A chieftain of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo has commended the Supreme Court on its judgment which granted the autonomy of local governments, saying the court decision would not only strengthen Nigeria’s democracy but also stabilise its existence and enhance the better livelihood of the masses.
Recall that the Supreme Court last Thursday said that it is unconstitutional for the governors to hold funds for the local administrations.
The seven-man Panel in the judgement delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, declared that the 774 Local Government Councils in the country should manage their funds themselves.
The Apex Court held that the power of the government is portioned into three arms of government, the federal, the state, and local governments.
The Court further declared that a state government has no power to appoint a caretaker committee and a local government council is only recognisable with a democratically elected government.
Ajadi in a statement on Wednesday stressed that the Federal Republic of Nigeria remains a corporate democratic setting whose administrative system could not be acknowledged as a complete one without autonomy to the government that is the closest to the people at the grassroots levels, adding that the Supreme Court decision is a laudable one.
Ajadi, a governorship candidate of the NNPP in Ogun State at the 2023 election, said until now Nigerians were more concerned about the Federal and State budget, not minding that of local government that is very close to them.
He said the financial autonomy granted local governments will help in the development of the grassroots.
He noted that local government was the closest to the rural dwellers and the only way and means to make those inhabitants enjoy the dividends and goodies of democracy was by giving autonomy to local government, which the Apex Court has done.
Ajadi however called on Nigerians to watch out for the governors who may want to use the backyard way to muscle local governments.
“We should keep our eyes on the governors so that they will not go behind the scenes in controlling the finances of the local governments.
“Local governments chairmen should be bold to ensure their freedom from the governors having been protected by the law.
“I also commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for taking up the challenge to curtail the governors’ muscling of the local government finances. The Attorney General’s bold decision has saved the country from the state governors’ excesses.
“I maintained for a long time that it was undemocratic for the state governments in the country to continue to erode the powers and functions of Local Government with introduction of caretaker administrative system, stressing that its introduction in a full democratic setting is an aberration to the principle system of government the country is operating”.
