A coalition of Civil Society Organisations working on anti-corruption and good governance has called on all state governors in Nigeria to fully comply with the Supreme Court’s judgment on Local Government autonomy and end all forms of interference in the financial affairs of LG councils.
The coalition also urged the Federal Government, the National Assembly, and relevant anti-corruption agencies to institute sanctions against any state governor who flouts the judgment.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, the CSOs stated, “Despite the clear pronouncements of the Supreme Court and the constitutional provisions, some governors have continued to interfere with the financial operations of LGCs through the introduction of bills to circumvent the Supreme Court judgment on the direct allocation of funds to LGCs by arm-twisting the council chairmen into paying their federal allocation back to the state. These actions undermine the developmental role that local governments are meant to play in Nigeria’s democracy. More importantly, they erode the trust and faith of the citizens in the governance system at the grassroots level.
“The financial emasculation of LGCs has far-reaching consequences. Communities across the country are being deprived of critical services, such as primary healthcare, education and rural infrastructure. Local economies, which depend on the efficient functioning of local governments, are being stifled. Moreover, the lack of resources for LGCs prevents them from adequately responding to the needs of the most vulnerable members of society, perpetuating inequality and underdevelopment.
“We demand that all state governors fully comply with the supreme court’s judgment and immediately end all forms of interference in the financial affairs of local government councils. We call on the Federal Government, the National Assembly, and relevant anti-corruption agencies to institute and enforce appropriate sanctions against any governor or public official who continues to flout the constitutional financial autonomy of local governments. This includes withholding of funds to any state that takes any steps inimical to the financial autonomy of the local governments.”
Among the civil society organisations who co-signed the statement are the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice; the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development; the African Centre for Media & Information Literacy; Amnesty International Nigeria; among others.
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