Headlines

Constitutional lawyer Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN) has criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s new ministerial nominees, stating they violate the federal character principle.

Ozekhome noted the appointments came too late, considering many ministers performed poorly. He also questioned the impact of the ministry restructuring, calling it “cosmetic window dressing.”

In an interview with newsmen, Ozekhome accused President Tinubu of perpetuating former President Muhammadu Buhari’s legacy of non-compliance with laws promoting national unity and social justice.

Specifically, Ozekhome pointed out that Ogun State, one of Nigeria’s smallest states, has four ministers, while other states may not even have one minister. This, he argued, contradicts Sections 14 (1) and 14 (3) and Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution.

Ozekhome emphasized the appointments breach constitutional provisions and Section 7 (1) of the Third Schedule, Part One, highlighting the need for adherence to federal character principles.

The Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has shut down all activities in universities across the country today as they embark on an indefinite strike over unpaid salaries.

In a statement made available to reporters on Sunday and signed by National President, SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim, General Secretary, NASU, Prince Peters Adeyemi, said the ultimatum it gave the Federal Government over its withheld salaries expired Sunday midnight.

The Federal Government had through the Ministry of Labour and Employment invoked the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy when the four university-based unions embarked on a prolonged strike in 2022.

Last October, President Bola Tinubu directed the payment of four of the eight months withheld salaries for the academic staff. It was finally paid in February.

The directive was silent about the non-teaching staff, raising concerns as to their fate. The unions also described the directive as selective and kicked against it.

The unions subsequently wrote to the government, gave ultimatums, protested and held warning strikes, but their four-month salaries are still being withheld.

The statement, called on all the state-owned universities to also incorporate their local demands into the strike action as appropriate.

SSANU members are in charge of major facilities on campuses, which has sparked fears of a standstill of activities if the strike begins today.

“Our members are in charge of water supply, electricity, communication, internet supply, security, finance, if they pay this money tomorrow (today), we will call off the strike,” SSANU boss Ibrahim told reporters.

The strike holds as President Tinubu directed outgoing Minister of Education Prof Mamman Tahir to hand over office to the incoming Dr Tunji Alausa on Wednesday.

Efforts to reach the Federal Ministry of Education for reaction to the industrial action by both unions were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.

The Federal Government of Nigeria is set to begin direct payment of statutory allocations to Local Government Areas by November 2024.

This information was disclosed by the National President, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Hakeem Ambali, on Sunday during an interview with journalists.

Also, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission assured of its commitment to diligently monitoring and tracking expenditures of the 774 LG chairmen from the revenue disbursement allocated from the Federal Government every month.

The latest development marks a significant turning point in the implementation of LG autonomy as mandated by the Supreme Court and ahead of the October 31st deadline set for states to conduct LG elections.

In May, the Federal Government, represented by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, filed a lawsuit to challenge the governors’ authority to receive and withhold federal allocations meant for Local Government Areas.

The suit sought to prevent state governors from unilaterally dissolving democratically elected local government councils and establishing caretaker committees.

The Supreme Court, on July 11, 2024, gave a landmark judgment affirming the financial autonomy of the 774 LGs in the country and ruled that governors could no longer control funds meant for the councils.

The seven-member Supreme Court panel, led by Justice Garba Lawal, ruled that it was illegal and unconstitutional for governors to manage and withhold LG funds.

The apex court also directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to pay LG allocations directly to their accounts, as it declared the non-remittance of funds by the 36 states unconstitutional.

The Niger Delta Development Force, a militant group in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region, has issued an ultimatum to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu regarding the constant interference of Nyesom Wike, Federal Capital Territory Minister, in Rivers State governance.

The group accuses Wike of undermining Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s authority and threatening local government funding. Spokesperson for the group, Justin Alabraba expressed their discontent, warning that any adverse court ruling would prompt decisive action.

The militia threatened to blow up major oil facilities across the Niger Delta and disrupt national governance if President Tinubu fails to intervene. According to them, Wike’s actions is a federal overreach intended to intimidate Governor Fubara.

The group asserted that Wike has consistently belittled and harassed Governor Fubara, vowing to destroy oil infrastructure if the interference persists. They view President Tinubu’s inaction as complicity.

The militia concluded with a severe warning, stating that any unfavorable judgment against Rivers would trigger relentless targeting of oil installations, emphasizing that this is a pledge, not merely a threat.