General
Transparency: Lagos Assembly to Amend State Audit Law
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Lagos State House of Assembly has concluded arrangement to strengthen the Audit Law in the state by amending it.
Speaking during a day public hearing on A Law to Amend the Lagos State Audit Law on Friday, Speaker of the House, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, said government must be transparent.
Mr Obasa, who was represented at the event by the Majority Leader, Mr Sanai Agunbiade, said government needed to generate revenue to serve the people and that government’s money must be spent for the purposes it is meant for.
“The Audit Department is very important and we must continue to make it functional and effective. The central internal audit is domiciled in Public Finance Management Law.
“The Bill seeks to amend 23 Sections of the law, take it to Audit Service Commission and bring all the auditors under one umbrella to exclude the control of Central Internal Audit from the Ministry of Finance.
“It is to extend the application of the audit law to local government audit commission.
“It is also to take care of little lapses in the law and strengthen our audit system in the state,” he said.
In his welcome address, Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Mr Moshood Oshun, said the amendment was necessary.
Mr Oshun added that the auditors, who he said were the state police, serve as checks and balances on the state’s budget.
The lawmaker stated that the auditors monitor the state’s expenditures, and commended the Auditor General of the state for what she has been doing.
Mr Oshun promised that the House would do its best and do the utmost for the auditors so that the tax payers would have confidence in the government.
“We will do everything within our powers for the auditors to give the best so that they can give us a good report, which would be properly treated.
“I want to appeal to the auditors to do the best within their ability so that we can have the Lagos of our dream that can be compared to any state in the world.
“You must do everything possible to be the state police on auditing.
“We must all contribute objectively to make the bill a better one. You can give us a memo to have a bill that we all can be proud of,” he said.
In his contribution, Chairman of the Lagos State Audit Service Commission, Mr Waliu Abiodun Onibon, observed that the original bill was passed in 2010 and not 2015, and that the Permanent Secretary to be appointed should be a chartered accountant by profession, saying that he is in-charge of in-house administration.
He suggested that the Chairman of the Commission should also be a professional accountant with cognate experience.
The State Auditor General, Mrs Morenike Helen Deile, stated that Public Sector Audit experience must be different from private experience, and that the two of them must have public sector experience.
Mrs Deile added that the commission would formulate polices, while the audit agencies would implement the policies.
“The Auditor General would be appointed on the recommendations of the State Civil Service Commission. Local Government Service Commission has nothing to do with it, it should be Audit Service Commission.
“Public financial management is a global framework. We should not repeal the provision in that law,” she said.
The Auditor General, who welcomed the amendment, stated that it would further empower auditors.
She stressed that there was no issue with her staff and that the MDAs have improved.
“There are always challenges because nobody wants to be audited. But by and large because of education we are not hostile to them, we are now strategic partners.
“The Lagos State Government started electronic financial system years back, but we cannot cut off from paper auditing just like that.
“We do electronic auditing of basic agencies that are on the platform. We even train system auditors amongst us and we give reports to the Assembly. We are telling the MDAs to do proper record keeping,” she said.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive of the Institute of Internal Auditors, Mr Humphrey Okorie, said the state was moving closer to international best practise on auditing, and commended the stat for the establishment of Audit Service Commission.
Composition of the commission
Mr Okorie advised that the commission should comprise a chairman and four others with a professional accountant and a professional auditor with 10 years’ experience.
He observed that there was a difference between internal auditing and accounting even if they are related.
According to him, an experienced auditor should be appointed as the Permanent Secretary, while there should be a Bureau for Internal Audit Services for the effectiveness of governance system and processes.
He added that internal auditors ought to be in various agencies to ensure that the necessary systems work.
“The head of Bureau for Internal Audit Services should be appointed by the Governor with cognate experience.
“He should not be at the director level. He should be reviewing and maintain services and ensure proper accountability and transparency,” he said.
Mrs Joko Ogundimu from the Lagos State Audit Service Commission said the main function of the Audit Service Commission was human resource management of auditors.
