By Afolabi Samuel Odunayo
Following the final ruling given by the Supreme Court on the financial autonomy of local government councils in Nigeria, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has emphasised the supremacy of the rule of law to state governors.
In his statement at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Akpabio noted that respecting the rights of the local government to execute projects without state government’s interference is recognising the ruling of the Supreme Court as that of a ‘king’.
He consequently encouraged state governors to observe the Supreme Court’s verdict, which granted financial autonomy to the 774 local government councils across Nigeria.
The Senate President also confirmed that such act will show expression of support for the principle of separation of powers and the autonomy of all government organs.
Akpabio also urged all states to respect the Supreme Court’s decision, saying that the legislature must do the same:
“Recall that the request was placed before the courts by the AGF because the Federal Government, through President Bola Tinubu, feels strongly about separation of powers and the need for autonomy of all arms of governments. And so for us in the legislature, the Supreme Court has spoken, and we have no option but to abide by the Supreme Court ruling.
“So, I will just call on all states of the federation to respect what the Supreme Court has done, and then we will go back to the legislature and see where we can dot the i’s and cross the t’s to ensure full implementation. Because you know the words of the Supreme Court are like the words of the king, they cannot go down to the ground without implementation.”
Acknowledging the benefit of the Supreme Court’s ruling, he said the judgement “has truly emancipated local governments from the shackles of the past.”
He also urged the local government officials to be faithful , hoping that they would see it as an opportunity to develop their various LGAs.
He also emphasised the necessity of working with the parliament and the AGF’s office to guarantee legitimate local government elections, which would boost trust in the democratic system.
