The Federal Government don initiate legal proceedings against the governors of all 36 states for Supreme Court, citing alleged misconduct for the administration of Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The lawsuit, wey the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, dey spearhead, aim to establish full autonomy for LGAs across Nigeria.
The suit, wey dem file on behalf of the Federal Government, dey request the Supreme Court to issue orders to safeguard the autonomy and democratic integrity of local governments. Key among these requests na order wey go stop state governors from the unilateral, arbitrary, and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected local government officials.
The state governors dey named for the suit through their respective Attorneys General. The Federal Government dey argue say current practices by the governors dey violate constitutional provisions and dey undermine local governance.
Specifically, the suit dey call for:
- Direct Funding to Local Governments: An order wey go mandate say funds wey dem allocate to local governments from the federation account go directly channel to them, to avoid the allegedly unlawful joint accounts wey state governors create. This one na to ensure financial independence for LGAs according to constitutional provisions.
- Prohibition of Caretaker Committees: An injunction to stop governors from appointing caretaker committees to manage local governments, advocating instead for constitutionally recognized democratic systems.
- Restriction on State Interference with Local Government Funds: An order wey go restrain governors, their agents, and representatives from receiving, spending, or tampering with funds meant for local governments, especially in the absence of democratically elected local government bodies.
The Federal Government dey argue say these measures dey necessary to uphold the democratic governance of LGAs and to prevent state governors from exerting undue influence over local administrative affairs.
The AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, emphasize the need for local governments to operate independently, free from state-level interference, to ensure effective and accountable governance at the grassroots.
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