Former Vice President and the candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP in the 2023 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has commended the supreme court judgement granting financial autonomy to the local governments in Nigeria.
JOURNALIST101 reports that the supreme court had declared as illegal and unconstitutional for the state Governors to have a say on how the funds of the local government areas are spent.
The court also ordered the federal government to stop sending the funds to non democratically elected council chairmen.
In his reaction, Atiku said the judgment is a victory for the people of Nigeria, adding that the “ruling is a step in the right direction and a major corrective action in greasing the wheels of national development across the country.”
Atiku added that “fiscal autonomy to the local governments should not be limited to revenues from the Federation Accounts, but indeed, should apply to Internally Generated Revenue from the respective local government authorities.
The full statement reads:
The judgment of the Supreme Court earlier today affirming fiscal autonomy to local government councils in the country is a win for the people of Nigeria.
The court’s ruling is a step in the right direction and a major corrective action in greasing the wheels of national development across the country.
The decision by the Federal Government to consolidate disbursements of local councils’ revenues into the state government accounts was a decision that was borne out of politics of hasty compromise.
I align with the decision of the Supreme Court that the structure of the Nigerian government is portioned in three layers, and of these, the local governments should be centres of development.
I also share the belief that fiscal autonomy to the local governments should not be limited to revenues from the Federation Accounts, but indeed, should apply to Internally Generated Revenue from the respective local government authorities.
Many of our states, especially those in the ultra urban areas with high density economic activities, have become notorious in muscling local councils from generating revenue on items that border on motor parks, outdoor advertising, rents and many more.
The verdict of the court is in tandem with the core functions of the Supreme Court as an arbitration court between and among governments. -AA
