Six months after the Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to local governments in the country, the implementation of the judgment has yet to take effect.

On July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment affirming the financial autonomy of the 774 local government areas in the country and prohibiting governors from further control of funds meant for the councils.

The apex court also directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to pay local government allocations directly to their accounts, declaring the non-remittance of funds by the 36 states unconstitutional.

However, six months after the judgment, financial autonomy has yet to take effect.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the President of the National Union of Local Government Employees, Hakeem Ambali, said the Federation Account Allocation Committee was responsible for the delay in direct allocations to local governments.

“There is a delay because FAAC has not given the instruction. ALGON is ready to comply with every instruction. In fact, the CBN itself can do that directly.

“The point is, there is a judgment, and since it is a Supreme Court judgment, there should be no confusion about that. FAAC itself should know what is right. We are calling on Mr President to please stand on business. We are happy with what he has been doing,” Ambali said.

He pleaded with President Tinubu to ensure that politicians did not frustrate local government autonomy.

“This is already six months since the government secured the landmark judgment.

“The technical committee that was set up has sent the document to the President. We concluded the process over a month ago. We are grateful that the President started well, but we need him to please stand and see the implementation to completion. The President should not allow cabals to come in the way of implementation,” the NULGE president said.

The Federal Government had, on August 20, instituted a 10-member inter-ministerial committee to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy.

The committee’s primary goal was to ensure that local governments were granted full autonomy, allowing them to function effectively without interference from state governments.

Sunday PUNCH learnt that the implementation document by the technical committee had been transmitted to President Tinubu for assent.

If assented to, local governments nationwide will receive their allocations directly from FAAC.

Credit: punchng.com

Do Not Allow Cabals Stop LG Autonomy – NULGE Begs Tinubu

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