Mrs Ogundimu stated that the government must recruit people with experience in human resource management.
“Office of the Auditor General for Lagos State and Local Government should be Office of Auditor General for Lagos State, Local Government, and Internal Audit.
People in internal audit should have the appropriate experience. The status of the head of Central Internal Audit must also be a Permanent Secretary,” she said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that the latest United States airstrikes on Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) targets in northwest Nigeria were conducted at the request of the Nigerian government.
According to reports, the US struck at ISWAP targets in Jabo, Sokoto State, on Christmas night.
The ministry described the operation as a product of established counterterrorism cooperation between both countries.
In a press statement issued on Friday, the Ministry said the strikes were “undertaken following formal engagement and with the full knowledge and coordination of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
“The Government of Nigeria wishes to clarify that the airstrikes conducted by the United States against Islamic State elements in parts of northwest Nigeria were carried out at the request of Nigerian authorities and in line with existing bilateral security cooperation frameworks,” the statement said.
The Ministry stressed that Nigeria “remains firmly in control of all counterterrorism operations within its sovereign territory,” adding that international partners only provide support “where such assistance aligns with Nigeria’s national security objectives.”
According to the statement, the strikes form part of Nigeria’s broader strategy to “degrade terrorist capabilities, disrupt logistics networks, and protect civilian populations from violent extremist threats.”
The Foreign Ministry further emphasised that the federal government “will continue to work with trusted international partners to confront terrorism, banditry, and transnational criminal networks that threaten national and regional stability.”
Reacting to concerns around sovereignty, the Ministry said:
“At no time was Nigeria’s sovereignty compromised. All actions were conducted with due respect for Nigeria’s laws, institutions, and command structures.”
The statement also cautioned against mischaracterising Nigeria’s security challenges, noting that extremist violence “has affected communities across religious and ethnic lines and should not be framed in sectarian terms.”
Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to a multi-layered response combining military operations, intelligence sharing, community engagement, and socio-economic interventions, adding that counterterrorism efforts remain focused on protecting lives and restoring stability.
The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said the strikes were carried out in Sokoto State and that multiple militants were killed.
US President Donald Trump described the strikes as “powerful and deadly,” saying they were directed at Islamic State militants responsible for violent attacks on Christians in Nigeria.
The Nigerian government has clearly denied that only Christians are affected by the killings, saying the terror spread across all faiths.
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned that “more to come” as part of sustained efforts against extremist groups.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The United States government gave some terrorists in Nigeria a Christmas gift that sent many of them to the great beyond.
On Thursday, December 25, 2025, the United States President, Mr Donald Trump, directed his country’s military to launch air strikes on camps of members of the dreaded Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Sokoto State.
According to Mr Trump, the military action, which he threatened to carry out a few weeks ago if the Nigerian government does not stop the killing of Christians in the country, occurred on Thursday night.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.
“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.
“Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical islamic terrorism to prosper. May God bless our military, and Merry Christmas to all, including the dead terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
In a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Department of War of the United States posted the below video of the air strikes;
https://twitter.com/DeptofWar/status/2004351717131903272
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The presidency has reacted to speculations that Mr Femi Gbajabiamila has been removed as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
It was alleged that Mr Gbajabiamila has been replaced with the President’s Principal Private Secretary, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
Mr Muri-Okunola went to Abuja to take up this role after leaving as the Head of Service of the Lagos State Civil Service.
Reacting to the reports on social media on the purported removal of Mr Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, the presidency said no such change has been made.
In a statement signed on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, members of the public were advised to disregard the report as “there is absolutely no truth to this story.”
“The Chief of Staff remains in his position. The Principal Private Secretary likewise remains in his role. Hakeem Muri-Okunola has not replaced Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff.
“The viral claim is a fabrication by mischievous purveyors of fake news whose sole aim is to create disharmony within the government.
“We reiterate that news media should always verify their information before publishing or sharing on social media,” the statement said.
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