LG autonomy: Ndume hails judgement as Tinubu’s biggest achievement

Sequel to the Supreme Court judgement in Abuja on Thursday which endorsed local government autonomy, the Chief Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume, has said that securing financial autonomy for the third tier of government was the greatest achievement of President Bola Tinubu since he came to office last year.

Ndume stated this in a statement on Thursday while praising Tinubu’s administration for galvanising the court action that eventuated in the new financial regime for local government councils in the federation.

The lawmaker who hails from Borno South also called on Tinubu to begin implementation of the court judgment without delay so that the grassroots citizenry would enjoy the dividends of good governance.

Ndume said since state governors hijacked the Local Government administration in Nigeria, by relying on a controversial section of the 1999 Constitution as amended, there had been no remarkable development at the grassroots.

“This court action instituted at the behest of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the biggest of his achievements. I’m very happy about the development, and I’m hoping that this will be the beginning of the liberation of local governments in Nigeria,” Ndume said.

“I urge the President to immediately commence the implementation of the Court judgment. Local Government Councils need to start getting their monthly allocations immediately without any further delays. The people at the grassroots levels will begin to feel the impacts of good governance now,” he added.

“The National Assembly made several attempts to amend the 1999 Constitution and address this grey area. But governors didn’t allow the State Assemblies to give the constitutional concurrence. That was how the attempts failed.

“The people can now hold the council chairmen accountable for how they spend their monthly allocations. They’ll begin to demand true accountability and judicious use of the funds they’ll be getting. I salute the courage of President Tinubu.”

Recall that in the judgment, the apex court had directed that local government allocations from the Federation Account should henceforth be paid directly to them.

The court held that it was unconstitutional for state governors to collect and hold onto funds meant for Local Government Areas.

In the lead judgment read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the court observed that the opposition of state governments on financial autonomy for local governments had continued for over two decades.

Justice Agim said local governments had since stopped receiving the money meant for them from the state governors who act in their stead.

He noted that the 774 local government councils in the country should manage their funds themselves. Agim dismissed the preliminary objections of the defendants (state governors).