A FORMER Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has questioned the feasibility of local government autonomy as declared by last Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling.
In its judgement on July 11, the apex court affirmed the right of local governments in Nigeria to receive monthly allocations directly from the federation account.
Reacting to the ruling, Fayose said state Houses of Assembly and governors would always hinder the autonomy.
He stated this when he appeared as a guest on Politics Today on Channels Television on Sunday, July 14.
The Ekiti politician opined that the governor’s backing was necessary for any local government chairman to be elected from the grassroots level, adding that the federal government and the court “cannot take the baby from the mother.”
According to Fayose, nobody can become council chairman without a governor.
“Anybody telling you otherwise is wasting his time. Let me quickly remind you that the House of Assembly of every state controls the activities and checkmates the activities of the local government. While I was governor, I had the privilege of receiving money from Abuja. When you receive money from the account, some people manage the account. They are not politicians or the council chairman.
“There is only one representative of the governor, which is the local government commissioner. All others are local government officials, workers, and pensioners of the council. And they appropriate the funds. But when you now come and say we are giving power to the local government, what power are you giving to them? No power.”
According to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, most council officials don’t take their jobs seriously, aside from state politicians who obstruct the process.
He claimed that on some days of the week, many employees don’t bother to show up at work, adding that any council chairman who disrespects his governor, the House of Assembly would react to defend such a governor.
He posited that the state was more effective in administration than the local government.
The ICIR reported that the Supreme Court granted the nation’s 774 Local Governments Areas (LGAs) financial autonomy and that governors would not have the power to remove elected chairmen of the LGAs.
The judgement, read by Justice of the Supreme Court, Emmanuel Agim, held that funds meant for LGAs be paid directly into their accounts.
The court also ruled that it was unconstitutional for the state government to hold on to or manage such allocations and directed the 774 LGAs to commence managing their funds.
The judgment was passed in a suit filed by the Federal Government through the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, against the 36 state governors in the country.
The Federal Government sought the court to authorise the direct transfer of funds from the federation account to local governments in line with the provisions of the Constitution against the alleged unlawful joint accounts created by governors.
Fagbemi also requested an injunction to prevent the governors, their agents, and associates from receiving, spending, or interfering with funds disbursed from the federation account meant for the benefit of local governments.
He further sought an order to prohibit governors from establishing caretaker committees to manage local government affairs, noting that the action contradicted the constitutionally recognised and guaranteed democratic system.
He argued that the interference of state governors in the affairs of a democratically elected local government system undermined the 1999 Constitution.
The calls for local government autonomy in Nigeria have increased in recent years, as interference by the state has been identified as a reason for its underperformance.
Former president Muhammadu Buhari signed an Executive Order in May 2020, to grant financial autonomy to the judiciary, legislature, and local government councils.
Buhari also attributed the lack of development at the third tier of government to the governors’ questionable actions on LGA funds.
Although the governors were opposed to Fagbemi’s institution of the case, Agim held that the federal government was right in filing the suit to protect the Constitution.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor of Kwara state, AbdulRazaq Abdulrahman described the Supreme Court ruling granting the LGAs financial autonomy as a welcome development to the forum.
The governor stated this while addressing correspondents at the State House on Friday, July 12.
He noted that the ruling had relieved the governors of a burden and they were happy with power devolution to the third tier of government.
A reporter with the ICIR
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