Edo Council Crisis: How LG Autonomy Can Be Fully Achieved

• The local government autonomy was yet to be fully achieved despite the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to the council
• This is as the Edo state House of Assembly announced the suspension of the elected council chairmen in the state over alleged financial misappropriation
• However, Okanlawon Gaffar, a legal practitioner, in an interview with Legit.ng, calling for the overhauling of the 1999 constitution to grant full autonomy to the LG in Nigeria

Local government autonomy in Nigeria has been a long-standing issue, with recent developments shedding light on its significance.

The Supreme Court’s judgment in July 2024 granted autonomy to local governments, allowing them to manage their funds independently and make decisions without state government interference. This move is expected to enhance grassroots development, promote transparency, and ensure accountability in local government administration.

However, the apex court’s decision appeared insufficient to take the council from the grip of state governors. This is as the Edo House of Assembly passed a resolution suspending the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of the state’s 18 Local Government Areas for two months.

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This decision was made in response to a complaint by Governor Sunday Okpebholo, who accused the council leaders of insubordination for allegedly failing to comply with his directive to submit their councils’ financial records to him.

Lawyer speaks on Edo LG crisis

Speaking on the matter, a legal practitioner, Okanlawon Gaffar, in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng lamented the poor separation of power in Nigeria’s democracy. He said:

“We have a problem with clear-cut separation of power in Nigeria which is evident in the latest development in Edo state. It still balls down to the 1999 constitution that was handed over to us by the military.

“Even though we have had the local government reform, it has still not been fully utilised, which is clear with the interference. My submission will be that until we overall the 1999 constitution and provide clear-cut descriptions of the roles of the three tiers of government. We will continue to have this kind of problem.”

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Source: Legit.ng