Supreme Court grants LGs financial autonomy, directs FG to pay allocation directly to the local Government

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed that the allocation meant for the 774 local Government Areas in Nigeria be paid directly to them.

It added that the State government has no right to keep and manage allocation on behalf of the local government saying such remains unconstitutional.

Recall that the Federal Government, through the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice instituted the case against the 36 State Governors for disbursing allocation to Council areas contrary to the position of the 1999 Constitution.

GALAXY TV reports that Justice Emmanuel Agim, who prepared and read the Judgement maintained that, the state Governors have for over the years used the privilege conferred on them by the Constitution to defraud and rob the local government of it’s rights.

Justice Agim said that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria expressly declared that the allocation shall be shared and distributed among the three tiers of Government.

The Court equally ruled that the allocation of local government should be paid directly only to the democratically elected local government Council

The Court also stated that the state Governors has no right to dissolve any democratically elected local government using state powers.

The Apex court also ruled that henceforth, no state government should be paid the allocation meant for the local government in the country.

The court added that the State Government has no power to replace the democratically elected local government with the caretaker Committee.