LG autonomy: S’Court judgment to enhance accountability at grassroots – Falana

Femi Falana, a human rights activist and senior advocate in Nigeria, applauded the Supreme Court's decision to grant Local Governments complete financial autonomy, stating that this decision would encourage accountability at the local level.

In its ruling on Thursday, the supreme court ruled that state governors' continued receipt or possession of cash designated for local councils under the State and Local Government Joint Account is unlawful and unconstitutional.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Federal Government against the 36 state governors. The lawsuit prohibited the state governors from appointing caretaker committees to oversee the LGs.

Speaking as a guest on Friday's Sunrise Daily on Channels Television, Falana noted that the state’s electoral commissions were culpable in LG elections such that “only the candidates of the ruling parties would be declared the winners.”
Falana said, “The judgment has to be studied by the governors so that everybody will appreciate that what the Supreme Court has done is to promote public accountability at the grassroots levels.”
"A lot relies on the Nigerian people, as discussing local government authority is now challenging. The state governors appoint individuals to serve on the electoral commissions in the state. And over the years, they have manipulated local government elections such that the winners would only be the candidates from the dominant parties.

The senior advocate went on to say that the LGs "would be expected to fix some schools, tar some roads, and even pay some workers" as a result of the ruling by the supreme court. Therefore, it doesn't mean that state governments won't continue to be involved in municipal problems.State economic councils should be established by the federal government, and local governments should be permitted to participate in them, just like they are part of the Federal Economic Council.”
Hakeem Ambali, the national president of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, praised the ruling in a statement on Thursday.

He continued by saying that the ruling will help the majority of Nigerians and the country as a whole, and that the LG autonomy would close the infrastructure gap and enhance food security and community safety.