Senate President Godswill Akpabio has called on state governors to respect and comply with the recent Supreme Court ruling granting financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The ruling, which prohibits governors from withholding funds meant for local governments, has been heralded as a significant step towards strengthening grassroots governance in the country.
Addressing
the press, Akpabio emphasized the necessity for all state governors to adhere
to the Supreme Court's decision. Speaking to State House correspondents after
meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Senator
Akpabio stated: “For us in the legislature, the Supreme Court has spoken, and
we have no option but to abide by the Supreme Court ruling. So, I will just
call on all states of the federation to respect what the Supreme Court has done
and then we will go back to the legislature and see where we can dot the i’s
and cross the t’s to ensure full implementation.”
The
Supreme Court, in a landmark judgement, declared it unconstitutional for
governors to receive, withhold, or tamper with funds allocated to LGAs. In a
unanimous decision by a seven-member panel of justices, the apex court
underscored the need for financial independence at the local government level
to enhance development and governance.
The
court's ruling came as a response to a suit filed by the Federal Government,
which sought to grant full autonomy to local governments and prohibit governors
from dissolving democratically elected local government councils. The Federal
Government's suit also aimed to stop governors from appointing caretaker
committees to manage local government affairs, which the court declared as
unconstitutional.
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