Day: July 12, 2024

The National Councilors Forum of Nigeria has commended the Federal Government and the Supreme Court for the judgement affirming the financial autonomy of Local Governments.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the apex court had on Thursday held that the 20.6 per cent of the federation account allocation must be directly paid to local government accounts henceforth, bypassing state control.

The National President of the forum, Yusuf Baba, while briefing newsmen in Abuja, said the failure of some state governments to put democratically elected local government system in place was a deliberate subversion of the 1999 Constitution.

Baba said that some state governors have refused to put in place a democratically elected local government system even where no state of emergency had been declared to warrant the suspension of democratic institutions in the state.

According to him, to continue to disburse funds from the federation account to such state for non-existing democratically elected local govern
ment system is to undermine the sanctity of the 1999 constitution.

‘Consequently, we, the leadership of the National Councilors Forum of Nigeria hereby present ourselves today, to rejoice with the Federal Government, the entire local governments of the federation and ultimately the Supreme Court, for this success of granting the local governments their constitutional rights and autonomy to that effect,’ he said.

The forum’s president added that there would no longer be excuses on the part of the local councils chairmen and Councilors not to perform and deliver good governance at the grassroots.

According to him, if the local government councils are getting their funds directly, people at the grassroots should expect good governance and dividends of democracy especially through projects and infrastructure.

On the conduct of local council elections, Baba said that state electoral bodies should further be strengthened to deliver credible elections and faulted the call for INEC to conduct local government ele
ctions.

NAN reports that the Apex Court declared that it is unconstitutional for state governors to hold funds allocated for local government administrations.

The seven-member panel, in the judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, declared that the 774 local government councils in the country should manage their funds themselves.

The apex court held that the power of the government is portioned into three arms of government; the federal, the state and the local government.

The court further declared that a state government has no power to appoint a caretaker committee and a local government council is only recognisable with a democratically elected government.

The court also held that the use of a caretaker committee amounts to the state government taking control of the local government and is in violation of the 1999 Constitution.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu has welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court affirming the spirit, intent and purpose of the 1999 Constitution on the statutory rights of local governments.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the President’s spokesman, in a statement on Thursday said, Tinubu noted that a fundamental challenge to the nation’s advancement over the years had been, ineffective local government administration,

According to the President, governance at the critical cellular level of socio-political configuration was nearly absent.

Tinubu emphasised that the onus was now on local council leaders to ensure that the broad spectrum of Nigerians living at that level are satisfied that they are benefitting from people-oriented service delivery.

‘The Renewed Hope Agenda is about the people of this country, at all levels, irrespective of faith, tribe, gender, political affiliation, or any other artificial line they say exists between us.

‘This country belongs to all of us. By virtue of this judgement, our people – especially
the poor – will be able to hold their local leaders to account for their actions and inactions.

‘What is sent to local government accounts will be known, and services must now be provided without excuses,’ he said.

The President said his administration instituted the suit because of its unwavering belief that Nigerians must have relief and the judgement would ensure that it would be only those local officials elected by the people that would control the resources of the people

‘This judgement stands as a resounding affirmation that we can use legitimate means of redress to restructure our country and restructure our economy to make Nigeria a better place to live in and a fairer society for all of our people,’ Tinubu’ said.

He noted that the provision of some essential amenities and public goods, such as the construction and maintenance of certain roads, streets, street lighting, drains, parks, gardens, open spaces, and other residual responsibilities, including community security, had tottered owing to th
e emasculation of local governments.

The President affirmed that the decision of the apex court to uphold the constitutional rights and ideals of local governments as regards financial autonomy, and other salient principles, was of historic significance.

He said, it further reinforced the effort to enhance Nigeria’s true federal fabric for the development of the entire nation.

Tinubu commended the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), for his diligence and patriotic effort on the important assignment.

He assured that his administration remained committed to protecting the principles of the charter, governing citizens, institutions of government, arms, and tiers of government, in furtherance of building an efficient and performance-driven governance system that will work for every Nigerian. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Despite heightened public awareness and intensive contact tracing efforts to control the spread of the Monkeypox disease, or Mpox, as it is known for short, South Africa has reported two additional laboratory-confirmed cases this week.

