Hon. Rotimi Makinde has praised the Supreme Court’s ruling, which declared that state governors holding funds allocated to local government administrations in Nigeria is unconstitutional. The court also mandated immediate compliance with the ruling, emphasizing that states should not receive monies intended for local governments.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the Supreme Court stated that the 774 local government councils in the country should manage their funds independently, free from state interference. This landmark decision is seen as a significant step towards strengthening local governance and ensuring financial autonomy at the grassroots level.
Reacting to the ruling, Makinde, a former lawmaker who represented Ife Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives during the 7th Assembly, described the verdict as a victory for the rule of law and constitutional democracy. He noted that this decision could motivate individuals like himself to participate in local government elections.
In a statement released on Friday, Makinde expressed his enthusiasm for the Supreme Court’s decision:
“With a deep sense of excitement in me, I sincerely welcome the verdict of the Supreme Court, which today gave autonomy to the third tier of government to run their affairs without any undue interference from the state governors. It is also a thing of joy to hear that local governments can now manage their funds themselves. More satisfactorily is the fact that Justice Agim ordered the immediate compliance of the judgment, stating that no state should be paid monies meant for local governments. This is a victory for rule of law and constitutional democracy.”
Makinde highlighted the positive implications of this ruling, emphasizing that it would encourage those called to serve to actively engage in local governance. He stressed that local governments now have the autonomy to perform a range of functions, plan, formulate, and execute their policies, programs, and projects according to their local needs. This autonomy includes control over finances, recruitment, and discipline of staff.
“This is a plus for our democracy, and I have no doubt that I would not hesitate to join the race for becoming a local government chairman for the betterment of my people. With my antecedents at the National Assembly, I surely will not disappoint my people should I have the opportunity to serve,” he said.
Makinde also commended the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), for filing the suit that led to this ruling. The suit, marked SC/CV/343/2024, aimed to enforce local government autonomy and prevent state governors from appointing caretaker committees to administer local governments.
“Thankfully, the contestation over local government autonomy has permanently been laid to rest today, Thursday, July 11, 2024. This means that any local government manned by a caretaker committee instead of an elected local government chairman and councillors will automatically have their funds from the Federation Account withheld. With this ruling, I am once again proud to be a Nigerian, and I sincerely give kudos to the judiciary for exercising their rights and constitutional duties without fear or favour in strengthening our democracy. May God bless and prosper Nigeria,” Makinde concluded.
This ruling is expected to have far-reaching implications for local governance in Nigeria, promoting greater accountability, efficiency, and development at the grassroots level.
