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Law does not recognise sentiment, emotions, don’t Be Ignorant Of The Law, LAHA Hits Back At Suspended Chairman, Lawyer
The Lagos State House of Assembly has asked suspended chairman of Alimosho Local Government Area, Jelili Sulaimon, and his lawyer, Dr. Abdul Mahmud, to recognise the place of law rather than sentiments and emotions as guiding principles of legislative practices in Lagos State.
The advice by the Assembly today was in response to the purported reaction of the duo to the suspension of the council chairman by the House on Monday at plenary.
In a letter made available to the column.ng signed by Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, chairman, Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, further advised Jelili against ascribing self-made meanings to the laws empowering the lawmakers act where necessary in the interest of the people.
READ THE FULL REACTION BELOW:
JELILI SULAIMAN’S SUSPENSION BACKED BY LAW
The attention of the Lagos State House of Assembly has been drawn to a statement supposedly signed by Dr. Abdul Mahmud, counsel to the embattled Alimosho local government chairman, Mr. Jelili Sulaimon, claiming to condemn the unanimous agreement of the Assembly to suspend his client on Monday, October 7, 2024.
Beyond the sensational rhetoric and half-baked details in the statement that is replete with emotions rather than deep-thoughts, it is pertinent to break down the real situation and puncture arguments as to the powers of the House to suspend Mr. Jelili.
In his race to the public to ‘garner’ sentiments, Jelili’s lawyer forgot to remember that there are no local government areas that created themselves. In other words, the creation of a local government follows strict processes of the law and Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) creates the path to knowledge about this.
“The system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this Constitution guaranteed; and accordingly, the Government of every State shall, subject to Section 8 of this Constitution, ensure their existence under a Law which provides for the establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of such councils.” Does this answer a question from the arguments of Jelili’s lawyer as to who has the power to create laws that regulate the activities of local government councils and their administration?
For better understanding, that section provides for the existence of: democratically elected system of Local Government to be guaranteed by a law of the State House of Assembly.
The same section provides that the House of Assembly is required to make provisions for statutory allocation of public revenue to Local Government Councils in a State. Section 8(3) highlights the procedure to be undertaken by a State House of Assembly in the creation of a new Local Government Area(s) in a State while Section 8(4) highlights the procedure to be undertaken by a State House of Assembly, through law, in the boundary adjustment of existing Local Government Areas.
Now, Section 162 (8) of the Constitution stipulates that a Law of the State House of Assembly shall provide for the distribution of monies standing to the credit of Local Government councils in a State.
Maybe we should remind him, his client and those travelling with him that Section 128 of the same Constitution further gives clarity to the powers of the House of Assembly.
“Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, a House of Assembly shall have power
by resolution published in its journal or in the
office Gazette of the Government of the State
to direct or cause to be directed an inquiry or
investigation into –
(a) any matter or thing with respect to which it
has power to make laws.
Here and based on the above constitutional provision, we are moved to ask again: who is legally guaranteed to make the law that creates the running of the local government? It is definitely not the National Assembly which is granted the constitutional powers to create states and not local governments.
This brings us to the Lagos State Local Government Administration Law (as amended) upon which the creation, administration and related activities of the local government system of Lagos State are based.
For better public information and effective knowledge, Section 24(a) of the amended law gives powers to the Lagos State House of Assembly to pass a resolution for the removal or suspension of any chairman, vice chairman, or official of any local government area (LGA) or local council development area (LCDA) after conducting an investigation. It states further that all that is needed for this resolution is a simple majority of the Assembly members. This emphasis is further highlighted in Section 5 of the law.
The amendment aims to ensure accountability and maintain order within the local government structure in Lagos State.
With this level of enlightenment as to the position of the laws guiding the administration of local government councils, it is further important to avoid misinformation or misrepresentation of the recent Supreme Court judgement concerning local governments in Nigeria. There is a marked difference between financial autonomy (upon which the lawyer’s argument rests) and administrative powers of the House. The rush to churn out a defence armed, albeit, with inferior understanding of the Supreme Court judgement does not give a sufficient case against the action of the House of Assembly.
The Local Government Administration law from which the council chairman and other elected officials of the local government system derive their powers is a product of the House of Assembly. The office of the Auditor-General for Local Governments that monitors the financial activities of this third tier of government is created by the law made by the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The Local Government Service Commission which handles issues relating to the officials of local governments is a creation of the House of Assembly. The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) that conducts elections into elective offices at the local government level is a creation of the House of Assembly. Therefore, jettisoning these facts will amount to a poor knowledge of the legislature. If you say the Lagos State House of Assembly does not have the power over local governments, it means all these laws created by the House should not be in place. If the laws should not be in place, then why would local governments exist?
We learnt that in a bid to protect the chairman, the councillors of the Alimosho Local Government Area hurriedly suspended the Vice Chairman, Akinpelu Johnson. To show how laughable this is, it is good to note that the law guiding them does not have a provision for suspension. The Local Government Administration law gives them the opportunity to remove a chairman or vice chairman but this also comes with a process. Thus, the suspension of Johnson is simply invalid. It is therefore necessary to remind the council leader that he can also be removed in line with the Local Government Administration law of Lagos State. If he does not know this, then, it is a pity.
