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The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria and the National Union of Local Government Employees have called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure that state governors comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy.
On July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to the local governments, ordering that their allocations be paid directly to them.
However, six months after the verdict, the LG autonomy is yet to take effect, as governors have continued to allegedly frustrate the process.
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, ALGON Secretary-General, Mohammed Abubakar, expressed concern over the delay in the implementation of the LG autonomy.
Abubakar lamented that issues about the LG autonomy had been complicated, while the governors continue to interference with the process.
He said, “The situation is becoming complicated. Our reports suggest that while arrangements have been made for the direct payment of allocations to local governments, there are significant hurdles delaying this process. The local government chairmen, who should be advocating these changes, are often under the control of the governors, leaving them unable to assert their autonomy.”
Abubakar maintained that the implementation of the LG autonomy hinged on the president’s decisiveness, urging him to direct the Accountant-General and Attorney-General of the Federation to ensure the autonomy is financial autonomy is achieved.
“The law is clear, and the Supreme Court judgment is binding. What we need now is the political will to carry it out. Without this, the governors will continue to hold power.
“It’s crucial that both the Accountant-General and Attorney-General of the Federation work together to find a way to implement the ruling.”
Similarly, the President of NULGE, Hakeem Ambali, reiterated that the President has the constitutional authority to ensure that the autonomy is enforced.
He shared his optimism on the implementation of direct allocation to local government.
“We were informed that local governments would begin receiving direct allocations by December. We are now in January, and we remain hopeful that the President will ensure the implementation of this policy. He has already shown a commitment to this cause, and we trust he will follow through,” he said.
Responding to inquiries, the Special Assistant to the President on Communications, Kamarudeen Ogundele, clarified the role of the Attorney General’s Office in the matter.
According to Ogundele, the Attorney General’s responsibility was to take the issue to the Supreme Court, which it did successfully.
He stated that the Minister of Finance and the Accountant General of the Federal were responsible for the implementation of the financial autonomy by ensuring that the local governments were directly paid.
“The Attorney General’s role was to pursue the case in court, which he had done. The responsibility for paying allocations falls under the Finance Minister and the Accountant General of the Federation. It’s their duty to implement the payment process,” Ogundele explained.
