Former minister of transportation and ex-governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has faulted the Bola Tinubu administration and the Supreme Court of Nigeria over the ruling which granted financial autonomy to local government areas in Nigeria.
He however, stated that a constitutional amendment proposal granting financial autonomy to LGAs, would be part of his priority if he ever became president of Nigeria.
Speaking on Saturday during an X Spaces conversation, Amaechii said any changes, such as direct funding of LGAs, should be done through proper constitutional amendments by the national assembly and not the supreme court.
In July 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government must pay allocations directly to LGAs and barred state governors from appointing caretaker committees to run councils.
The apex court also directed the federal government to withhold funds from LGAs headed by caretaker chairpersons.
Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation, had described the ruling as a decisive step in freeing the local government system “from the shackles of the past”.
The former Rivers governor however criticised the supreme court ruling, describing it as flawed and insisting that a significant constitutional amendment would be imperative should he assume office.
He stated: “I will amend the constitution. I will go for a constitutional amendment. That judgment by the supreme court was wrong. I won’t go the way of the supreme court. I won’t go the way of the Tinubu government,” he said.
“There would be a huge constitutional amendment if I win, where we would address everything about Nigeria.
“We will sit down with everybody that matters to discuss Nigeria, including local government administration. If I get to power, there would be independent local government authority but that would be by constitutional amendment.
“The constitution says the funds of the local government goes to the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC). That part of the constitution was not amended, that’s why I said supreme court was wrong.”
Amaechi also pledged to overhaul the electoral system for LGAs by creating “truly independent” electoral commissions not tied to the apron strings of governors.
