LG autonomy: S’Court judgment to enhance accountability at grassroots

Human Rights Activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana has lauded the Supreme Court’s judgment which gave full financial autonomy to the Local Governments, saying the judgment would promote accountability at the grassroots level.

The judgment by the apex court on Thursday declared it illegal and unconstitutional for state governors to continue to receive or retain funds allocated to the local councils, under State and Local Government Joint Account.

The suit which was filed on behalf of the Federal Government by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) against the 36 state governors, also outlawed the appointment of caretaker committees to administer the LGs by state governors.

Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s programme, Sunrise Daily on Friday, Falana noted that the state’s electoral commissions were culpable in LG elections such that “only the candidates of the ruling parties would be declared the winners.”

Falana said, “The judgment has to be studied by the governors so that everybody will appreciate that what the Supreme Court has done is to promote public accountability at the grassroots levels.”

“A lot depends on the Nigerian people because right now, it is difficult to talk about the autonomy of the local government. The state’s electoral commissions are manned by appointees of the state governors. And what they have done over the years is to manipulate the local government elections in a way that only the candidates of the ruling parties would be declared the winners.”

The senior advocate added that owing to the apex court’s judgment, the LGs “would be expected to fix some schools, tar some roads, and even pay some workers. So, it is not that state governments will no longer participate in the affairs of the local governments…the state governments should create state economic councils and allow the local government to participate in them, just like they are part of the Federal Economic Council.”

The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees on Thursday commended the judgment in a statement by its National President, Hakeem Ambali.

He said the judgment would benefit the Nigerian masses and the nation as a whole, adding that the LG autonomy would reduce the infrastructural gap, and improve community security, and food security.