This brings the total number of infections to 22 since the first case was reported in May this year, while the death toll remains at three.

According to the Department of Health, available scientific data suggests that the disease is transmitted from person to person within the borders of the country.

‘The Department of Health calls for the public to maintain vigilant and never lower their guard against Mpox disease, as the country remains on high alert for a possible surge,’ the statement read.

The latest case involves a 40-year-old man who was diagnosed at a private health facility in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, on 6 July 2024.

‘The patient is from Johannesburg, Gauteng, but travelled to Durban over the past weekend, where an Mpox-like rash developed,’ the department explain
ed.

The other case involved a 26-year-old man from Nquthu in KwaZulu-Natal who presented with an Mpox-like rash at a local hospital.

‘Both new cases self-identified as MSM [men who have sex with men] with no international, but local travel history.’

The department is urging people who experience any of the Mpox symptoms, with or without an international travel history, to present themselves to a health facility for clinical observation and confine themselves to one place until their test results are available.

Some of the common symptoms of Mpox include a rash, which may last for two to four weeks, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen glands.

Meanwhile, contact tracing and monitoring are ongoing in both provinces, especially amongst the close contacts of the patients, said the department.

‘We urge all the identified and suspected contacts to cooperate with health officials during contact tracing for screening and possible diagnosis to prevent further transmission of this prev
entable and treatable disease.’ – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says as government commences with the work of the seventh administration and the next 30 Years of Freedom, it is important to address the challenges that still confront the country with greater performance and momentum.

‘We need to continue to support Stats SA and ensure it plays a pivotal role in providing critical socio-economic data that informs decision making across government and business broadly,’ Ntshavheni said.

Presenting the Stats SA Budget Vote in Cape Town on Wednesday, Ntshavheni said it is statistical data and information that will give government insight into the nation’s needs and achievements, and will help monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of government policies and programmes.

‘Therefore, understanding and managing the data ecosystem is crucial for the country to harness the full potential of data, make informed decisions and adapt to evolving business landscapes,’ Ntshavheni said.

Ntshavheni said this will be achieved t
hrough collaboration, partnerships and platforms and that Stats SA must continue to lead in the South African data ecosystem to ensure that the data gap is closed.

‘Statistical data is indicating that our economy is three times larger and many times more inclusive and diversified than it was 30 years ago. Millions of citizens have been lifted out of poverty and employment has more than doubled.

‘Despite this progress, millions remain unemployed, in particular, the youth who are caught in structural unemployment where the qualifications they possess are not relevant for the job market nor self-employment.

‘For South Africa to reach its developmental goals as espoused in the National Development Plan (NDP), there is a need to use data and statistical information to not only improve the performance of government, but all of society,’ Ntshavheni said.

Ntshavheni said as a government that considers itself to be located within communities and society, it will work with all sectors to secure growth, security and
prosperity that all wish to enjoy in a lifetime and into the future.

‘Therefore, Stats SA will be one of our key institutional assets on this quest for a better future. This asset, Stats SA, is a jewel in the crown of the capacity of the state and its rigour and integrity is globally respected.

‘Stats SA itself has a productive, intergenerational mix of experience and institutional memory alongside the energy and innovation that comes with a cohort of statisticians and other professionals who were born and educated in this democratic dispensation.

‘For the richness of Stats SA’s outputs, we are deeply indebted to the millions of South Africans, who trustingly and graciously share their information and time with us so we can have numerical picture of the nation as it goes about living and working,’ the minister said.

Ntshavheni said Stats SA’s 2024/25 Work Programme reflects the drive to deliver the statistics that the country needs and can apply to build a better South Africa.

‘Stats SA delivered the res
ults of the first digital census to the nation in October 2023. The population census offers us the most comprehensive set of statistical information to the lowest geographic level,’ she said.

The Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for Stats SA is R2.65 billion for 2024/25, and R2.75 billion and R2.89 billion in the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years, respectively. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency

To boost economic growth, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), says it will intensify its efforts to help South African companies and State-owned enterprises pursue significant opportunities in Africa.

