Senators Raise Alarm Over State Interference, Call for Protection of Local Government Autonomy

A group of senators has raisedy concerns about the growing interference by state governments in local government affairs, warning that these actions could lead to the extinction of local councils. Led by Senator Steve Sunday Karimi, along with several co-sponsors, the senators highlighted the unconstitutional nature of these actions, which violate Section 7 of the Nigerian Constitution. This section guarantees financial and administrative autonomy for local government councils, ensuring their independence from state control.

Despite a Supreme Court ruling in July 2024 that mandated funds for the 774 local government areas be paid directly into their accounts, some state governments have continued to undermine this autonomy. The senators expressed concern that state Houses of Assembly are passing laws that effectively force local governments to remit large portions of their allocations into state-controlled accounts. These moves, they argue, directly contradict the court’s ruling and erode the local governments’ ability to deliver essential services.

The lawmakers called on the Accountant General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance to withhold allocations to local governments in states where such unconstitutional laws have been enacted. They also urged state assemblies to repeal any legislation that infringes on local government autonomy. Furthermore, they recommended that the Attorney General of the Federation take legal action against states that violate the Supreme Court’s judgment.