There have been concerns that state governments over the years perpetuated a stranglehold on the third tier of government –the local governments, LGs.
Recently, the Supreme Court, in a judgment granted full financial autonomy to LGs, a situation that apparently did not go down well with state governors across the country. A pointer to their discontent is that many of them are yet to implement the verdict of the apex court despite repeated retrospection on the issue by several political pundits and observers who have maintained that the judgment was one of the court’s hallmark decisions in a decade.
Reflecting on the issue, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, declared that the Federal Government did not give state governments a moratorium in the implementation of the judgement on full financial autonomy for LGs.
Although the AGF explained that there is a delay in the full implementation of the apex court verdict due to the measures being put in place by the Federal Government towards achieving a successful implementation, the major hitch is from the states which are kicking against the irreversible decision.
Interestingly, there is no going back in the implementation of the judgement for the 774 local government areas to be given financial autonomy in order to ensure development at the grassroots level.
The Supreme Court judgment indicates that it is illegal and unconstitutional for governors to continue to receive or retain funds allocated to the local councils under the State and Local Government Joint Account.
We find it unreasonable for state governors to be resistant to the enforcement of the verdict, even as the report from the 10-member inter-ministerial committee on implementing the Supreme Court ruling regarding Local Government Area autonomy was set for submission.
Implementing the apex court judgement would ease flow of local responses to the immediate needs at the grassroots and shut off states’ mismanaging of funds meant for LGs.
It is an unfortunate norm as the governors have been collecting LGs funds based on their discretion rather than in line with legal provisions as the third tier of government.
Therefore, AljazirahNigeria urges states yet to conduct LG elections to do so within the ambit of the constitution guiding the council elections to pave the way for a seamless implementation of LG autonomy.
Besides, we are of the view that implementation of LG autonomy will give the third tier of government the much needed financial based to carry out minor developmental projects that will invariably have a multiplier effect on Nigeria’s socio-economic growth.
