Afrigather Following Thursday’s landmark Supreme Court ruling, which gave Native Governments in Nigeria autonomy, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, has clarified that any native authorities areas (LGAs) not headed by democratically elected officers won’t obtain allocation from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
LGAs have been hitherto managed by state governments, and governors willed the ability to disburse funds allotted to native governments at will and will exchange executives who don’t align. This has been a contentious situation in Nigerian politics for years.
Ozekhome defined that the supreme court docket judgment implies that LGAs managed by caretaker committees and native council improvement areas (LCDAs) that aren’t formally acknowledged as democratically elected our bodies.
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“The judgement of the federal government is obvious. If you wish to obtain funds from the federation account, then conduct an election,” Ozekhome stated throughout an interview with Channels TV.
He stated that caretaker committees and non-elected our bodies will likely be excluded from receiving federal allocations, as outlined beneath part 162 subsections 5 and 6 of the 199 Structure.
The Supreme Courtroom additionally dominated that state governors are prohibited from dissolving democratically elected native authorities councils, guaranteeing that native governments are ruled by officers elected by their constituents.
Ozekhome added:
“What this legislation is saying is that in case you are not a democratically elected native authorities council, you can not have this cash beneath part 162 subsection 5 and 6 of the 199 Structure.
On how LGAs are imagined to spend their allocation, Ozekhome says it their perogative.
“That’s their inner enterprise, no person can management that one. However, for now, the cash can solely go to these native authorities areas named within the structure. Don’t neglect they’re even named within the structure, 774 native governments.
“If you need cash from the federation account, such councils have to be democratically elected.”
The judgement marks a pivotal shift within the monetary governance of native authorities areas in Nigeria, aiming to advertise democratic processes and accountability on the native stage.
