The Supreme Court has prohibited the 36 state governors from retaining or utilizing funds meant for the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nigeria. This is according to Vanguard Newspaper.
In a landmark ruling, the apex court deemed it illegal and unconstitutional for governors to continue seizing funds allocated to LGAs in their states. This practice, ongoing for over two decades, was found to be a clear violation of Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Justice Emmanuel Agim, delivering the lead judgment, stated that no state House of Assembly has the authority to enact laws that interfere with monies designated for the LGAs.
The court emphasized that LGAs must be governed by democratically elected officials, and ordered that henceforth, funds meant for LGAs must be paid directly to them from the federation account.
“Demands of justice require a progressive interpretation of the law,” Justice Agim noted. “It is the position of this court that the federation can pay LGA allocations to the LGAs directly or through the states.
In this case, since paying through the states has not worked, justice demands that LGA allocations from the federation account should henceforth be paid directly to the LGAs.”
The Supreme Court also declared unconstitutional the appointment of caretaker committees by governors to manage LGAs, asserting that states are obligated to ensure democratic governance at the local level.
This judgment follows a suit filed by the Federal Government to secure financial autonomy for the LGAs.
This decision marks a significant shift in the administration of local government funds, aiming to promote transparency and accountability in the management of resources at the grassroots level….See _ More