Victor EzejaFormer Nigeria’s Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has applauded the Supreme Court ruling on Local Government (LG) autonomy, saying it is a major step towards achieving national development.
Atiku, in a statement via his verified X handle on Thursday evening, said the judgment of the Supreme Court that affirmed the fiscal autonomy of local government councils in the country “is a win for the people of Nigeria.”
Join our WhatsApp ChannelPrime Business Africa reports that the Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Federal Government to immediately begin direct disbursement of monthly allocations into exclusive accounts of local governments across the country, affirming that in line with provisions of the constitution, it is the third tier of government and has autonomy.
The apex court also barred state governors from dissolving democratically elected chairmen of local governments.
It held that only democratically elected ones should receive LG funds from the federation account.
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Commending the Supreme Court ruling, Atiku said: “The court’s ruling is a step in the right direction and a major corrective action in greasing the wheels of national development across the country.”
The former vice president noted that “The decision by the Federal Government to consolidate disbursements of local councils’ revenues into the state government accounts was a decision that 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,” he added.
The PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 general election said fiscal autonomy of local governments should not be limited to revenues from the Federation Accounts, but should also apply to Internally Generated Revenue from the respective local government authorities.
He observed that many states, especially those in areas with high economic activities, “have become notorious in muscling local councils 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 as an arbitration court between and among governments,” Atiku added.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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