Autonomy of LGAs is in hands of people ― Gbajabiamila - Newstrends
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Autonomy of LGAs is in hands of people ― Gbajabiamila

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6 years ago

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The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila on Monday said that the realization of autonomy of the local government councils was dependant on the people. He stated this in Abuja on Monday at a two-day capacity training for the newly elected councillors and local government council chairmen from Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency of Delta State.

The training was organized by the House of Representatives minority leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu. Gbajabiamila said that the autonomy of the third tier of the government rested on the people at the grassroots. He recalled that the national assembly had successfully amended the constitution to grant autonomy to the local government in the time past but was turned down by the States as they couldn’t muster the required two-third majority of the votes. “The Minority Leader of the House is here with his councilors of his local government, from his constituency to train them on leadership. “We talk about training all the time but who are we training and what are we training them for? This is leadership training for councilors and I thank Elumelu for thinking about this.

“This institute has been in the making for a long time and I believe at the end of the exercise, they would have received a lot of education on what leadership is all about. “Some people are born leaders, some learn to acquire leadership but either way, whether you’re born a leader or acquire it, you have to go do that training exercise to be able to horn your experiences and qualities you have in order to maximize your skills. “And what better place to start than with the local government councilors. As you all know, that is the bedrock of our society. “It’s not for us as legislators to do that. I’m sure you’re surprised but it’s actually for the people to address, the reason being, we have a constitutional amendment. “We will throw it to the people and they will make their decision. We did it the last time but we went back to the states and we couldn’t get the 2/3rd. “There’s a process. We followed due process. We amended it last time but 2/3rd of the States didn’t not agree with us. So it’s the people that will decide whether they want autonomy or not. “We will do what we need to do as the constitution provides”, Gbajabiamila said. Earlier in his interaction with the officials, Gbajabiamila underscored the importance of giving recourse to the principle of separation of powers, asking the newly elected councillors and Chairmen to be bold in discharging their constitutional mandates even at the risk of offending some people. “I’m just going to have a little interaction with you because a lot of things are misunderstood when it comes to local government level of government. “Many people believe and say that there are three tiers of government. Yes, there are three tiers of government. But do we understand what a tier means?

“A tier means that there are different layers. And those layers are independent and they check each other. Many people believe there is a separation of powers. “Let me ask quickly without trying to embarrass any of the Chairmen or any of the Councillors. What do you understand your role to be in government, constitutionally? “Does anybody have an answer to that? I don’t think so, but we all have a general understanding. “But many of us are not bold enough when we are actually told the specifics of what our roles are because we are beholding to whoever and I said this at the risk of respecting the powers of State Governors, the federal government, and in also balancing it on understanding the powers within these responsibilities of the local government. “So there’s something called ultra vires in law and that concept cuts across everything including governance. I as a president cannot interfere in your work, constitutionally given to you by the Constitution at the local government. “Neither can you do what the state Governor is supposed to do. “So, when we talk about separation of powers, most time people understand that concept to mean executive, judiciary and the legislature but that’s a very narrow interpretation of separation of powers. “That is the horizontal separation of powers. There are two types of separation of powers – the vertical and the horizontal. The vertical separation of powers is what concerns you. “And that is the federal, the state and the local government. It is what makes any sane society work. “We all try to model ourselves and look at America, look at Germany, look at several other countries not realizing that or understanding that they have clearly defined the roles of everybody and the people who defined this role did it for a purpose. “So when you go outside the rules that are defined and everybody jumps into everybody’s role will you get what is chaos. But how do you now realize and go back to what we talked about, leadership? “You have to be bold even sometimes at the risk of offending some people. “For some people, they argue that the local government of governance at the local government level is probably the most important in any democracy because you are the ones that are in touch with the people that matter – people at the Grassroots”, he said.

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Tragedy in Nsukka as Six UNN Graduates Reportedly Found Dead After Final Exams

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November 12, 2026

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Tragedy in Nsukka as Six UNN Graduates Reportedly Found Dead After Final Exams
University of Nigeria Nsukka with Professor Kamoru Olayiwola Usman

Tragedy in Nsukka as Six UNN Graduates Reportedly Found Dead After Final Exams

NSUKKA, ENUGU STATE — Tragedy has struck the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), following reports that six fresh graduates of the institution have been found dead inside an apartment in the Hilltop area of Nsukka, Enugu State.

The victims, reportedly comprising five females and one male, were said to have been discovered lifeless on Thursday morning, barely a day after completing their final examinations.

The incident has thrown the university community into mourning, with students and residents struggling to come to terms with the shocking development.

According to reports, the deceased had recently concluded their academic activities and were said to have participated in sign-out celebrations marking the completion of their studies.

The gathering, which was expected to be a moment of excitement and celebration after years of academic pursuit, reportedly ended in tragedy.

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The circumstances surrounding the deaths remain unclear, as there are conflicting reports about the number of victims and what transpired inside the apartment.

