The Senate has called on the states and local governments to fully comply with the Supreme Court’s judgement by ensuring that local governments have complete control of their funds.
On Wednesday, October 9, it cautioned the 36 states and the 774 local governments against circumventing the recent Supreme Court judgement, which granted full autonomy to LG councils in the country.
The session, which was presided over by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, also said the National Assembly would amend relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution, especially 162, to provide full autonomy for local government administration in Nigeria.
The Senate’s resolution came amid a brief drama on the floor, which forced senators to hold a closed-door session before arriving at the decision.
Former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and senator representing Anambra-North Senatorial District, Senator Tony Nwoye, had brought a motion alerting senators to alleged attempts by at least three states to disobey the apex court’s judgment.
Nwoye informed his colleagues that the states were moving to use their legislatures to pass laws that would create accounts where the local funds would be paid into before being disbursed for spending.
He requested the Senate to intervene by passing a resolution to halt the states from disobeying the supreme court’s judgment.
However, drama started on the floor when some senators pointed at the futility of passing another resolution by the Red Chamber when the supreme court’s judgment had already addressed the issue.
The Nigerian Tribune and Vanguard confirmed the development in its publication on Wednesday, October 9.
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In another development, TimesNow.com.ng reported that the federal government was yet to release funds to the 774 local government chairmen, but it had reached an agreement regarding payment with the state governors.
Meanwhile, the agreement for a three-month delay on LG allocations raised concerns about how local governments would manage their operations and salary payments during the period.
However, the minister of finance, Wale Edun, calmed the tension and explained FG’s next step in the matter amid negotiations on payment by states.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
