LG autonomy: When FG Will Begin Implementation of Supreme Court Judgment Emerges

• The Supreme Court judgment granting local government financial autonomy is set to be implemented by the federal government
• Hakeem Ambali, the NULGE national president, said that the committee set up by the federal, state and local government authorities had concluded their meetings and signed the technical document
• According to Ambali, President Bola Tinubu is expected to sign the technical document and the FAAC is expected to disburse the allocation according to the Supreme Court judgment

The Committee on Local Government Autonomy has finally concluded its meetings and signed the technical document, which will soon be presented to President Bola Tinubu. This development is a significant milestone in Nigeria’s quest for local government autonomy.

According to Hakeem Ambali, National President of the National Union of Local Government Employees, the committee worked diligently within the provided timeframe to achieve this feat.

How LG’s autonomy journey started

The Punch reported that the Federal Government of Nigeria filed a lawsuit against state governors who were withholding federal allocations meant for Local Government Areas (LGAs). This move aimed to prevent governors from unilaterally dissolving democratically elected local government councils and establishing caretaker committees. The Attorney-General argued that the constitution mandates a democratically elected local government system, disallowing alternative governance structures.

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In a landmark judgment on July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 Local Governments, prohibiting governors from controlling funds meant for the councils. The court directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to pay LG allocations directly to their accounts, declaring the non-remittance of funds by the 36 states unconstitutional. This ruling marked a significant victory for local government autonomy and was seen as a step towards ensuring that local officials are held accountable.

Following the Supreme Court’s judgment, a 10-member inter-ministerial committee was established to implement the ruling. The committee’s primary goal is to ensure that local governments are granted full autonomy, allowing them to function effectively without interference from state governments. With the committee’s work nearing completion, local governments are poised to receive their allocations directly, marking a new era of financial independence and accountability.

How FG plan to implement LG autonomy

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To implement the Supreme Court’s ruling, the Federal Government established a 10-member inter-ministerial committee on August 20. Chaired by notable figures, including the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Attorney-General, Lateef Fagbemi, the committee aims to grant local governments full autonomy, enabling them to function effectively without state government interference.

With the technical document signed and ready for presentation to President Tinubu, Ambali expressed optimism that states will receive their allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) by November’s end.

LG autonomy: Lagos assembly to scrap LCDA

Legit.ng earlier reported that the Lagos state House of Assembly is considering scrapping the LCDAs created in 2003 by President Bola Tinubu when he was governor.

The new proposed bill to amend the state’s local government law would recreate the LCDAs into administrative areas.

Bisi Afolabi, a legal practitioner who spoke with Legit.ng on the development, said the Nigerian constitution did not recognise the LCDAs.

Source: Legit.ng