Falana: LG Autonomy: Supreme Court Ruling To Encourage Accountability

Femi Falana, a human rights activist and senior advocate from Nigeria, has supported the Supreme Court’s ruling and asked state governments to stop withholding local governments’ federal allotments.

Falana contended that the ruling will encourage accountability at the local level rather than take away the state governments’ power over the LGAs during her appearance as a guest on Channels Television’s popular show Sunrise Daily on Friday.

“A lot depends on the Nigerian people because it is hard to talk about local government autonomy right now,” he stated. The state governors appoint individuals to serve on the electoral commissions in the state.

And over the years, they have manipulated local government elections such that the winners would only be the candidates from the dominant parties.

Local governments would now be obligated to pay employees, tarmac certain roads, and fix some schools. Therefore, it doesn’t mean that state governments won’t continue to be involved in municipal problems.Just as local governments are a component of the federal economic council, state governments ought to establish state economic councils and permit local governments to participate in them.

“The governors must review the ruling in order for everyone to understand that the Supreme Court has facilitated grassroots public accountability.”

The highest court on Thursday ordered the Federal Government to start immediately and directly paying local governments’ cash to their exclusive accounts, as stated in its lead ruling delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim.

The state government’s long-standing denial of local governments’ financial autonomy was criticized by the Supreme Court.

Following the verdict, President Bola Tinubu declared that it will open the door for greater accountability.

According to a statement from the presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu stated, “Our people, especially the poor, will be able to hold their local leaders to account for their actions and inactions.”

It will be known what is delivered to local government accounts, therefore services must now be rendered without delay.

“The reason my government filed this lawsuit is our steadfast conviction that our people need relief, and today’s ruling will guarantee that the only individuals in charge of the people’s resources are the local leaders chosen by the people.

“This ruling serves as a strong confirmation that we can restructure our economy and our nation through legal channels in order to improve living conditions and create a more equitable society for all of our citizens in Nigeria.””This ruling serves as a strong confirmation that we can restructure our economy and our nation through legal channels in order to improve living conditions and create a more equitable society for all of our citizens in Nigeria.”