Yiaga Africa Applauds Supreme Court Ruling on Local Government Funds Autonomy

A non-governmental organization, Yiaga Africa, has praised Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling that declared unconstitutional the withholding of local government funds by state governments.

Yiaga Africa, dedicated to advancing democratic governance in Africa, described the Supreme Court’s decision as a victory for democracy.

The organization emphasized that the ruling enhances the prospects for improved grassroots governance, which has suffered due to state governors’ failure to uphold the autonomy of local governments as recognized by Nigeria’s constitution.

“This is a significant win for our democracy and raises the possibility of better governance at the grassroots level,” Yiaga Africa stated on Thursday.

Justice Emmanuel Agim, delivering the lead ruling, criticized the longstanding practice where state governments denied financial autonomy to local governments for over two decades.

The Supreme Court affirmed that the 774 local government councils in Nigeria should independently manage their finances, dismissing the objections raised by state governors.

Earlier, during a House of Representatives session on Tuesday, lawmakers expressed concern over state governors’ persistence in appointing caretaker chairmen instead of allowing elected leaders to preside over local councils.

Ademorin Kuye, representing Somolu federal constituency, highlighted that 21 states currently operate local council areas with appointed caretaker chairmen despite previous Senate resolutions and a Supreme Court judgment.

Kuye urged the House of Representatives to direct the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to suspend allocations to council areas lacking elected leaders.