Rtn. Ebuka Prince Nnorom has welcomed Thursday’s judgment of the Supreme Court affirming the right of local governments to receive their monthly allocations directly from the federation account.
Prince Nnorom also saluted President Bola Tinubu for backing the decision.
Gists9ja reports that the apex court had granted full autonomy to the 774 local governments in the country as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution (amended).
The seven-man panel in a unanimous decision agreed that it is illegal and unconstitutional for governors to continue to receive or retain funds allocated to the local governments.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court declared that the power of the government is divided into three arms namely the federal, state and local governments.
The court further declared that a state government cannot elect a caretaker committee, adding that a local government council is only recognisable with a democratically elected government.
But in Saturday’s statement, Nnorom emphasised that the decision signifies a historic moment in the consolidation of democratic federalism in Nigeria.
He said “with LG autonomy, brilliant brains can now be retained at the grassroots instead of state and federal capitals. It is more impactful to your community now to serve them as the LG Chairman with executive powers, not under any boss.”
“The bosses will now be the local market women and men, community leaders, youths and elders etc who will work directly with their councillors living among them to draw how their community will be protected, how their roads will be constructed by local contractors from among them, how IGR will be generated and utilised, their minimum wage, agriculture and other economic growth.
The Chairman and councillors are now on the spot and hot seat because their family houses are all within the community, and they are 100% traceable!
TINUBU is restructuring Nigeria without wasting scarce resources on any futile National Conference! Unprecedented!”
