In a bid to implement the judgment of the Supreme Court concerning the grant of local government autonomy in the country, the Federal Government has set up a 10-member committee to ensure compliance with the ruling of the apex court. The 10-man committee was set up by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation
In a bid to implement the judgment of the Supreme Court concerning the grant of local government autonomy in the country, the Federal Government has set up a 10-member committee to ensure compliance with the ruling of the apex court.
The 10-man committee was set up by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, who brought together representatives from relevant agencies of the government to constitute the inter-ministerial committee that would ensure that the governments at the grassroots are well catered to.
The apex court ruled on July 11th on the case filed before it by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, who prayed to the court to bar the state governments from removing the democratically elected local government authority and asked the federal government to start paying directly to the local government account.
Ruling in favour of the Federal Government, the Supreme Court granted all the prayers of the federal government, while Nigerians lauded the judgment as the way forward to Nigerian democracy and governance.
However, some state governors expressed concern about the decision, and the 33 council chairmen of Oyo State withdrew from the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in response to the Supreme Court’s decision granting financial autonomy to local governments across the country.
Despite all of the opposition, the federal government decided to proceed with the implementation of grassroots autonomy, with the primary goal of ensuring that local governments are granted full autonomy, allowing them to function effectively without interference from states.
Segun Imohiosen, Director of information in the secretary to the government of the federation’s office, stated in a statement released today that the committee, which George Akume, the SGF, inaugurated, will uphold the court’s decision.
The committee is led by Akume and consists of the following members: Atiku Bagudu, the minister of national planning and budget; Wale Edun, the minister of finance; Lateef Fagbemi, the attorney general of the federation; and Oluwatoyin Madein, the accountant general of the federation.
Others are Okokon Udo, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Finance; Muhammed Shehu, chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC); and representatives of state governors and LGAs.
“The committee’s primary goal is to ensure that local governments are granted full autonomy, allowing them to function effectively without interference from state governments,” he said.
“This move is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to give appropriate implementation to the provisions of the Constitution, which recognizes local governments as the third tier of government.”
