By Suleiman Yakubu

The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Niger State Council have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give local government councils in the country administrative and political autonomy in addition to the financial autonomy already granted.
The President of NULGE in Niger State, Comrade Idrees Abdulkareem Lafene, made the call while addressing the chairmen and secretaries of the union from the 25 LGAs of the state, along with other members of organised labour in the state, at Labour House Minna shortly after embarking on a rally to appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Supreme Court for the landmark judgement.
The NULGE president, who is also the Niger State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said the rally embarked upon by members of the union was to register their appreciation to the president for the Supreme Court judgement that granted financial autonomy to LGAs in the country.
Comrade Lafene, while describing the judgement by the Supreme Court as a welcome development, said that giving the councils' administrative and political autonomy will bring the needed development to the grass-roots level.
According to him, granting local government councils administrative and political autonomy will go a long way in reducing the incessant cases of insecurity experienced in most parts of the local governments in the state.
He also called on the president to give a marching order to INEC to conduct local government council elections to ensure transparency, saying that by doing so, the vote of people at the grass roots will be counted while the handpicking of candidates by the party in power will be eliminated.
The NULGE boss, who had earlier applauded both the president and the Supreme Court for giving the local governments financial freedom, however, said that the autonomy will enable the people at the grassroots to enjoin the dividends of democracy.
Both the state chairman of NUT and TUC, in their separate goodwill messages, appreciated the president and supreme court for doing justice by granting autonomy to the local government councils in the country, which according to them was long overdue.
The duo, however, called on local government council chairmen to be faithful and deliver dividends of democracy to their people, warned against abuse of office, and also avoided spending recklessly.

By Suleiman Yakubu

Niger State Deputy Governor, Comrade Yakubu Garba, paid an unscheduled visit to the Minna general hospital facility on Wednesday evening to see the challenges it was facing.
The Deputy Governor said he visited on the directive of his principal, Farmer Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, to see how the state government would intervene and assist the management of the hospital to solve some of the challenges.
The Minna general hospital facility has been battling with issues of water and electricity supply in recent times, and the governor observed that it was not good for a facility like the general hospital.
He said the management of the general hospital has been doing its best to solve the problems, but some of the problems have defied the solutions provided, and the government deemed it right to come in and look at them holistically to provide permanent solutions to the problems.
"We are here under the directive of my principal, Famer Mohammed Umar Bago, to see for ourselves the true nature of the problems.
"Top among the problems are the issues of water supply and electricity. The management we are aware of has been doing their best, especially in the area of water supply. But you know how things are; when you close one place, another one opens," said the deputy governor.
He disclosed that the issue of water supply had already been taken care of even before his visit, but that they would still sit with the management of the hospital to see how a permanent solution could be found.
Also, on the issue of electricity, Comrade Yakubu Garba said the state government, alongside the management of the hospital, will sit with the management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to work out how constant electricity supply would be provided at the facility.
"One of the biggest challenges is the issue of electricity. Minna General Hospital is supposed to have a constant power supply, but you know the problem of electricity generally. We will sit with the management of the AEDC to see to the issue of power supply at the facility; even if we can't get 24 hours, we should be able to get at least 15 hours," he said.   Comrade Yakubu Garba also applauded the resilience of the management and staff of the Minna General Hospital for ensuring that the facility continued to serve the people despite the challenges.
The management of the Minna general hospital, led by the Chief Medical Director, Ishaq Mohammed Ma'ali, expressed their appreciation for the visit, saying the visit had rekindled their hope of getting lasting solutions to their problems.
Similarly, the Deputy Governor had earlier received members of the 2024 Amirul Hajj team, led by the Emir of Kagara, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmed Gunna, who paid him a condolence visit at his official residence in Minna. He appreciated the team for coming to identify with his bereaved family over the death of his wife, Hajiya Zaynab Yakubu Garba.