Federal Government Begins Implementation of Supreme Court’s Local Government Autonomy Ruling

The Federal Government is taking a decisive step towards implementing the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy, with an Inter-Ministerial Committee convening for a two-day meeting in Abuja, starting today. The committee’s primary task is to discuss the modalities for enforcing the apex court’s judgment, which mandates direct disbursements of funds to the 774 local government areas from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

The meeting, chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, brings together a host of key officials, including the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; the Accountant-General of the Federation (AG-F); and several representatives from the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

A government source revealed that the AGF has already finalized plans for the disbursement of funds to democratically elected local councils within the week.

An anonymous committee member shared that the panel’s focus will be on securing financial and administrative independence for the local councils, despite ongoing resistance from some governors. The committee is preparing to take counter-actions against governors who seek to maintain direct access to funds from FAAC, which would undermine the autonomy of local governments.

“We are awaiting final guidance from the Attorney-General on how to move forward with the governors’ resistance. We’ll take a firm stance on this by Wednesday,” the source said.

Local Government Autonomy: FG’s Two-Day Meeting Marks Key Step in Financial Independence

The committee’s two-day meeting will evaluate the progress made in implementing the ruling and finalize operational frameworks for the direct payment system. The discussions will also address efforts by some governors to undermine local government autonomy by pressuring elected local council officials to prioritize state interests over their constitutional responsibilities.

Despite the Supreme Court ruling, several state governors are attempting to retain control over local government funds by influencing state legislatures to pass laws that allow them to continue overseeing FAAC allocations. The committee will assess how to ensure that elected local government chairmen, deputies, and councilors are not coerced into serving state-level agendas.

“There’s a lot of tension around this issue, but we’re committed to ensuring that local governments receive the autonomy promised by the court,” the source added.

Committee to Finalize Direct FAAC Disbursements as Governors Resist Local Government Autonomy

In preparation for the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) has confirmed that the necessary structures are in place to facilitate seamless direct disbursements to local councils. A senior OAGF official reassured that there would be no obstacles in the process and emphasized that a dedicated department would oversee the disbursement process, ensuring that the transition is smooth.

“It won’t be a challenge. The structure has been on the ground, and we are ready to begin disbursing funds directly to local governments,” the official said.

Governors Push Back as Federal Government Moves to Enforce Direct Payments to Local Governments

The Finance Minister, Wale Edun, may consult with President Bola Tinubu to finalize strategies on how to handle governors who are resisting the move to grant financial independence to local governments. The federal government is determined to implement the court ruling and make direct payments to local councils, with the intention of reducing the undue influence governors have had over local government funds.

In the past, funds meant for grassroots development were often disbursed through joint accounts controlled by state governors, leading to delays and diversions. With the new implementation plan, the federal government aims to ensure that local governments can access their allocated funds without interference.