Politics

A Member of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Garba Datti, has advised state governors not to prevent local government Areas from becoming autonomous.

Datti (CPC-Kaduna) gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

He said if local governments were autonomous, the funds allocated to the councils would no longer be diverted by some governors.

"Some of the state governors used local government funds to embark on personal projects.

"The activities of some governors necessitated the need for the House of Representatives to amend the constitution in such a way as to grant local government councils the autonomy they deserve," he said.

Datti alleged that on some occasions, governors were in the habit of releasing money to the councils for personnel and overhead cost only while the remaining funds were used for political purposes.

"The joint account between the state and the local governments is a big joke as it has been bastardised by the state governors.

``If the joint account is meaningful to the local governments, majority of the governors will not be rejecting the proposed autonomy for local councils. There is something fishy," he said.

Datti, however, advised state assemblies not to be rubber stamps in the hands of their governors.

He urged them to desist from taking directives that would not lead to the development of their councils.

He said that majority of the state assemblies lacked the political will to amend the constitution in such a way that would lead to the economic development of their states.

He said the assemblies only voted for those things that would serve the ``whims and caprices'' of their governors.

Datti advised the governors not to work against the amendment of the constitution that would grant local government autonomy by being clogs in the wheel of progress of the societies.

On the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), the legislator said he was not in support of the provision of fund for the host community in the bill.

He said that the 13 per cent derivation given to state governments should be given to the host communities.

"I am not totally against the host communities fund.

``But the experience we have had in the past with the 13 per cent derivation given to the state governments was not palatable.

``The fund should instead be given to the host communities,'' he said.

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The Police Commissioner in Jigawa, Mr Kayode Theophilus, has warned officers and men of the command to desist from any act of indiscipline and criminality.

Theophilus gave the warning while addressing policemen in Kirikasama Divisional Police Office in Jigawa on Friday.

He said that the police were supposed to be outstanding, well-behaved and exhibit good characters at all times.

The police chief said that henceforth, local government council chairmen and traditional rulers in the state would evaluate the performance of officers and men posted to their respective areas.

“Our main duty is to protect lives and property at all times and we must do that with all sense of discipline and dedication.”

He said that any policeman found involved in any social vice would be punished accordingly.

Later at a stakeholders' meeting, the commissioner also advised people to report any police officer and men involved in any act of criminality in the area. (NAN)

A community leader and two others on Friday appeared before an Owode Egba Chief Magistrates' Court in Ogun for allegedly stealing a bunch of plantain valued at N2,000.

Police prosecutor Evidence Oyenkaobi told the court that the accused, Jimoh Adebayo, 50; Wahab Ayenreti, 70; and Suraju Ayenreti, 35, committed the alleged offence on Dec. 31, 2012.

Oyenkaobi said the accused at about 9 p.m. at Imedu-Nla Village, Mowe in Owode Egba, jumped into the compound of Jubilee Baptist Church and stole the bunch of plantain.

``The community leader (Adebayo) and his accomplice jumped into the compound of the church, cut the bunch of plantain and were carting it away when they were caught.

``They were sighted by the pastor of the church, who was threatened and chased away with a cutlass by the third accused to prevent him from raising alarm," he said.

He said the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 516, 390 (9) and 86 (2) of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun, 2006.

The accused, who pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and threat to life, were represented by their counsel, Mr Ade Agbolade.

Agbolade applied for bail for his clients, assuring the court that they would not jump bail.

In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Emanuel Adekunte granted the accused bail in the sum of N100,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

He adjourned the case to March 21, for further hearing in the matter. (NAN)

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