In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court has outlawed the current practice whereby funds standing to the credit of Local Governments in Nigeria, are being paid to state joint allocatiaccountsunt of states.
According to NTA, this judgment arose from a suit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, San, advocating the administrative and final autonomy of local governments in the country.
The judgement by the Apex Court holds that the Federation should henceforth pay allocations directly to the Local Government Councils, since paying to the State Government has not worked.
On the validity of appointment of Caretaker Appointees as local government officials, the Supreme Court holds that a democratically elected governor has no power to remove a democratically elected LGA official and appoint a caretaker committee, it is unconstitutional.
Before this well-considered verdict by the apex court, such local government funds were being paid to and managed through the states’ joint allocation accounts.
Local Government heads have complained that State Governors mismanage their funds, leaving them with nothing to take home to develop their LGAs.