Governor Fubara Orders Audit Of Local Government Accounts 

As the political crisis in Rivers State is yet to resolve, the Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has called for the audit of local government accounts in the state. He gave the order after he swore in new caretaker chairmen for the 23 local government areas of the state. The swearing-in ceremony was currently ongoing at the Government House in Port Harcourt, amid tight security.  The swearing comes a day after the governor forwarded the list to the state House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Victor Jumbo. Earlier, the Rivers Assembly passed the Local Government Amendment bill into law but Fubara failed to assent to the bill.  While the governor did not sign the bill, the lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule vetoed him. The amended bill which the governor failed to assent, empowered the Rivers State Assembly to extend the tenure of council chairpersons, their vice, and councillors where it is deemed impossible to hold elections before the end of their three-year tenure. However, the court nullified the amended law, prompting an appeal.  The appeal court is set to deliver a ruling on the matter on June 20, 2024.

Peter Obi leads LP rally for LG election in Edo

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, on Monday in Benin, led a mega rally for the party ahead of the September 2 Local Government Area election in Edo State. Addressing the teeming party members who trooped out for the event, Obi described the local government area system as “where development, particularly of the grassroots is domiciled. “Local government is the nearest to the people and it is supposed to be the root for ensuring development for the people. “The three most critical areas of development are health, education and poverty eradication and they are responsibilities of the local government. “So, for the system to work, for a country to develop well, it is the local government as everything that has to do with development is domiciled in the local government. “That is why it is critical to our development and sustainability. As a governor, I was prevented by litigations from conducting local government election for over six years. “So, we are here today to support our candidates in the forthcoming local government election in Edo. We will support them with everything,” he said. Obi, however, tasked voters in the state to vote en mass for candidates of the party in the election, assuring them that in doing so, their future would be protected. Speaking earlier, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr Julius Abure, commended Governor Godwin Obaseki for putting modalities in place for the conduct of the election but warned, however, that the election must be free and fair. “We have the best candidates that can man the local government system in Nigeria, hence, the need for the people to vote for all our candidates in the coming local government election,” Abure said. Also speaking, Mr Olumide Akpata, governorship aspirant for the 2024 election in Edo,  urged the electorate not  to entertain fear but to go out and vote all LP candidates in the election. Akpata, immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said the candidates were persons of impeccable character, who could deliver on the programmes of the LP.