LG autonomy: Abide by Supreme Court judgment, Akpabio tells governors

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has called on state governors to abide by the Supreme Court’s decision on fiscal autonomy for local governments.

Speaking to correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday, he hinted that the national assembly will make the necessary legislation to facilitate the implementation of the judgment.

Asked to react to the apex court’s ruling, he said: “Recall that the request was placed before the courts by the AGF because the federal government through President Bola Tinubu feels strongly about separation of powers and the need for autonomy of all arms of governments.

“And so for us in the legislature, the Supreme Court has spoken and we have no option than to abide by the Supreme Court ruling.

“So, I will just call on all states of the federation to respect what the Supreme Court has done and then we will go back to the legislature and see where we can dot the i’s and cross the t’s to ensure the full implementation.

“Because you know the words of the Supreme Court are like the words of the king, they cannot go down to the ground without implementation.

“So, I think this is a great day for democracy, and I congratulate the president for this initiative. And I know that all Nigerians now know that local government administration is an arm of government meant for the grassroots and their money should be for the grassroots.

“And definitely, local governments can now undertake projects on their own. So, it’s a great day for democracy and is the beginning of great things to come.”

The senate president called for free and fair elections at local governments, saying: “I have seen the judgement, I will study the judgement. But at the same time, I will advise there should be an impartial election at the local government level so that all the political parties can participate.

“At the moment there’s a lot of lethargy and non-challance attitude by many political parties whose parties are not in power at the state level. They hardly partake in local government elections because of the perceived bandwagon effect and all that.

“So, is a great thing that the Supreme Court has done the needful and now we have to go back and think, working with the AGF’s office and the parliament to see how we can ensure that there’s a real election at the local government levels.

“I think once that is done everybody will have confidence. Is progress for democracy and that is how it should be.

“So, we congratulate the justices of the Supreme Court and we in the parliament are determined to make sure there’s enforceability.”

Also speaking, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, noted that the judgment has made history.

He said: “The members have been very happy because history has been made. This is an issue that has been before the parliament for the past 20 years. Of all the constitutional amendments that were so far carried by the national assembly, one aspect of it has always been local government autonomy, how to make the local government work independently.

“Today, that impossibility has become a reality. Everyone is happy and we are looking forward to local government that will work functionally and that will be able to work on their own and extend goodwill to their own people undisturbed by the excesses by the state governors.”

On his part, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, noted that the judgment has freed local government councils from the shackles of state governors.

He said: “Naturally, one will be happy, should be happy, Nigerians are happy about it. I call it local government emancipation judgement because it has really emancipated the local government from the shackles of the past and I hope that local government officials will look at it as an opportunity to develop their various local governments.”

On the conduct of local government elections, he said that the ball is now on the courts of the state governors.

“The ball is in the court of the governors. Let us see what they will come out with, but the judgement is clear as to what they should do, the judgement is clear as to what consequences will be to failure or refusal to follow the judgment of the Supreme Court, which takes immediate effect,” the AGF stated.

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