The Federal Government has declared next Tuesday, July 5 and Wednesday, July 6 as public holiday to mark Eid-el Fitri Celebrations.
Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.), who made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, yesterday in Abuja, urged all Muslim faithful and Nigerians in general to extend the spiritual benefits of Ramadan, which are love, peace and justice, to their daily living, and through this, contribute to the development of the nation.
A statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Bassey Akpanyung, said Dambazau also urged Nigerians to use the opportunity of “this spiritual rejuvenation to reflect on the imperative of unity and peaceful co-existence in strengthening the bond of togetherness for a strong, virile nation.”
The minister wished Nigerians a peaceful celebration and urged total support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s avowed determination to bequeath to the nation an enduring political legacy.

Deducted funds: LGs win $3.2bn suit

The 774 local governments in the country have won a $3.2 billion illegal deduction suit instituted against the Federal Government.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to pay the $3.2 billion to the council’s accounts as it was wrongfully deducted. The judgement is three years old.
The judgment was given in favour of the councils in suit No FHC/ABJ/129/2013, filed on June 11, 2013, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In the suit, Aba North Local Government, some other local councils (applicants)  and Linas International Limited (creditor) sued the Attorney-General of the Federation, Ministry of Finance and Accountant-General of the Federation over the illegal deductions totalling $3.2 billion, made by the Federal Government from the statutory allocations due to the councils in respect of the 1992 London Club Debt Buy-Back and the 2006 London Club Debit exit championed by former Finance minister, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala.
The plaintiffs challenged a decision taken by the Federal Government in 1992, when the action was based on the 1999 Constitution, which did not become operational until seven years after the decision.
The suit also challenged the fact that the decision of the federal government was taken 21 years earlier.
Presiding judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola who delivered a ruling on Monday, told the CBN, after listening to the arguments of both sides, to go ahead to enforce the earlier judgement which directed a refund to the council.
Lead Counsel to the Council, Mr. Joe Okay Agi (SAN) had prayed the court to garnishee the sum of $3.2 billion in the hand of CBN and be paid to the councils.
The CBN had earlier told the court that they are in possession of over $26 billion belonging to the federal government
The judge dismissed earlier reports that payments had been made and said there was no such judgement directing payment into any account other than the local councils. “I have just delivered judgement today, there was no such order,” Justice Ademola added.
The order was in enforcement of earlier judgement of December 10, 2013 in which the court faulted the deduction from the local councils’ account by the federal government to service loans owed to the London Club and Paris Club.
The plaintiffs had also secured a federal government fiat to execute the judgement since similar refunds were made to some states.