The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has issued a stern warning to state governors bypassing the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy, threatening to seek a contempt of court suit if the defiance continues.
Fagbemi stated this in Abuja, on Thursday, at the 2024 annual conference of the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents.
The Supreme Court, on July 11, 2024, delivered a landmark judgment affirming the financial autonomy of the 774 local government areas in the country and stopping governors from further control of funds meant for the councils.
The apex court also directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to pay local government allocations directly to their accounts, as it declared the non-remittance of funds by the 36 states unconstitutional.
In a suit marked SC/CV/343/2024, aimed at strengthening local government autonomy as guaranteed by the constitution, Fagbemi also obtained a court order preventing governors from unilaterally dissolving democratically elected local government councils and establishing caretaker committees.
In the unanimous judgment of its seven-member panel, the Supreme Court upheld the suit brought by the Federal Government to strengthen the independence of local governments in the country.
More than five months after the judgment, the Federal Government had not effected direct payment of allocations to the local government, as directed by the apex court.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, said the Federal Government was yet to commence direct payment to the respective LGs due to some “practical impediments.”
He added that a committee had been set up by the Federal Government to look at the practicability of the judgment.
The Federal Government, it was learnt, faced challenges implementing the ruling on local government financial autonomy, with concerns over its impact on salary payments and operational viability.
LG autonomy: FG threatens contempt suit against errant govs
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has issued a stern warning to state governors bypassing the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy, threatening to seek a contempt of court suit if the defiance continues.
Fagbemi stated this in Abuja, on Thursday, at the 2024 annual conference of the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents.
The Supreme Court, on July 11, 2024, delivered a landmark judgment affirming the financial autonomy of the 774 local government areas in the country and stopping governors from further control of funds meant for the councils.
The apex court also directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to pay local government allocations directly to their accounts, as it declared the non-remittance of funds by the 36 states unconstitutional.
In a suit marked SC/CV/343/2024, aimed at strengthening local government autonomy as guaranteed by the constitution, Fagbemi also obtained a court order preventing governors from unilaterally dissolving democratically elected local government councils and establishing caretaker committees.
In the unanimous judgment of its seven-member panel, the Supreme Court upheld the suit brought by the Federal Government to strengthen the independence of local governments in the country.
More than five months after the judgment, the Federal Government had not effected direct payment of allocations to the local government, as directed by the apex court.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, said the Federal Government was yet to commence direct payment to the respective LGs due to some “practical impediments.”
He added that a committee had been set up by the Federal Government to look at the practicability of the judgment.
The Federal Government, it was learnt, faced challenges implementing the ruling on local government financial autonomy, with concerns over its impact on salary payments and operational viability.
