The Supreme Court of Nigeria, on Thursday, ordered the Governors of the 36 States of the Federation, to within seven days, enter their defence to the suit the Federal Government filed to secure full autonomy for the 774 Local Government Areas, LGAs in the country.
Recall that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, had filed a suit against the 36 State Governors.
However, the SC has given 7 days for accelerated hearing of the matter and for the abridgment of the time allowed for all State Governors to file their response to the suit.
In its ruling, a seven-man panel of the apex court led by Justice Garba Lawal, said the AGF should upon receipt of the processes containing defence of the Governors, respond to it within two days.
The panel, therefore, fixed June 13 to commence full-blown hearing of the matter.
According to VANGUARD, the Chairman of the body of Attorneys General of the States, Mr. Ben Odoh, who is the Attorney General of Ebonyi State, was present during the proceeding.
It stated that Odoh told the apex court that he was not opposed to the request for the abridgment of the hearing date.
He, however, requested for the respondents to be allowed to file their defence to the matter, within 15 days. However, the SC declined the plea for extension of date.
Stating reason for the decline, Justice Lawal said the decision of the apex court was hinged on the fact that the matter is of utmost national importance. As well as the urgency of the case.
“The court directed that filing of all processes and exchanging of same must be completed before the next adjourned date.
VANGUARD reports that some States had no legal representation at the sitting. These were Borno, Kano, Kogi, Niger, Ogun, Osun , Oyo and Sokoto States. This is even though they were served with the hearing notice.
The Justice Lawal-led panel, however, ordered that they should be served with a fresh hearing notice. This is to enable them to attend the next sitting.
“FG had in the suit marked SC/CV/343/2024, prayed the Supreme Court to okay full autonomy for all the LGAs in the country as the third tier of government.
“It prayed the court to issue an order, prohibiting State Governors from embarking on unilateral, arbitrary and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected Local Government leaders.
The FG, also is seeking an order permitting the funds standing in the credits of Local Governments to be directly channeled to them from the Federation Account. This is in line with the provisions of the Constitution as against the alleged unlawful Joint Accounts created by Governors.
Besides that, the FG, also, prayed the Supreme Court for an order, stopping Governors from further constituting Caretaker Committees for the Councils. As against the Constitutionally recognized and guaranteed democratic system.
The FG equally applied for an order of injunction, restraining the Governors, their agents and privies, from receiving, spending or tampering with funds released from the Federation Account for the benefits of Local Governments. This is when no democratically elected Local Government system is put in place in the States.
source: Vanguard
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