.

Tinubu, while optimistic about economic recovery, acknowledged the ongoing struggles faced by Nigerians due to a sharp increase in the cost of living triggered by recent economic reforms.

“We have taken the bull by the horns,” the President asserted. “We have stopped the scavengers. We will fully put an end to the profiteers and smugglers of our resources across the country. We are not shirking our responsibility; we are confronting it head-on.”

He further expressed confidence that Nigeria was on a “good path” toward recovery, emphasizing that the government remains committed to re-engineering the economy.

He cited the introduction of a new minimum wage as one measure aimed at mitigating rising living costs.

Monday’s ceremony also saw the swearing-in of seven new ministers, part of a recent cabinet reshuffle.

In two batches, ministers including Idi Maiha (Livestock Development) and Dr Jumoke Oduwole (Industry, Trade, and Investment) took their oaths.

The reshuffle, which saw 10 ministers reassigned, five discharged, and seven new appointments confirmed by the Senate, reflects Tinubu’s stated commitment to reshaping his cabinet to meet Nigeria’s evolving challenges.

As the administration continues to implement reforms, President Tinubu emphasized a long-term vision for economic sustainability, not only for the current generation but also for future ones.

“Despite the challenges, we must undertake the job of re-engineering and retooling this country’s economic path,” he said.

 

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Edo Deputy Gov, Omobayo Ordered To Court Over Refusal To Vacate Office

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A Federal High Court in Abuja has mandated that Godwins Omobayo, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, appear in person on November 26, 2024, following allegations of contempt of court stemming from his failure to comply with a previous ruling.

Justice James Omotosho issued the order on Monday, asserting that Omobayo, described as the alleged contemnor, must be afforded a fair hearing in accordance with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

READ MORE: Bobrisky Flees Nigeria Amid Legal Turmoil

The court action was initiated by Philip Shaibu, who was reinstated as Deputy Governor after the court invalidated his impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly on July 17.

Justice Omotosho ruled that the impeachment proceedings lacked due process and that the grounds for Shaibu’s removal did not constitute gross misconduct.

Shaibu’s suit targets several parties, including the Inspector-General of Police and the Edo State House of Assembly, seeking enforcement of the court’s judgment and demanding that Omobayo vacate the deputy governorship position.

Omobayo assumed office on April 8, following Shaibu’s impeachment.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Omobayo was served legal documents but failed to appear.

In response, Shaibu’s attorney, Ayotunde Ogunleye, SAN, urged the court to compel Omobayo’s attendance, citing the need to uphold judicial authority.

In delivering his ruling, Justice Omotosho adjourned the case until November 26 for further proceedings.

He directed that hearing notices be served to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th defendants involved in the charge.

“In the interest of justice and to provide the alleged contemnor with an opportunity to defend himself and receive a fair hearing, in accordance with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), I hereby order that the alleged contemnor appear in court in person on November 26, 2024,” the judge stated.

It is noteworthy that the current tenure of the state government is set to conclude on November 12.

 

 

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Presidency Fires Back At Atiku

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On the heels of the salvo fired by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria’s 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, signalling what might be a long-drawn hot exchange of words, the Presidency has made what it called ‘our initial response to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’.

This was contained in a statement put out on micro-blogging site, X, Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), Bayo Onanuga.

The former vice president had detailed the shortcomings of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, making efforts to detail what he would have done differently, that would have better results for Nigeria.

In a swift response, the Presidency countered that Atiku and his ideas “were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll”, based on his antecedents.

The statement reads, “OUR INITIAL RESPONSE TO ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR

“We have just read a statement credited to former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in which he tried to discredit  President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform programmes while pushing his untested agenda as a better alternative.

“First, Alhaji Atiku’s ideas, which lacked details,  were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll.

“If he had won the election, we believe he would have plunged Nigeria into a worse situation or run a regime of cronyism.

“Abubakar lost the election partly because he vowed to sell the NNPC and other assets to his friends.  Nigerians have not forgotten this, nor would they be comforted by Atiku’s antecedents when he ran the economy in the first term of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government between 1999 and 2003.

“As vice president, Atiku supervised a questionable privatisation programme. He and his boss demonstrated a lack of faith in our educational system, and both went to establish their universities while they allowed ours to flounder.

“Talk is cheap. It is easy to pontificate and deride a rival’s programmes even when there are irrefutable indices that the economic reforms yield positives despite the temporary difficulties.

“Despite the futile attempt to hoodwink Nigerians again in his statement, it is gratifying that the former Vice President could not repudiate the economic reforms pursued by the Tinubu administration because they are the right things to do.

“His advocacy for a gradualist approach only showed that he was not in tune with the enormity of problems inherited by President Tinubu.

“It is so easy to paint a flowery to-do list. It is expected of an election loser.

“President Tinubu met a country facing several grave challenges. Fuel subsidies were siphoning away enormous resources we could ill afford, and there was criminal arbitrage in the forex market.

“No leader worth his name will allow these two economic disorders to persist without moving to end them surgically.

“While advocating for gradual reforms may sound appealing, Tinubu took measures that should have been taken decades ago by Alhaji Abubakar and his boss when they had the opportunity.

“Alhaji Abubakar calls for empathy and a human face to reforms. We have no problem with this as it resonates well with our administration’s focus. President Tinubu has consistently emphasised the need for compassion and protection of the most vulnerable.

“The administration has prioritised social safety nets and targeted support for those affected by recent economic transitions.”

 

 

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