It’s Unconstitutional For Govs To Hold LG Funds, Supreme Court Declares.
The apex court directed that henceforth, Local Government allocations from the Federation Account should be paid directly to them.
The Supreme Court declared, on Thursday, that it is unconstitutional for state governors to hold onto funds meant for Local Government, LG, administrations.
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The apex court, in its lead judgement read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, viewed that the refusal of state government to financial autonomy for local governments had gone on for quite a long time- over two decades.
He said local governments have since stopped receiving the money meant for them from the state governors who acted in their stead.
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Justice Agim stated categorically that funds due to the 774 local government councils in the country should henceforth be managed by the local governments.
He struck out the preliminary objections of the defendants, state governors.
In the suit filed by the AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, the Federal Government asked the court to restrain the governors from whimsical dissolution of democratically elected councils. The AGF filed the suit on 27 grounds.
Justice Agim said that constitution grants the Attorney General of the Federation the right to institute the suit so as to defend the constitution.
The apex court, therefore, ordered that henceforth, the Local Government allocation from the Federation Account be paid directly to them.