For the few trying to juxtapose the functions of the National Assembly with those of the House of Assembly in this case, they should take a chill pill and request to be tutored. The National Assembly cannot interfere with the runnings of a State. It is not a part of its duty. On the other hand, the constitution grants the State House of Assembly powers over the local governments.
It is to be noted that this is not the first time the Lagos State House of Assembly would be suspending the same council chairman. In May 2021, he was suspended with two others by the House for their total disregard for the local government guidelines created by the State Legislature.
While we urge against mawkishness, we would also like to task residents of the council and members of the public not to allow themselves be swayed by positions and opinions that are opposite the law in this regard.
Hon. Stephen Ogundipe
Chairman, Committee on Information
Lagos State House of Assembly
The United States has condemned the killing of members of the family of Plateau-based cleric, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, describing the attack as horrific and urging Nigerian authorities to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
In a statement shared on X on Thursday, the US Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs expressed condolences to the victims’ families and called for stronger measures to prevent further attacks on vulnerable communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
“The United States strongly condemns the horrific killing of members of Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo’s family in Plateau State, Nigeria. The continued violence targeting Christian communities and other vulnerable populations in Nigeria’s Middle Belt is deeply alarming,” the bureau said
The US said it had already engaged Nigerian officials on the worsening security situation, stressing that urgent action was needed to curb recurring attacks and hold perpetrators accountable.
“As I discussed last week with Nigerian officials, we must do more to prevent violent acts. The perpetrators must be held accountable, and urgent action is needed to strengthen security and protect Christians and other vulnerable communities,” the statement added.
The bureau reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to working with the Nigerian government to combat terrorism and violent extremism, stressing that Christians and other Nigerians should be able to practise their faith without fear of violence.
The statement followed the July 12 attack on Kum community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, where nine members of Rev. Dachomo’s extended family, including a two-month-old baby, were killed.
According to the cleric, the attackers, believed to be armed Fulani militias, asked for him by name before opening fire on his relatives.
Dachomo, who serves as Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, said his family had repeatedly been targeted because of his outspoken criticism of the violence in Plateau State.
He recalled that his grandmother and an uncle were also killed in previous attacks, adding that days after burying his relatives, he received a written death threat from the same group, warning that he would be their next target.
The Anambra State Government has clarified that its indefinite ban on graduation ceremonies applies to all kindergarten, primary and secondary schools across the state, except for students completing Senior Secondary School (SS3).
The clarification was contained in a press statement issued on Friday by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Law Mefor, following what the government described as public enquiries and concerns over the directive.
According to the government, Governor Chukwuma Soludo ordered the suspension of graduation ceremonies to reduce the financial burden imposed on parents by schools.
“The essence is to reduce the financial burden on parents,” the commissioner said.
The government explained that the ban covers all forms of graduation-related events, including “passing out,” “cross over,” and any similar ceremonies organised by schools.
Mefor further stated that the directive applies to both public and private schools operating in Anambra State.
However, he noted that students graduating from Senior Secondary School (SS3) are exempted from the ban.
The commissioner stressed that graduation ceremonies for SS3 students remain optional and, where organised, must not involve any levies or financial demands on students or their parents.
“Graduation ceremonies for students exiting Senior Secondary School are optional and, where carried out, must be conducted without any form of levy or financial demand on students and parents,” he said.
The state government also warned that school proprietors and administrators who violate the directive would face severe consequences.
“Any school management found in violation of this directive will face serious sanctions, which may include the closure of such school,” Mefor stated.
The clarification followed widespread reactions after the state government announced the suspension of graduation ceremonies, with many parents and school owners seeking details on the categories of schools affected and whether any exceptions would be allowed.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo, in October 2025, banned graduation ceremonies and Christmas parties in schools across the state as part of efforts to reduce the financial burden on parents and guardians.
The governor said the policy was designed to make education more affordable and equitable for families while discouraging unnecessary expenses associated with school activities.
Expressing concern over what he described as avoidable financial pressure on parents, Soludo had also directed schools to discontinue the use of textbooks designed for pupils to write in.
“This is to owners and administrators of government, private, and mission schools in Anambra: we have set out some basic standards to ensure that the poor are not made to spend so much just because their children are in school.
“One of the measures includes discontinuing the use of textbooks designed for students to write in. This practice forces parents to buy new textbooks annually.
“Once a child finishes a class, he should be able to pass on his textbooks to his younger siblings,” the governor had said.
At least, one person has been confirmed dead leaving others with different categories of injury, following an early-morning multiple-car crash along the Kara Bridge, inward Mowe/Ibafo on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which left hundreds of motorists stranded and grounded economic activities.
In a detailed report of the incident, the FRSC, Lagos Sector Command, said the first crash occurred at about 12:05 a.m. on the outbound carriageway towards Ibadan, involving five articulated trucks and one Toyota Sienna vehicle.
The FRSC report also said rescue and recovery operations were ongoing when another crash occurred at the inbound carriageway towards Lagos involving a commercial bus.
It added that Lagos State Traffic Management Agency LASTMA officials, FRSC officials, officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency LASEMA, and police operatives were on the ground to manage the situation. Tow trucks were also present as officials continued recovery operations.
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