Some lawyers have continued to hail the landmark judgment delivered by the Nigerian Supreme Court on Thursday, saying that it is unconstitutional for state governors to hold funds allocated for local government administrations.
The panel, which comprised seven men, in the judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, had declared that the 774 local government councils in the country should manage their funds and allocations themselves.
The highest court in the land went further and held that the power of the government is divided into three arms of government, the federal, the state and the local government.
The apex court declared that a state government has no power to elect a caretaker committee and a local government council is only recognisable with a democratically elected government.
In his reaction to the development, Abiodun Ajibade, a legal practitioner in Lagos, who spoke to Africa Health Report, AHR noted the ruling as a historic judgment that will change our political landscape for good.
“Today’s judgment is historic. And it has sent a strong signal to the dictatorial governors who see the local government as an appendage of their respective states. The Supreme Court verdict will change our political landscape for good.
“It a new beginning for the local government which is the closest to the grassroots. I hope it will bring about development to the people,”Ajibade said.
Also speaking in a similar vein, an Ado-Ekiti-based lawyer, Mr Tayo Oloruntola, who had a chat with our Correspondent on the phone, said he could not contain his joy at the judgement.
He commended the justices for their courage in delivering the judgment.
Hear him, “Now, the anti democratic tendencies of the state governors have been checkmated by the apex court. People can now truly elect the people that will represent them at the grassroots level in democratic setting. I hereby commend the wise men in the Supreme Court for their courage in arriving at this landmark decision.”
The court also ruled that state governments are perpetuating a dangerous trend by refusing to allow democratically elected local government councils to function, instead appointing their loyalists who can only be removed by them at their whims. Justice Agim dismissed the objections filed by state governors.
The Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), had filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Federal Government, seeking to grant full autonomy and direct funding to all 774 local government councils in the country.
The 36 state governments, through their attorneys-general, filed a counterclaim, arguing that the Supreme Court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.
