By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The judgement of the Supreme Court on Thursday granting financial autonomy to the 774 local government areas of the federation has continued to elicit reactions.
The latest is from a civic tech organisation promoting participatory democracy and social accountability, PROMAD, which in a statement said the landmark judgement marks a significant victory for grassroots governance and development in Nigeria.
“We welcome this landmark judgement on local government administration in Nigeria. This will end the practice of illegally reducing the local government to a mere appendage of governors in the country.
“The Supreme Court’s decision on local government allocations will ensure that the funds meant for the third tiers of government will no longer be routed through state government accounts and hence empowers the local government executives to meet the needs of the grassroots people,” the founder and executive director of PROMAD, Mr Daisi Omokungbe, said.
He said the new development was in tandem with the work of PROMAD at bridging the gap between citizens and government through evidence-based strategies and civic technology, with a strong emphasis on accountability, participation and development.
“PROMAD has consistently advocated for increased civic participation and accountability in governance through initiatives such as TheCivicMatters, Election Analytics, FollowTheProjects, and the Grassroots Advocacy Project (GRAP), focusing on needs assessment for budgeting in the grassroots communities.
“This judgment further empowers our efforts to amplify grassroots voices, ensuring that communities can participate fully in budgeting and decision-making processes.
“We commend the Supreme Court for this progressive ruling and the Federal Government for championing the cause of local government autonomy,” he said.
Yesterday, the nation’s apex court barred state governors from holding local government funds and allocations in the country.
In the judgement delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, who led a seven-member panel of justices, it was noted that the practice of governors receiving local councils on their behalf was unconstitutional and directed the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) to transfer local government funds directly to them.
Additionally, the court has ruled that governors cannot dissolve democratically elected local government officials, deeming such actions a breach of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
The federal government, through the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), dragged the governors to the court to resolve the long-standing accountability issues in local government administration in Nigeria.
PROMAD submitted that by granting financial autonomy to local councils, they will now have the financial independence to address the unique needs and priorities of their communities more effectively, fostering a more responsive and participatory governance system, adding that citizens should brace up to hold local government officials accountable.
