By Omowumi Omotosho
Kwara State, along with 19 other states, may experience a suspension of federal allocations starting this month, as mandated by a recent Supreme Court ruling aimed at enforcing local government autonomy.
This significant decision affects Kwara, Jigawa, Rivers, Anambra, Imo, Zamfara, Bauchi, Plateau, Abia, Enugu, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto, Yobe, Ondo, Osun, Delta, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, and Benue.
Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, represented the Nigerian Government in the case which was presided by Justice Emmanuel Agim.
The court barred the federal government from releasing allocations to local governments led by appointed rather than elected officials. Justice Agim directed that local government funds should no longer be channelled through state governments, citing governors’ misuse of these funds to the detriment of local councils.
The court declared that governors had been retaining and improperly utilizing these funds, adversely affecting the local government councils’ operations. Consequently, the 20 states without elected local government chairmen will be barred from receiving local government funds starting in July until they hold elections.
It will be recalled that Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq who is also the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, has not held any local government election since his first term inauguration in 2019, prompting significant unrest in the state.
In response to the outcry embellished with a series of court cases from Non-government organisations like ENetSuD, Governor AbdulRazaq scheduled local government elections for September 21.
The ruling marks a significant step toward local government autonomy and accountability, aiming to ensure that local councils receive their due funds directly and are governed by elected officials.
