Our Reporter, Abuja
The Supreme Court, on Thursday, ruled unconstitutional, the withholding of the funds meant for the local governments by state governors.
The apex court also barred governors from dissolving democratically elected Local Government councils in the country.
In a landmark judgement on Thursday, the Supreme Court said doing so, would amount to breaching of the 1999 Constitution.
Justice Emmanuel Agim in the lead judgment, noted that the state governments’ refusal of financial autonomy for 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 on their behalf.
Agim further observed that the 774 local government councils in the country should manage their funds themselves saying only democratically elected local government administrations are entitled to these funds and not caretaker committees.
Justice Agim dismissed the preliminary objections of the defendants in the matter (state governors).
