Supreme Court Judgment: Top Lawyer Reveals Another Crooked Means Governors Will Use To Get Money Meant For LGs

Constitutional and human rights lawyer Madubuachi Idam asserted on Friday that state governors will likely continue to benefit from local government chairmen despite the recent Supreme Court ruling.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court granted autonomy to local governments, effectively prohibiting state governments from controlling their financial allocations. The court ruled that it was unconstitutional for any state government to manage the finances of local governments.

Justice Emmanuel Agim delivered the ruling in the ongoing local government autonomy case filed by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, on behalf of the Nigerian Government.

Reacting to the decision, Idam described it as justice for the oppressed. In a conversation with DAILY POST, he expressed hope that the ruling would end the longstanding misappropriation of local government funds by state governors.

Idam stated, “The Supreme Court judgment granting local government autonomy represents justice for the oppressed. It is undoubtedly a good riddance to bad rubbish. Unfortunately, its implementation will likely suffer at the hands of the state governors.

“This ruling should ideally put an end to the prolonged theft of local government funds by governors. However, there is effectively no difference between local governments and state governments in Nigeria, given the subservient selection process of local government chairmen under the guise of elections.

“Governors handpick their protégés, install them as local government chairmen, and then demand returns from them. So, what is the point of granting them autonomy if they can still be controlled? With or without autonomy, the state governors will continue to receive returns from local governments unless there is a credible election process that allows opposition candidates to become chairmen of local governments.

“I fear that the Supreme Court judgment may be treated as another lifeless, cosmetic article if local government chairmen continue to be determined by governors.”