President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has come under criticism for the failure of the Federal Government to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling on the direct allocation of funds to local government accounts.
Despite the court’s clear directive in July, which mandated that the Federal Government must begin making monthly allocations directly into the accounts of the 774 local government councils, this action has yet to be carried out.
The Supreme Court’s judgment was intended to enhance local government autonomy by bypassing state governments and ensuring that allocations from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) are paid directly to the local councils. However, four months after the ruling, the allocations continue to be funneled into the joint state-local government accounts, raising concerns about the government’s commitment to adhering to the court’s decision.
The delay in implementing the judgment has largely been attributed to the absence of approval from President Bola Tinubu for the full execution of local government financial autonomy. According to Akeem Ambali, the National President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the Federal Government set up an inter-ministerial committee tasked with facilitating the implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling. This committee, chaired by Senator George Akume, has already submitted a technical report to President Tinubu, but the President has yet to give the necessary approval to move forward.
Ambali expressed the frustration of local government workers, stating, “The recommendations by the committee have been submitted to the President, and we are eagerly awaiting the start of the implementation.” The delay has raised concerns about the Federal Government’s willingness to honor the Supreme Court ruling and grant local governments the financial autonomy they have long sought.
In response to inquiries about the delay, Mr. Bawa Mokwa, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, claimed that the process for direct disbursement to local governments is ongoing. However, he did not provide a clear timeline for when the direct payments to local councils would actually begin. His comments suggested that the process is still in the works, but left many questioning when these operational challenges, which were cited by the government as the reason for the delay, would be addressed.
The delay has been particularly contentious given that the Federal Government initially set a three-month timeline to resolve operational challenges and implement the decision, which was expected to be completed in October. Yet, despite the expiration of this timeline, no significant progress has been made in effecting the necessary changes. This continued inaction has fueled accusations that the government is not prioritizing local government autonomy or is dragging its feet in implementing a ruling that could shift the balance of power in favor of local councils.
The failure to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling has sparked a wider debate about the state of governance and the autonomy of local governments in Nigeria. Local government officials and workers have repeatedly expressed their discontent with the continued control of funds by state governments, which they argue stifles local development and hampers effective governance at the grassroots level.
As the delay stretches into its fifth month, the pressure on President Tinubu to take decisive action is mounting. Local government autonomy advocates continue to push for the swift implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling, stressing that it is a critical step toward ensuring more efficient governance and better resource distribution across the country.
