We’ll implement financial autonomy of local governments – Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has assured that his administration would implement the financial autonomy of local governments as affirmed by the Supreme Court.

President Tinubu stated this in his broadcast to celebrate Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary on Tuesday.

In May, the federal government through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, filed a suit to challenge the authority of governors to receive and withhold funds allocated to local government areas (LGAs) in their states.

The panel of seven justices of the Supreme court led by Garba Lawal gave judgment on 11 July, affirming that it is illegal and unconstitutional for governors to receive and withhold funds allocated to their LGAs.

The court subsequently held that the local governments across the country should, henceforth, receive their allocations directly from the Accountant-General of the Federation.

President Tinubu, in his broadcast, assured that the federal government would implement the judgment of the Supreme Court as part of the measures to promote political economy.

“As part of our efforts to re-engineer our political economy, we are resolute in our determination to implement the Supreme Court judgment on the financial autonomy of local governments,” Mr Tinubu said .

Local government autonomy is part of the issues to be addressed by the committee of the 10th Senate reviewing the 1999 constitution.

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who is a member committee, said the committee received 37 memoranda from various interest groups in the country.

He listed local government autonomy as one of the key issues that would be implemented in the review of the constitution.

Recently, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said the upper chmaber will amend the constitution to ensure the implementation of local government autonomy.

Aside from the local government autonomy, the National Assembly is also making legislation for the Local Government Independent Electoral Commission, the body that will conduct elections at the local government level.

In July, a bill seeking to establish a Local Government Independent Electoral Commission passed the first reading at the Senate.

The bill seeks to establish a National Independent Local Government Electoral Commission (NILGEC) responsible for conducting elections to the office of the Local Government Chairman and Councillors, and any other matters that have to do with local government as a third tier of government.