The Supreme Court has stated that state governors can no longer unilaterally sack local government leaders elected by the people.
According to CHANNELS TELEVISION report, the court’s judgement on Thursday, stated that doing so, would amount to a breach of the 1999 Constitution.
Recall that, the suit was filled by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), seeking an order preventing the governors from arbitrarily dissolving democratically elected councils. The suit by the AGF was on 27 grounds.
The 36 state governors, defendants in the suit, opposed the AGF for instituting the case.
The Apex Court, however, stated that the defendants (governors) just wasted their time in the suit.
The court also granted financial autonomy to the 774 local government councils in the country.
In its lead judgement read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court scolded governors for their decades-long refusal of autonomy for local governments.
Justice Agim noted that the 774 local government councils in the country should manage their funds themselves.
He dismissed the preliminary objections of the defendants (state governors).
The apex court further instructed that Local Government allocations from the Federation Account should be paid directly to them henceforth, and not to state government.
