Constitutions
Segun Adeniyi: Devolution of power alone can’t solve Nigeria’s problems
Nigerian Monitor The chairman of THISDAY editorial board, Olusegun Adeniyi, says devolution of power is not the only solution to Nigeria’s problems. Adeniyi said for it to be effective, devolution of power must come with accountability at all levels especially at the local government where administration “has been castrated”. He was speaking at ‘The Platform’, an annual programme organised by Covenant Christian Centre, which was held in Lagos on Saturday. The seasoned journalist added that from past experience, closer government does not necessarily translate to better governance. “Today, there is hardly anybody in our country who is not angry about the situation in which we find ourselves. But nobody is accepting responsibility because the other person or the other ethnic group is to blam...
Minister dissolves board of sports federation, set up caretaker committee
Barely three months to Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the Minister of Youth and Sports Federation, Chief Sunday Dare, has dissolved all the boards of 31 National Sports Federations and set up caretaker committees to run the fairs of the federation. This was disclosed in a press statement on Friday in Abuja. Minister said the dissolution of boards of Federations was inline with the Olympic Charter which stipulates a four year tenure for all Sports Federations Boards, “In keeping with the Olympic Charter which stipulates a 4 year tenure for all Sports Federations Boards, the tenure of the National Olympic Sports Federations in Nigeria have come to an end. There is a need for a transition from the old Boards to the new one. “Within the last 4 years, a few of the National Sports Federations Boards ...
Nigerian monarchs demand roles in constitutional review
The National Traditional Council of Nigeria has called on the National Assembly Joint Committee on the review of the 1999 constitution to ensure a constitutional provision is made with a view to creating roles for traditional rulers in matters involving religion, culture, security, justice and other ancillary matters. The council also accused the regimes of Gen. Aguiyi Ironsi, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo of relegating the traditional institution to the background with no constitutional role. The Chairman of the council and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, said late Gen. Ironsi’s 1966 Unitary Government Decree, Gen. Gowon’s and Gen. Obasanjo’s 1967 and 1976 Local Government Reforms Decrees respectively, stripped traditional rulers of their powers an...
Sports ministry denies appointing new AFN chief
The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has denied appointing Mr. People S.Y Pepple as Director-General for the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), warning the sporting public, MDAs and law enforcement agencies not to do business with him. This was made known in a press statement issued by the Permanent Secretary Youth and Sports Development Mr. Gabriel Aduda, saying such designation does not exist in the 38 National Sporting Federations. The statement reads: “This is to bring to the notice of the sporting public, MDAs and law enforcement agencies the impersonation of the Office of the Secretary General of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) by one Mr. Pepple S.Y. who claims to be the Director General of the Federation. “Nigeria has 38 National Sporting Federations under the supe...
Nigerian National Assembly spends billions of naira on constitution review
The perennial constitution amendment exercise by the National Assembly is characterised by proposals that keep resurfacing despite gulping billions of naira yearly, an analysis has shown. The federal parliament had from the 5th to the current 9th National Assembly made several attempts to amend some provisions of the 1999 Constitution to no avail. At every session, the parliament officially spends N1 billion shared equally between the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are reports that the lawmakers spend more than what is appropriated for the exercise. While some amendments were successful, several others suffered serial failures but kept appearing in new proposals. Considering the huge spending, lawyers and civil society groups have pointed out that no significant amendments ...