On July 24, 2007, then Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua ordered the release of local government funds seized from Lagos State by his predecessor, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
The funds, totaling N10.8 billion, had been withheld by Obasanjo in 2004. Yar'Adua, who had pledged to respect the rule of law and court orders during his tenure, made this decision based on advice from his legal advisers, who deemed the seizure unlawful.
Presidential spokesperson, Olusegun Adeniyi, announced that Yar'Adua directed the Accountant-General of the Federation, Ibrahim Dankwambo, to promptly return the funds to Lagos State under Governor Babatunde Fashola. The seizure had been imposed by Obasanjo in response to then Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu's defiance of an order to refrain from creating new local government areas.
Despite a Supreme Court judgment ordering the release of the funds, Obasanjo had refused to comply until the end of his term on May 29, 2007, when Yar'Adua succeeded him. Yar'Adua was known for his democratic practices, transparency, and commitment to ensuring that all parts of the country benefited from his administration. He declared his assets and maintained a detribalized stance throughout his presidency.
Although Yar'Adua died barely three years into his first term, many Nigerians still regard him as the best President Nigeria has ever had. Interestingly, Bola Tinubu, who benefited from the Supreme Court ruling enforced by Yar'Adua, is the current President of Nigeria. Many now look to Tinubu to uphold court orders and practice democracy. Has he been doing so?
Other key events on this day
1. Vice-President John Dramani Mahama became President of Ghana after President John Atta Mills, died - 2012
2. Mary Queen of Scots forced to abdicate; her 1-year-old son became King James VI of Scots - 1567
3. British bombers raided Hamburg, Germany by night in ''Operation Gomorrah'', while Americans bombed it by day in its own "Blitz Week." - 1943
4. Trial of Dutch exotic dancer Mata Hari began in Paris for allegedly spying for Germany and causing the deaths of 50,000 soldiers - 1917
5. Facebook agreed to pay $5 billion fine to the US Federal Trade Commission- the largest ever for violating consumer privacy - 2019
6. Special counsel, Robert Mueller, reported to the US Senate that Russia interfered in US 2016 election to benefit Trump - 2019.
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