THE Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has applauded the Supreme Court judgment reaffirming the financial autonomy of local governments, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended), describing the ruling as the “birth of a new democracy” in Nigeria.
Recall that the apex court on Thursday, July 11, declared that it was unconstitutional for state governors to hold on to funds allocated for local government administrations.
The seven-man panel, in the judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, declared that the 774 local governments in the country should manage their funds themselves and ordering the Accountant General of the Federation to only pay in local governments funds to only democratically-elected chairmen and councilors, thereby putting an end to practice of appointing transition or caretaker committees or sole administrators.
It ruled that state Houses of Assembly have no other option than to pass the local government autonomy Bill once it gets to them.
In his reaction to the judgment, Secretary of ALGON’s Board of Trustees, Chief Chukwudi Ezinwa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that a lot of atrocities had been committed by some of the state governors that had constrained the local government from carrying out its operations.
While describing local government as grassroots- government oriented, Ezinwa said: “If we get it right at the local level, Nigeria would be great again, as everyone belong to local government, even the governors, president and other Nigerians.”
He stated that once we get it right at local government level, states would have less work to do, adding: “To us at ALGON, we thank God and commend the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), for taking the bull by the horn and his political will power to pursue the case to the Supreme Court.
“A lot of attorneys general had come and gone, but lacked courage to go ahead to make sure that local government was salvaged from the hands of governors.
“We equally thank President Bola Tinubu for proving to Nigerians that he is a President with courage and that his Renewed Hope Agenda was for real, as well as showing that he wants to correct all the wrongs.”
He, however, called for full implementation of the judgment, as there were a lot of judgments in the country that did not see the light of the day, noting: “We encourage the President to make sure that this judgment is implemented.
“If implemented and local government is given autonomy, there will be a lot of change; insecurity and infrastructural decay will be handled.”
