The Supreme Court has ruled on the suit filled by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, seeking for the full autonomy of the 774 local governments in the nation, as well as their direct funding allocation.
In the ruling, the supreme court ordered all the governors to stay away from the funds meant for local government henceforth. Siting that it is unconstitutional for the states to be controlling local government funds.
Fagbemi prayed the Supreme Court to invoke sections 1, 4, 5, 7 and 14 of the constitution to declare that the governors and state houses of assembly are under obligation to ensure democratically elected systems at the third tier.
Justice Emmanuel Agim, in its lead judgement read that the apex court said state governors can’t hold on to funds meant for local government administrations.
He also said, the refusal of the state government on financial autonomy for the local governments has gone on for over two decades.
According to Agim, local governments have since stopped receiving the money meant for them from the state governors who act in their stead.
While stating that the 774 local government councils in the country should manage their funds themselves, he also dismissed the preliminary objections of the defendants, the state governors.
Furthermore, Justice Emmanuel Agim made it clear that the Attorney General of the Federation AGF has the right to institute a law suit to protect the constitution.
Finally ,the Supreme court directed that all local government allocations from the Federation Account should be paid directly to the LGA’s henceforth.
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