Mohammed Ali Ndume, the Chief Whip of the Senate, has described the Supreme Court judgment granting Local Government autonomy as the biggest achievement of President Bola Tinubu so far since he assumed office in May 2023.
The Borno South lawmaker also called on President Tinubu to immediately commence the implementation of the court judgment without further delay, noting that the people at the grassroots must begin to feel the impacts of good governance.
The former Leader of the Senate, said since state governors hijacked the Local Government administration in Nigeria, by relying on a controversial section of the 1999 Constitution as amended, no meaningful development has happened at the grassroots.
“This court action instituted at the behest of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the biggest achievement of his achievement. I’m very happy about the development, and I’m hoping that this will be the beginning of the liberation of local governments in Nigeria”, he said in a statement on Friday.
“I urge the President to immediately commence the implementation of the Court judgment. Local Government Councils need to start getting their monthly allocations immediately without any further delays. The people at the grassroots levels will begin to feel the impacts of good governance now”, the Ndume added.
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Ndume recalled failed attempts by the National Assembly to amend the 1999 Constitution and address this grey area, but governors didn’t allow the State Assemblies to give the constitutional concurrence.
“President Muhammadu Buhari also tried to intervene. Governors didn’t allow him. With this Supreme Court judgment, the issue has finally been rested. No more unnecessary deductions from funds earmarked for local governments.
“The people can now hold the Council chairmen accountable on how they spend their monthly allocations. They’ll begin to demand true accountability and judicious use of the funds they’ll be getting. I salute the courage of President Tinubu”, Ndume stated.
