Despite a Supreme Court ruling that requires the direct distribution of their monies, the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has expressed dissatisfaction about the six-month delay in granting financial autonomy to the 774 local government districts.
In its July 11, 2024, verdict, the court ruled that the long-standing practice of state governors controlling local government money was unconstitutional and ordered that allotments be made directly into LGA accounts.
Six months later, however, state governors are still in charge of and receive these funds, in violation of the ruling.
NULGE National President Hakeem Ambali criticised the delay and urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately implement the instruction in a chat with reporters on Thursday.
“We are shocked that this hasn’t been put into practice yet. During the Yuletide, we were informed that it would go into effect in January, which was reassuring. The fact that we are still debating this matter six months later is discouraging.
“We think that implementation should have begun in October, but the court ruling did not allow for any delays. We are pleading with Mr. President to take immediate action because of this,” Ambali stated.
He emphasised recent developments and the President’s guarantees that direct allocations to LGAs would start by the end of January.
“Additionally, I remember that at the Yuletide, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum visited the President, who reaffirmed his commitment to carrying out this directive. We anticipate that monies will be directly credited to local governments by the end of January. Enough is enough; we no longer want the practice of passing local government funding through middlemen. The court’s ruling is final and needs to be complied with.”
Ambali also chastised some governors for allegedly passing laws that went against the Supreme Court’s decision, including Dr Alex Otti of Abia State and Prof. Charles Soludo of Anambra State.
“Governors such as Soludo and Otti hurried to enact laws that went against the ruling of the Supreme Court. Since they are unable to overrule the court’s ruling, such a law is void.
“Their activities are unlawful and cannot be tolerated under the law, as the Attorney General has already made clear,” he said.
Ambali clarified that a technical group had made important recommendations, such as greater openness and oversight procedures, to protect the integrity of the allocation process.
“The presidency has received proposals from the technical committee to protect the procedure. For instance, we suggested that the Federation Account Allocation Committee publicise monthly allocations from local governments in national newspapers.
“Furthermore, we suggested forming a monitoring committee to keep tabs on payments. Additionally, the Minister of Special Duties ought to plan seminars aimed at enhancing the capacity of councillors assigned to oversight duties. Remember that local governments now have access to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit. “Once local governments receive direct allocations, we will see a significant difference.
“Giving someone a portion of your money is one thing; having control over your finances is quite another. Local governments will finally be in control of their finances thanks to direct allocations,” he noted.
Ambali emphasised that LGA personnel would also be held responsible for any shortcomings and cautioned governors against attempts to undermine local government autonomy.
“Governors Soludo and Otti’s fearful measures won’t work. Chairmen and officials of local governments are not immune, in contrast to governors. The entire force of the law will be applied to anyone who disobeys it,” he added.
