The Supreme Court, on Thursday at long last, declared that it is unconstitutional for state governors across Nigeria to hold onto funds meant for Local Government administrations.
In its lead judgement, read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court observed that the refusal of state government on financial autonomy for local governments has gone on for over two decades. Justice Agim said that local governments has since stopped receiving the money meant for them from the state governors who act in their stead. He noted that the 774 local government councils in the country should manage their funds themselves. The ruling dismissed the preliminary objections of the defendants (state governors).
