Writing By BASHIR M; Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
The Senate has approved two resolutions in response to a motion on the recent Supreme Court judgement regarding the disbursement and utilization of local government funds, thereby discarding the earlier resolutions presented on the issue by Senator Tony Nwoye from Anambra State.
The first resolution, proposed by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, calls for all levels of government in Nigeria to promptly adhere to the Supreme Court ruling regarding the disbursement and utilization of local government funds.
This resolution, seconded by Senator Abdul Ningi representing Bauchi Central, urges all state governments to immediately comply with the recent Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy and the use of local government funds.
The second resolution stated that the Senate approves and ensures the amendment of the relevant provisions of the constitution to grant full autonomy to local administration in Nigeria.
Also this prayer was seconded by senator Muhammad Tahir Monguno from Borno and finally supported by all members of the Red chamber.
The two resolutions arose from a motion presented by Senator Tony Nwoye, representing Anambra East/West, highlighting the urgent need for state governments to comply with the recent Supreme Court ruling on local government funds.
In his lead debate, the sponsor of the motion, Senator Tony Nwoye, explained that Section 7 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), guarantees the system of democratically elected local government councils and explicitly provides for their autonomy, including financial and administrative independence.
Additionally, it is noted that on Thursday, July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered a landmark ruling in case SC/343/2024, mandating that all funds allocated to the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) from the Federation Account must be deposited directly into the accounts of the LGAs, bypassing the State and Local Government Joint Account.
According to Senator Tony, this affirms the constitutional provision granting financial autonomy to local governments, ensuring that local government councils can operate without undue interference or control from state governments.
He raised concerns that, despite the constitutional provisions and the binding Supreme Court ruling, some state governments, through their State Houses of Assembly, are attempting to pass, or have already passed, laws and taken actions that undermine the financial autonomy of local governments, thus violating both the Constitution and the Supreme Court’s judgment.
Following this motion, the Senate resolved to adopt the two above-mentioned prayers to address the issue.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks, assured that the legislative arm will fulfill its legal responsibilities to protect the interests of Nigerians and ensure that local governments secure full autonomy.
Bashir M
