9am news Nigeria reports that Nigeria’s Supreme Court has ordered governors of the country’s 36 states to stay away from cash intended for its 774 Local Government Areas. This breaking news highlights the Supreme Court’s ruling that states’ control over local government council money is unconstitutional.
The judgment is related to a lawsuit instituted by the federal government through the Attorney General of the Federation against the 36 state governors, aiming to ensure full independence of the local government areas from the control of the state governors.
Previously, these governors controlled the funds and formed caretaker committees to run the affairs of the local governments.
This breaking news was filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, under complaint SC/CV/343/2024. Fagbemi requested that Local Government Areas (LGAs) be recognized as the country’s independent third tier of government.
The suit, which is based on 27 grounds, also requested an order allowing LG monies to be directly channeled to them from the Federation Account in accordance with Constitutional rules, as opposed to the illegitimate joint accounts established by governors.
In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court emphasized that the leadership of local government councils must be democratic 9am news reports. This means that no state governor has the authority to dissolve democratically elected local government leadership and install their preferred officials to run the councils.
As a result, the Supreme Court directed governors to refrain from accepting, spending, or tampering with funds distributed from the federation account for local governments when no democratically elected local government system is in existence in their states. The court ordered the state governors to immediately comply with the verdict.
This breaking news has significant implications for the governance structure in Nigeria. It reinforces the constitutional recognition of federal, state, and local governments as three tiers of government, with each drawing monies from the federation account established by the constitution.
The 9am news Nigeria has been buzzing with discussions on this landmark ruling, and it is expected to dominate headlines for days to come. Ogasabi, a prominent political analyst, remarked that this judgment could redefine the balance of power in the country, promoting greater autonomy and accountability at the local government level.
Stay tuned to the 9am news for more updates on this breaking news and its unfolding impact across Nigeria. Ogasabi and other experts will be providing further analysis on the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision, which marks a pivotal moment in the quest for decentralization and democratic governance in Nigeria.
