CDHR Commends Supreme Court Ruling On Local Council Autonomy

OpenLife Nigeria reproduces a statement by Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, in which the human rights group commends the Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy

LOCAL GOVERNEMENT AUTONOMY: CDHR
COMMENDS THE SUPREME COURT JUDGEMENT, PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU

The Supreme Court judgement on local governments’ financial autonomy delivered today was a welcome development and a victory for democracy and the grassrooters.

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, commends the judgement that was delivered on Thursday 11th July by a seven-member panel of justices led by Justice Emmanuel Agim in a suit filed by the federal government against the 36 state governors.

According to the judgment, all federal funds for local government councils should be paid directly into their respective bank accounts’ and henceforth, no more payments of local government area allocations will be made to state government accounts.

The judgement also prohibits the governors from receiving, tampering with, or withholding funds meant for local governments while restraining the state governors from dissolving democratically elected officials for local governments and deemed such actions a breach of the 1999 Constitution.

In its reaction, CDHR described the decision of the Supreme Court as affirming the spirit, intent, and purpose of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the statutory rights of local governments and the Nigerian people at the grassroots.

The judgement will rectify the challenges to the nation’s advancement over ineffective local government administration and economic development of the grassroots people.

It will also break the bondage of the state dominion over the local government authorities, leading to eradication of poverty and improving the living standards of the citizens at that level.

In another development, CDHR commends president Bola Ahmed Tinubu for taking the bull by the horn towing the path of rule of law and constitutional provisions to deliver the third arm of the government from the age long bondage.

The organisation also gives kudos to Mr. President for keeping to one of the Renewed Hope manifestos of restructuring.

According to CDHR, financial autonomy of the third tier of government is a starting point for restructuring.

One of the aspirations and yawnings of various agitators of restructuring is financial independence of the third tier of government.

The judgement will also empower Nigerian people, especially the poor, to hold their local leaders to account for their actions and inactions as well as accountable to the electorates at grassroots levels.

Transparency of whatever accrues to the local governments will be known, and no excuses will be entertained for not using it.

CDHR, however, demands immediate resolution of the new national minimum wage with the organised labour, advised the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to tow the same path of rule of law to mandate all the state governors to implement the agreement without compromise.

The organisation also charges the FG to embark on more restructuring policies that will ease the suffering of Nigerian people.

E-Signed:
Comrade Debo Adeniran,
National President CDHR Nigeria.

Comrade Idris Afees Olayinka,
National Publicity Secretary CDHR Nigeria.