Local Government: Forum Applauds Supreme Court Judgement, Says Nigeria Can Now Enjoy Dividends Of Democracy

The National Councillors Forum of Nigeria has described the Supreme Court’s decision affirming the financial autonomy of local governments in the country as one of the greatest days in the country’s history, as it would go a long way towards cementing the nation’s federalism and providing dividends of democracy to teeming Nigerians.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the Forum, led by its President, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Shuaibu Baba, stated that the judgement demonstrated that “it is clear that the constitution of Nigeria recognises federal, states, and local governments as three tiers of government and that the three recognised tiers of government draw funds for their operation and functioning from the federation account created by the constitution.”

He added that the decision clearly demonstrated that: “It is also clear that in the provisions of the constitution, there must be a democratically elected local government system and that the constitution has not made provisions for any other systems of governance at the local government level other than democratically elected local government system.”

Baba stated that “in spite of the clear provisions of the constitution, some state governors refused to put in place a democratically elected local government system even where no state of emergency has been declared to warrant the suspension of democratic institutions in the state.”

He went on to say, “We also agree that some state governments’ failure to implement democratically elected local government systems is a deliberate violation of the 1999 Constitution, which they and the President have sworn to uphold.

“It is also agreeable that all efforts to make some state governments comply with the dictates of the 1999 Constitution in terms of establishing a democratically elected local government system have yielded no results, and that continuing to disburse funds from the federation account to such states for non-existing democratically elected local governments undermines the sanctity of the 1999 Constitution.

“As a result, we, the leadership of the National Councillors Forum of Nigeria, hereby present ourselves today to celebrate with the Federal Government, the entire local governments of the federation, and ultimately the Supreme Court, for this hilarious success of granting the local governments their constitutional rights and autonomy to that effect.”

Baba stated that elected council leadership cannot be held accountable for resources allocated to them, and that the local government administration is responsible for employing people, initiating and executing projects, and bringing development and democratic dividends to all Nigerians’ doorsteps.