NULGE expresses worry over six-month delay of 774 local councils’ funds

…says sacking of Edo LG chairmen by APC govt, illegal, ungodly

The National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), a body of workers in all the 774 local councils domiciled in Nigeria, has expressed disappointment over the six-month delay, resulting in the withholding of funds meant to be disbursed and used for the effective administration of local governments across the country.

Although, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, through its landmark judgment, had mandated direct disbursement of local government funds by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), the enforcement and due implementation of the judgement still hands in balance.

Hakeem Ambali, NULGE President while speaking during a radio programme in Ibadan, Oyo State Capital, monitored by BusinessDay, said “it is an aberration to stall a Supreme Court ruling”, adding that “diverting funds meant for Local Government is at the peril of the governors.”

While saying that the judgment of the Supreme Court is meant to be obeyed by all tiers of Government, noted that “It is a judgment that stands.

“The Supreme Court is the Court of finality. Judgment is not appealable unless it is reviewed by the Supreme Court itself. It is not because it is final in all decisions, but the Constitution made them final.

“The President, as a political leader is also looking at the options to solve political problems that is when the bend- over came to play. Unfortunately, that created room for manipulation, lobby and a lot of insinuations.”

NULGE also faulted certain governors, including Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State and Alex Otti of Abia State, who went back on the previous agreement with Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on Local Government’s financial autonomy, trying to use a subsidiary law to override the existing principal law.

“Their actions regardless of their immunity, contravenes Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution (Amended) that guarantees political leadership in the local government”, he added.

On the recent Edo State local government crisis, NUGLE President said “it is illegal to tamper with democratically-elected Council men, no executive power will override the people’s representation.

“What is happening in Edo is ungodly and illegal. Because the Governor wanted to probe what is happening in the local government against the judgment of the Supreme Court, he decided to say the chairmen should proceed on illegal suspension.

“Meanwhile, the affirmation of the Attorney General of the Federation has confirmed that no governor, in fact, no president in Nigeria, has power to dissolve, suspend or remove democratically-elected state political leadership”.

The NULGE President however warned governors against attempts to derail local government autonomy, emphasising that local government officials would also be held accountable for any lapses.

Ambali also called the recent LG elections across the Country where the ruling parties secured all seats as mere promotion, coronation and appointment of the incumbent’s political jobbers, an act, he said, “negates the Constitution.”

Ambali therefore explained that a technical Committee had submitted key recommendations, including increased transparency and oversight mechanisms so as to safeguard the integrity of the allocation process.