Category: Government

Emmanuel lkpeama 

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday handed down an indefinite suspension to the chairman of the Alimosho Local Government Area, Jelili Sulaimon. The suspension is with immediate effect.

Sitting at plenary, the lawmakers resolved that the vice chairman of the council, Mr. Akinpelu Johnson, should take over the running of its affairs.

The House further instructed the management of the council, including the manager and treasurer, to recognize the authority of the vice chairman and accord him all the support to make him work effectively.

Investigator news reports that the chairman was suspended in a unanimous vote by the lawmakers over an alleged non-compliance, defiance and unyielding attitude to the legislative House.

Moving a motion for his suspension, the Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government Administration and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Sanni Okanlawon, recalled that in April 2024, pandemonium broke out in the Iyana-Ipaja axis of Alimosho Local Government leading to the death of one Mr. Micheal Ajayi.

Hon. Okanlawon, whose committee was saddled with the responsibility to investigate the cause of the pandemonium, said that it was discovered that Jelili masterminded the chaos.

According to Okanlawon, all stakeholders involved in the issue were invited, but Jelili had continued to show acts of misconduct to the committee of the House.

He highlighted the council chairman’s failure to adhere to the Assembly’s directives and his mismanagement of public funds. He, therefore, called for Jelili’s immediate suspension in line with relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

“He should be suspended immediately while the vice chairman, Akin Johnson, takes over with immediate effect,” he prayed.

Majority Leader of the House, Noheem Adams, while supporting the call for Jelili’s suspension, added that the action would make other local government chairmen sit well.

“The Alimosho council chairman does not follow procurement processes or the budget. There has been a lot of misconducts from him and I support that the chairman be suspended indefinitely,” he said.

In his contribution Hon. Nureni Akinsanya, Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts for Local Government, referred to the report submitted by the State Auditor-General concerning the activities of Jelili. The report underscored the council chairman’s consistent non-compliance with financial regulations, with significant irregularities in his records.

Akinsanya, emphasising these discrepancies, supported Okanlawon’s call for Jelili’s suspension.

Similarly, Hon. Ladi Ajomale expressed surprise that the council chairman had been recalcitrant despite previous reports detailing his alleged financial mismanagement.

Hon. Sa’ad Olumoh, while echoing his concerns, also prayed the House to invite Mr. Kolade Alabi and Mr. Rasak Ajala, chairmen of Bariga LCDA and Odi Olowo LCDA respectively, as heads of the Conference 57, to explain the widespread disregard by council chairmen for governance protocols.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Obasa, who presided over the sitting, directed the Clerk of the House, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko, to communicate the Assembly’s resolution to all relevant authorities

 

Emmanuel lkpeama 

President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that his administration is focused on delivering tangible results and making a positive difference in the nation’s infrastructure, food and energy security, education and long-term economic stability.

At a meeting with the Forum of Former Presiding Officers of the National Assembly, led by former Senate President Ken Nnamani, the President emphasised that he is not in office for personal gain but to serve the country.

”I didn’t come to look for money and exploit the situation; I came to work. I asked for the votes, and Nigerians gave them to me, ” the President, who was a former senator, told the meeting after a session of banters and handshakes with former parliamentary colleagues.

The meeting was attended by 16 former presiding officers, including former senate presidents, former speakers of the House of Representatives, former deputy senate presidents, and former deputy speakers of the House of Representatives.

The President acknowledged the support and encouragement from the Forum members, irrespective of party affiliations, and implored them to continue fostering unity and camaraderie to achieve national development goals.

Reflecting on the complex nature of legislative activities, constitutional reviews, and nation-building processes, the President expressed confidence that Nigeria can progress through collaboration and inclusiveness.

”Regardless of party differences of the past and difficulty of the present, you still believe in me and what we all plan for this country.

”I thank you very much; no one will do it better than us. I have travelled the world and seen how developed countries have done it for themselves through collaboration, inclusiveness and financial structure.

”Yes, there is hardship, but how did we get here? What did we do when we had very high crude production?”

“We neglected our communities; we neglected the goose that lays the golden eggs; we forgot even to give them a good standard of living.

”We forgot to educate our children. Go round and look at the dilapidated schools. The education environment must be decent enough for pupils to want to learn.

”We can complain from now till eternity that the school enrolment is low. But did we do anything to encourage the enrolment process? We must ask ourselves because it is a matter of conscience,” he said.

The President outlined his administration’s focus on addressing these challenges, including improving infrastructure, ensuring compliance with financial regulations, exploring alternative energy sources and providing energy security.

”We have come a long way, and I promise we must do our best,” he said.

He urged the former presiding officers to continue sharing their wealth of experience in nation-building and governance, noting that they were uniquely positioned to provide “clear interpretations of where we are” to Nigerians.

Senator Nnamani, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, expressed full support for President Tinubu’s administration and its efforts to address Nigeria’s pressing challenges.

He noted that the meeting was the president’s first official engagement with the group since his assumption of office. Nnamani congratulated the President.