‘We are looking to strengthen our partnerships in Africa to address business challenges and create a favourable environment for conducting business,’ DIRCO Minister, Ronald Lamola, said on Thursday.

Tabling the Budget Vote for the 2024/25 financial year in Parliament, the Minister announced that the department had been allocated R6.57 billion, reflecting a 5% reduction.

He announced that South Africa has maintained its strong position as an investor in Africa over the past year, with over 450 projects in various countries.

‘This achievement results from our coordinated approach and investment initiatives, and we commend the efforts of our development finance institutions, such as the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the Industrial Development Corporation,’ he explained.

H
e also pledged to continue collaborating closely with neighbouring countries in the Southern Africa region to enhance cooperation in areas such as oil and gas, green hydrogen, water resources, and the facilitation of goods and services.

The Minister believes that these initiatives are important to bolster the country’s economy and improve the livelihoods of people while contributing towards the full attainment of the regional integration agenda.

In addition, Lamola said work was underway to hasten the completion of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase II to increase energy cooperation with Mozambique and Namibia.

South Africa, he said, is also working to implement the renewed Grand Inga Treaty with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Grand Inga project can generate over 40 000 megawatts (MW) of electricity, sufficient to meet most of the power requirements for the entire Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

‘We have established the Coordination Mechanism for Economic Diplomacy, co
nsisting of government departments and the private sector. This mechanism aims to facilitate cooperation among relevant public and private sector stakeholders in advancing South Africa’s interests in Africa.’

In addition, the Minister said the Government of National Unity’s statement of intent commits to a foreign policy guided by human rights, constitutional principles, and the national interest, as well as solidarity and the peaceful resolution of conflict.

‘The aim is to work towards achieving the African Agenda 2063, promoting cooperation between the Global South and North, and fostering multilateralism.

‘Ultimately, the goal is to contribute to the creation of a just, peaceful, and equitable world.’

He said South Africa will continue to deepen and harness its relations with partners on the continent.

According to Lamola, the country established 46 structured bilateral mechanisms, 12 of which are at the Presidential level.

‘These mechanisms allow our country to exchange views on national, regional,
and global issues.’ – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola says his department, which is facing a critical staff shortage, must do more with less due to resource constraints.

A critical challenge faced by the department, Lamola explained, is managing exchange rate volatility, which affects 60% of expenditures allocated to missions abroad.

The Minister was speaking during his Budget Vote Speech for the 2024/25 financial year, where he announced that the department had been allocated R6.57 billion, which dropped by 5% compared to the previous year.

‘Strategic cost management in this area is essential to safeguarding our financial stability. Equally vital is addressing employee compensation, where the current ceiling set by the National Treasury requires careful consideration to maintain workforce morale and operational efficiency.’

According to the Minister, the department could only fill critical vacancies identified at the head office to remain within the baseline for employee compensation, which resu
lted in a ‘very high vacancy rate’.

He said that this hurts the department’s operations and service delivery.

‘However, several line function posts were filled at the Assistant Director, Deputy Director and Director levels, mainly through internal promotions to address the lack of upward mobility,’ he added.

The Minister also announced that the department cannot fill all the critical vacancies with the available funds, and operations continue to be negatively affected.

‘The June 2024 mission posts placement process was also deferred due to the shortfall in the compensation of employees’ budget. Additional funding is thus required to cover the shortfall and fill other critical vacancies at the head office and missions abroad.’

This financial year, he stated that the department will improve its information and technology and property infrastructure portfolio to optimise resources.

‘This strategic initiative aims to release more lease funds and redirect them towards operational needs. While these budget ad
justments pose challenges, they also present opportunities for efficiency gains and prioritisation of essential expenditures.’

He informed Parliament that the department will soon be advertising a cadet programme and a youth development initiative, which he deems crucial to the national youth development imperative and the department’s future capacity requirements.

The department is also finalising its organisational structure review process to streamline the business units and processes and optimise scarce resources to leverage global economic opportunities in advancing the country’s national interest, he added.

‘Our commitment to delivering quality services and fostering economic growth remains unwavering. This budget signifies our determination to balance fiscal prudence with the imperative to support our citizens and invest in our nation’s future.’ – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency