LAGOS (Sundiata Post) – Activist lawyer, Femi Falana has said the Supreme Court judgement that granted financial autonomy to local governments in the country would promote accountability at the grassroots level.
He also called on the state governors to study the Supreme Court ruling.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, made this known on Friday while featuring on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, stating that the verdict was not intended to deprive state governments of their power over LGAs.
“A lot depends on the Nigerian people because right now, it is difficult to talk about the autonomy of the local government. The state’s electoral commissions are manned by appointees of the state governors.
“And what they have done over the years is to manipulate the local government elections in a way, that only the candidates of the ruling parties would be declared the winners.
“Now, local governments would be expected to fix some schools, tar some roads, and even pay some workers.
“So, it is not that state governments will no longer participate in the affairs of the local governments, the state governments should create state economic councils and allow the local government to participate in them, just like they are part of the federal economic council.
“The judgment has to be studied by the governors so that everybody will appreciate that what the Supreme Court has done is to promote public accountability at the grassroots levels.”