Meanwhile, the Acting Public Relations Officer of the university, Inya Agha Egwu, has acknowledged receiving enquiries about the incident and assured journalists that the university management would issue an official statement.

Efforts to obtain an immediate response from the Enugu State Police Command were reportedly unsuccessful as calls to the Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, were unanswered.

As of the time of filing this report, the identities of the deceased and the actual cause of their deaths had yet to be officially established.

The tragic development has raised concerns across the university community, with students and residents awaiting further information from the police and university authorities.

Further details will be provided as official statements emerge.

Tragedy in Nsukka as Six UNN Graduates Reportedly Found Dead After Final Exams

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BREAKING: Manchester United Sack Michael Carrick After Disastrous Start to Season

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November 12, 2026

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BREAKING: Manchester United Sack Michael Carrick After Disastrous Start to Season
Michael Carrick

BREAKING: Manchester United Sack Michael Carrick After Disastrous Start to Season

MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United have sacked head coach Michael Carrick with immediate effect following the club’s disastrous start to the 2026/27 season.

The 45-year-old Englishman was reportedly informed of the decision on Thursday morning after the club’s hierarchy concluded that a managerial change was necessary to address the team’s poor performances.

Carrick’s dismissal follows a disappointing run of results that has left Manchester United languishing in 18th position on the Premier League table, with just one victory from their opening 10 league matches.

The decision was reached following discussions involving chief executive Omar Berrada, director of football Jason Wilcox and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Carrick had come under mounting pressure in recent weeks, particularly after Manchester United suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth.

Although he was initially given another opportunity to turn the situation around, Sunday’s dramatic 4-4 draw against Aston Villa reportedly proved decisive.

United fought back from a two-goal deficit to rescue a point through two late stoppage-time goals. However, the result extended the club’s disappointing run and left them trapped in the relegation zone.

Meanwhile, former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is expected to take over as Manchester United’s next head coach.

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The Argentine, who currently manages the United States men’s national team, has reportedly reached a verbal agreement in principle with the Old Trafford club.

Manchester United are expected to activate a release clause believed to be worth approximately £7 million to secure his departure from the US national team, where his contract runs until 2030.

The overall compensation could rise if Pochettino brings members of his preferred coaching staff to Old Trafford.

Pochettino previously managed Southampton, Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, and is now being linked with a return to the Premier League.

Carrick’s dismissal represents a dramatic turnaround after his impressive performance during the second half of last season.

Appointed in January following the departure of Ruben Amorim, the former Manchester United midfielder guided the club to a third-place Premier League finish and secured qualification for the UEFA Champions League.

However, his success last season could not shield him from the consequences of United’s poor performances this campaign.

Pochettino’s potential first major assignment could be a high-profile Premier League encounter against Liverpool at Anfield on November 22, as Manchester United seek to revive their struggling season.

BREAKING: Manchester United Sack Michael Carrick After Disastrous Start to Season

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Notorious Bandit Kingpin, Kachalla Bello, Killed in Rival Gang Clash in Katsina Forest

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November 12, 2026

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Notorious Bandit Kingpin, Kachalla Bello, Killed in Rival Gang Clash in Katsina Forest

Notorious Bandit Kingpin, Kachalla Bello, Killed in Rival Gang Clash in Katsina Forest

KATSINA STATE – A notorious bandit leader identified as Kachalla Bello has reportedly been killed during a fierce gun battle between rival armed groups in a forest in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Bello was reportedly among those killed when rival bandit factions engaged in a deadly confrontation on Tuesday evening, November 10, 2026, amid an apparent struggle for territorial control.

According to local sources and counter-insurgency reports, the clash involved heavy exchanges of gunfire, leaving several fighters dead.

The late bandit leader was reportedly notorious for terrorising farming communities across parts of Katsina State through attacks, abductions and other criminal activities.

Beyond kidnapping for ransom, Bello was accused of subjecting some of his victims to forced labour on farmlands allegedly belonging to him.

Local accounts indicated that he frequently abducted farmers while they were working on their farms and compelled them to work on his farmland before considering their release.

His alleged activities reportedly contributed to insecurity, economic hardship and displacement among residents of affected communities, particularly farmers who depended on agriculture for their livelihoods.

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However, the Katsina State Police Command had yet to officially confirm Bello’s reported death as of the time of filing this report.

The Command’s spokesperson, Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu, reportedly said he was making efforts to verify the incident and establish the exact location of the alleged confrontation.

He explained that security personnel were working to identify the location of the clash and liaise with the relevant Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) for further investigation.

Meanwhile, security observers have repeatedly identified rivalries and internal disputes among armed criminal groups as factors contributing to violent confrontations within bandit networks operating across Nigeria’s North-West region.

The circumstances surrounding Bello’s reported death, including the number of casualties recorded during the encounter, remain unclear.

Further details are expected as security agencies work to establish what happened.

Notorious Bandit Kingpin, Kachalla Bello, Killed in Rival Gang Clash in Katsina Forest

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