”Mr President, history has never been the burden of one man alone, but some are called to meet a special share of its challenges.

”Though not of your creation, it has fallen onto you to end the pervasive insecurity across the nation, the economic downturn that has resulted in hunger and anger, infrastructural decay due to years of neglect and myriads of other national challenges.

”As difficult as these problems are, we believe that with your experience, you can face the difficulties and surmount them.

”What gives us more hope is the courage with which you handled the issue of Local government autonomy, which has won you open admiration from friends and foes alike.

”We are convinced that you will dig in deeper again to eradicate these problems and restore Nigerians pride of place among the comity of nations,” the former senate president said.

He added that the group has seen what elite complacency has caused nations and has resolved to unite across all divides to render whatever assistance it may be called upon to contribute to nation-building and ensuring enduring prosperity for our citizens.

”It is in this light and in the national interest that we wish to pledge our support as you work to restore national security, build an economy that works for all and strengthen the bond of unity amongst our disparate peoples, ” he said.

Nnamani also commended the President for his trust in appointing some of their members to critical national positions, recognising their vital role in nation-building.

Felicia Asuquo

Ahead of the Governorships election in Edo State slated for Saturday, September 21,2024,President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on all stakeholders in the upcoming Edo State governorship elections to conduct themselves peacefully and sportingly.

The President in Press release signed by his Special Adviser on lnformation and Strategy,Mr Bayo Onanuga implores the governorship candidates, political parties, and supporters to respect the democratic process and the people’s will. He believes in the voters’ ability to make informed decisions about their future leaders.

President Tinubu emphasises that democracy thrives on civility, tolerance, patience, and respect for the rules of the game. He notes that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has committed to conducting a free and fair election and urges all stakeholders to work together to ensure a successful and peaceful process.

Tinubu went further to commend the governorship candidates and political parties for their campaigns, which have focused on issues that matter most to the people of Edo State, including improving livelihoods, promoting economic growth, and contributing to national development.

He urges all citizens in the state to remain peaceful and respectful throughout the voting process. He encourages them to resolve any disagreements amicably through the constituted authorities.

In addition, President Tinubu expresses his unwavering confidence in the professionalism and integrity of security agencies and INEC officials, while urging them to remain impartial and avoid any actions that could compromise the integrity of the electoral process.

 

……..As Coca-Cola Announces $1billion lnvestment in Nigeria.

Felicia Asuquo, Abuja 

President Bola Tinubu has reiterated his administration’s commitment to creating a robust financial system and a business-friendly economy that will attract more foreign direct investments.

The President made the commitment on Thursday 19, September 2024 at the State House in Abuja, as the Coca-Cola Company announced plans to invest $1 billion in Nigeria over the next five years.

Investigator news reports that the announcement was made at a meeting between the President and the global leadership team of Coca-Cola Company, led by Mr John Murphy, its president and chief financial officer, and the Chairman of Nigerian Bottling Company, Ambassador Segun Apata.

President Tinubu went further to commend Coca-Cola for its long-standing partnership with Nigeria and for promoting investment opportunities that have employed over 3000 people across nine production facilities.

”We are business-friendly, and as I said at my inauguration, we must create an environment of easy-in and easy-out for businesses.

‘We are building a financial system where you can invest, re-invest, and repatriate all your dividends. I have a firm belief in that,” he said.

The President told the delegation that private sector partnerships, which sustain investments, are central to his government’s far-reaching reforms to improve the business environment.

He pledged that the government would continue partnering with Coca-Cola to expand investments in Nigeria and address environmental issues, including climate change.

He said,”The size of this country is enormous in Africa, and the consumption capacity of Nigeria is expanding daily,” President Tinubu added while commending the company for scaling up its skill development and community initiatives as part of its corporate social responsibility.

Presenting an overview of Coca-Cola’s business in Nigeria, Murphy noted that the company generates N320 billion annually through nearly 300,000 customers and contributes almost N90 billion in revenue to the Nigerian government.

”We are very proud of the growth of the business over a long period and its impact on the daily lives of many Nigerians.

”Beyond the financial impacts, we are also very committed to supporting the communities, and over the last number of years, we’ve had a special focus on several areas in the world of sustainability, water packaging and others, ” he said.

Mr Zoran Bogdanovic, CEO of Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, explained that the company’s confidence in Nigerian government policies had encouraged it to make the $1 billion investment pledge.

”Mr President, in your inaugural address, we were very pleased to hear of your invitation for foreign investors to invest and your assurance that foreign businesses can repatriate dividends and profits.

”That assurance gives us the confidence to continue our investments. Since 2013, we have invested $ 1.5 billion in Nigeria in capacity expansion, transformation of our supply chain infrastructure capabilities, training and development.

”I am very pleased to announce that, with a predictable and enabling environment in place, we plan to invest an additional $1 billion over the next five years.

”We believe Nigeria’s potential is tremendous, and we are committed to working with the government to realise this potential,” he said.