Breaking: It is illegal for Governors to withhold Local Government funds – Supreme Court

The Supreme Court, on Thursday, declared that it is unconstitutional for state governors to hold onto funds meant for Local Government (LG) administrations.

In its lead judgement read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court observed that the refusal of state governments to grant financial autonomy to local governments has gone on for over two decades.

He said local governments have since stopped receiving the money meant for them from the state governors who act in their stead.

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).

In the suit filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, the Federal Government sought an order preventing the governors from arbitrarily dissolving democratically elected councils.

Prompt News