- Says It’s Unconstitutional For Govs To Hold LG Funds
By Abiola Olawale
The Supreme Court has granted an order compelling the Federal Government to start paying monthly allocations meant for Local Governments, directly to their respective designated accounts.
The apex court ruled that the democratically elected chairmen of the 774 local government areas in the country should be receiving their allocations henceforth.
The Supreme Court, on Thursday, also held that it is unconstitutional for state governors to hold onto funds meant for Local Government administrations.
In its lead judgement read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court observed that the refusal of the state government on financial autonomy for local governments has gone on for over two decades.
He said local governments have since stopped receiving the money meant for them from the state governors who act in their stead.
The New Diplomat reports that the judgment was delivered on a suit filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
In the suit, the Federal Government sought an order preventing the governors from arbitrarily dissolving democratically elected councils. The suit by the AGF was on 27 grounds.
