The Nation Newspaper LG caretaker committees: Anxiety in states over Supreme Court verdict
Judgment will enhance accountability at grassroots – FalanaTinubu has liberated LGs from govs’ suffocation, says Ndume
Local government workers in Enugu State yesterday said they were hoping that the state would not be treated as one of those without democratically elected local government officials. While admitting that there could be serious problems in the system if allocations to the local government areas in the state were withdrawn, Ani expressed confidence in the ability of the state government to handle the situation without causing any problems.
“I’m aware that Enugu State has slated their local government elections for October 5 this year. Let’s see whether this can help them fast track it. “But, Enugu’s case is a different ball game. There’s no caretaker in place. What we have is that civil servants are in charge. We expect that Enugu maybe exonerated from that”.
The good news, however, is that the Plateau State Government has scheduled council election for October 9 this year. But no one is sure whether the monthly allocation from the federal government would be released to councils in the three months before the date. “I just pray that that the federal government will not implement the Supreme Court judgment immediately”
In Benue State, there were calls by the Peoples Democratic Party to immediately dissolve the caretaker committees in the states local governments. “Government is studying the situation and awaiting the lawyers to dissect the judgment,” he told our correspondent through SMS while fielding questions from The Nation on the judgment.The immediate past Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, yesterday described the Supreme Court judgment that gave financial autonomy to the 774 local governments across the country as victory for accountable governance.
“By this unanimous landmark lead judgment, delivered by the highly cerebral Honourable Justice Emmanuel Agim, JSC, the full erudite panel of seven Noble Lords of the Supreme Court gave the much needed life to good democratic governance at the grassroots of our democracy. “The nation desperately needs unfettered financial autonomy for our LGAs to enhance their constitutional mandate to deliver good governance, provide qualitative basic amenities, and build robust human capital development across the country.
“The nation must accept the whole truth that the perennial charade happening in many states in the name of LGA elections is unsustainable. We must terminate that collective shame and evolve a new electoral order that will produce credible leaders that will responsibly and judiciously manage the relative huge resources that will soon start flowing to the LGAs.
He said: “This court action instituted at the behest of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the biggest achievement of his achievements. I’m very happy about the development, and I’m hoping that this will be the beginning of the liberation of local governments in Nigeria. The Chairman of the NGF and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who expressed this position on behalf of his colleagues while speaking to journalists at the State House yesterday, however welcomed the judgment, assuring of compliance by state governments.
“But by and large, governors are happy with the devolution of power in respect to local government autonomy. It relieves the burden on governors. Our people really don’t know how much states expend in bailing out local governments, and that’s the issue there.
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