The Nigerian scenario is such that state governments want to be seen as co-equal with the central government and want to be known as the federating units, while they emasculate everything about municipal or local governance, even though they agree that the local governments should benefit up to 20.6 per cent of the earnings of the federation set aside by the constitution. So I will agree that it’s something that calls for further discussion and a consensus.
Browsing: Supreme Court
At last, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has ruled in favor of Nigeria’s 774 Local Governments (LGs)! May God’s name be praised!
Since 1999, governors have used this section to withhold and tamper with the funds federally allocated to the councils, using a joint account that has proven to be a honeypot of abuse.
With a little tinkering, local government councils should hopefully begin to define the development politics at the grassroots across Nigeria soon. If and when that happens, no one would be able to deny the Tinubu administration the credit for it. If the truth be told, the local government councils have been missing in Nigerian politics since 1979. Subsequently, the assumptions underpinning its insertion in the 1979 Constitution (as amended) as a layer of power have not materialised. The idea of local government councils headed by experienced politicians who can manage local conflicts, superintend development projects and make local government councils leadership recruitment grounds have substantially been lost.
Fayose said this on a Channels Television programme: “Sunday Politics,” in response to a Supreme Court judgment
Before that ruling, there had been divided opinions about the status of local governments in the polity.
This was contained in a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, and made available to The Eagle Online on Friday.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria made this known in an interview with Channels Television on Friday, a day after the ruling
In its judgment on Thursday, The Supreme court declared it illegal and unconstitutional for state governors to continue to receive or retain funds allocated
Soludo said this while addressing State House correspondents after a visit to President Bola Tinubu on Thursday.
The Eagle Online had reported that the Supreme Court has barred the 36 governors of the federation from further retaining or utilising funds that are allocated for the 774 Local Government Areas of the country.
The call was contained in a statement on Thursday by SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
According to the apex court, it is illegal and unconstitutional for governors to continue to receive and seize funds allocated to LGAs in their states.
A five-member panel of the Supreme Court in a unanimous Ruling delivered by Justice Adamu Jauro granted the appellant’s prayers one to four.
The apex court delivered the judgment in suit Number: SC//CV//969/2024, which was read by Justice Adamu Jauro.
The affirmation of the former MD’s conviction in the early hours of Friday comes after 13 years of trial.
Justice Garba Lawal fixed the date while ruling in an application for abridgment of time.
In a suit marked SC/CV/343/2024, the AGF urged the apex court to issue an order, prohibiting state governors from unilateral, arbitrary and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected LG leaders.
Working under the umbrella of Judicial Watchdogs, the lawyers faulted the siege on the residence of the ex-Governor.
Justice Emmanuel Agim of the Court of Appeal in his judgment dismissed the appeal brought to it by AMCON.