Former Vice President and President candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 general election, Atiku Abubakar has praised the Supreme Court’s judgment on Local Government autonomy.
Recall that the apex court on Thursday affirmed the fiscal autonomy for the 774 Local Government Councils across Nigeria.
The former VP took to his X (former Twitter) on Thursday. He described the ruling as “a win for the people of Nigeria”. He stated that it is a step in the right direction.
The import of the Supreme Court’s judgement is that it overturns the previous practice of consolidating local council revenues into State Government Accounts.
While praising the ruling, Atiku criticized the earlier arrangement, of Joint accounts. He stated that it was borne out of politics of hasty compromise.
“I align with the decision of the Supreme Court that the structure of the Nigerian government is portioned in three layers. And of these, the Local Governments should be centres of development,” Atiku said.
The PDP former Presidential candidate also advocated for an expansion of fiscal autonomy beyond Federation Account allocations.
He said, “I also share the belief that fiscal autonomy to the Local Governments should not be limited to revenues from the Federation Accounts. But indeed, should apply to Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, from the respective Local Government Authorities.”
The former Vice President also expressed concerns about State Governments, particularly in urban areas, interfering with local councils’ revenue generation.
He stated, “Many of our States, especially those in the ultra-urban areas with high-density economic activities, have become notorious in muscling Local Councils. And preventing them from generating revenue on items that border on motor parks, outdoor advertising, rents and many more.”
“The verdict of the court is in tandem with the core functions of the Supreme Court. It is an arbitration court between and among governments.”
THE SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT
On Thursday, the Supreme Court declared that it is unconstitutional for State Governors to hold funds allocated for local government administrations.
The seven-man panel, in the judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, declared that the 774 Local Government Councils in the country should manage their funds themselves.
The apex court also held that the power of the government is portioned into three arms of government. The Federal, the State and the Local Government.
The court further declared that a State Government has no power to appoint a Caretaker Committee.
It also held that a Local Government Council is only recognizable with a democratically elected government.
source: PUNCH
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