…calls for swift implementation
The Chief Whip of the Senate, Mohammed Ali Ndume, on Friday, July 11, praised President Bola Tinubu for initiating a Supreme Court case that has freed local government areas from the financial control of state governors.
In its judgment on Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that local government allocations from the Federation Account must be paid directly to the local governments.
The court declared it unconstitutional for state governors to appropriate funds meant for local government areas.
In a statement made available to newsmen, Ndume described the judgment as the biggest achievement of President Tinubu so far since he assumed office in May 2023.
The Borno South lawmaker also called on President Tinubu to immediately commence the implementation of the court judgment without further delay, noting that the people at the grassroots must begin to feel the impacts of good governance.
The former Leader of the Senate, said since state governors hijacked the Local Government administration in Nigeria, by relying on a controversial section of the 1999 Constitution as amended, no meaningful development has happened at the grassroots.
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He said: “This court action instituted at the behest of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the biggest achievement of his achievement. 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.
“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.
“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.
“President Muhammadu Buhari also tried to intervene. Governors didn’t allow him. With this Supreme Court judgment, the issue has finally been resolved. No more unnecessary deductions from funds earmarked for local governments.
“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.”