FG inaugurates c’ttee to enforce S’Court judgment on LGA financial autonomy
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Federal Government appears set to put paid to the controversy on the financial autonomy of Local Government Areas in the country as it inaugurated a committee to enforce the recent Supreme Court judgment on the matter.
Recall that the apex court, had in a recent judgment, granted financial autonomy to the third tier of Government, and ordered the Federal Government not to release the allocation of any Local Government without elected leadership.
The Federal Government on Tuesday, set up a 10-member committed headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume.
This was disclosed by the Director, Information & Public Relations in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation OSGF, Segun Imohiosen.
He said the SGF, Senator George Akume, who inaugurated the Inter-Ministerial Committee would himself chair it.
Members of the inter-ministerial committee include: the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice – Member; as well as the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning.
Others are the Accountant General of the Federation; Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria CBN; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance; Chairman, Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission; Representative of State Governors; and, Representative of Local Governments.
The statement read:“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.
“This move is in line with President Bola Tinubu efforts to give appropriate implementation to the provisions of the Constitution, which recognizes local governments as the third tier of government”.
The judgment of the supreme court granting financial autonomy to LGAs has been widely applauded.
