The Federal government of Nigeria, has in its determination to break the jinx of Governors’ refusal to conduct local government council elections, inaugurated an interministerial committee to enforce the Supreme Court judgment delivered on July,11,2024 granting financial autonomy to the 774,000 Local Government Councils Nigeria.
“The committee was inaugurated on Tuesday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, CON.
A statement by Segun Imohiosen, Director, Information & Public Relations office of the SGF says the members of the committee are as follows: Secretary to the Government of the Federation – Chairman, Hon. Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of the Economy –Member, Attorney General of the Federation & Minister of Justice – Member, Hon. Minister of Budget & Economic Planning, Accountant General of the Federation, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Permanent Secretary (Federal Ministry of Finance), Chairman, Revenue Mobilization Allocation & Fiscal Commission, Representative of State Governors, Representative of Local Governments.
The committee’s primary goal is to ensure that local governments are granted full autonomy, allowing them to function effectively without interference from state governments.
The statement further noted that: “This move is in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR efforts to give appropriate implementation to the provisions of the Constitution, which recognizes local governments as the third tier of government.”
Recall, that many states in the country, including Imo, have been dilly dallying about conducting local government elections, right from the tenure of the former Governor, Rochas Okorocha who used Interim Management Council Chairmen and Sole Administrators to run the local government system until few days to the end of his 8-year tenure, when he conducted what many refer to as a kangaroo election.
In the same vein, Governor Uzodinma, has since assuming office in January 2020, promised on several occasions to conduct local government election without filling his promise.
