BY ANTHONY OCHELA, ABUJA
Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) has warned local government chairmen against the mismanagement of funds, cautioning that does found culpable would face jail time.
Fagbemi, who gave the warning as a guest speaker at the 2024 annual conference of the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents, NAJUC, in Abuja, stressed the importance of accountability and good governance.
He emphasised that tampering with local government funds would attract severe legal consequences, including imprisonment.
Highlighting the critical role that local governments play in delivering grassroots development, Fagbemi urged the chairmen and other officials to prioritise their constitutional duties.
“Primary education must be accessible to every child. Pregnant women and infants must receive quality healthcare and the vulnerable in our society must benefit from sustainable welfare programmes,” he stated.
The AGF noted that the autonomy granted local governments by the Supreme Court was designed to empower them to fulfill these responsibilities effectively.
He, however, expressed concern that some local government officials might misuse this freedom for personal gain. “If they choose to tamper with public funds and fail to deliver on their constitutional mandates, they risk going to jail. The trust placed in them must not be betrayed,” he said.
Fagbemi also decried the actions by some state governments that undermine local government autonomy.
He referenced the Supreme Court’s rulings mandating financial and administrative independence for local governments, criticising states that are attempting to bypass these rulings through questionable legislation.
“Any debt incurred by local governments must align with their constitutional functions. Projects like building airports, which are outside their scope, will not be tolerated,” he asserted.
The AGF commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its commitment to strengthen governance structures at all levels and urged local government officials to embrace transparency, warning that the era of impunity is over.
In his keynote address, Professor Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who spoke on ‘The Role of Courts,’ said the legal profession is key to the existence of a stable society and charged the judiciary to live up to expectations in ensuring that their judgements reflect justice and not just the position of laws or technicalities.
Declaring the conference open, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, noted that a free press and the judiciary have equal roles to play in the society, especially the administration of the judicial system.
The CJN, represented by the Secretary of the National Judicial Institute, NJI, Abdulaziz Olumo, said the judiciary and the media should work as partners in progress and guide one another.
