Residents of Enugu State on Friday called for consequential guidelines to ensure full compliance with the Supreme Court, which affirmed the administrative and financial autonomy of local councils in Nigeria.
The residents, who spoke to our correspondents in separate chats, described the judgment as the best thing to have happened to democratic governance.
One of them and a candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 governorship election in Enugu State, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, commended the Federal Government on the judgement, saying it aligns with the yearnings of Nigerians for grassroots development and also it accords with the demands of the existing constitutional order.
Lamenting the violation of the Nigerian Constitution by state governors, Edeoga, who accused state governors of making cash cows out of local government funds from the federation account, said the abuse of council funds has given rise to situations where the councils were forced to beg the governors for funds.
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“The violation of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by governors of Nigerian states has been going on with flagrant impunity for many years and under different administrations since 1999. Local Government Areas, recognized in the Nigerian Constitution as the third tier of government and the one closest to the people, have been deprived of the funds needed for grassroots development, thus existing at the mercy of state governors,” he stated.
Another resident, Dr. Henry Ugwu, said the judgement had made him a proud Nigerian for the first time in almost 10 years.
“I want to say that for the first time, I’m going to say that I feel proud to identify as a Nigerian because of this judgment not minding the current economic hardship biting on Nigerians. I see this as a blessing from the Supreme Court. They had let Nigerians down in the past but with this people-oriented judgment, I believe we will begin to have faith once again in our judiciary.
“I want to say that this is in the national interest, it is progress, and development,” he said.