By kawaekwune Jeffrey
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has disclosed that the Commission has initiated steps to move against any individual or government official who breaches the ruling of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Financial autonomy for local governments in Nigeria.
According to the ICPC boss, the Commission will take decisive action against any official or individual-be he a governor or too government official-who disregards the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the implementation of financial autonomy for local government Councils across the country.
It would be recalled that the supreme court had last month affirmed the financial independence of Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Councils in a landmark judgment. A seven-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba had unanimously supported the federal government’s case, reinforcing the autonomy of local governments. The court also rejected state governments’ efforts to dissolve democratically elected local councils.
At the 6th Annual General Assembly of the Network of Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA), Dr. Aliyu emphasized the ICPC’s commitment to holding stakeholders accountable and reducing corruption without external interference.
He announced that the ICPC would host a summit in September to discuss collaborative efforts with key stakeholders. Aliyu reiterated that local governments must remain politically independent, warning that any state official who defies the Supreme Court decision would be held accountable for gross misconduct and abuse of office.
Aliyu further emphasized the importance of international cooperation in tackling corruption, highlighting NACIWA’s commitment to fighting corruption across West Africa.
