The National Assembly will introduce legislation to enforce the Supreme Court ruling granting financial autonomy to local government councils, Senator Sunday Karimi has said.
Karimi, who chairs the Senate Committee on Services, gave the assurance while addressing constituents in Kogi West Senatorial District during the yuletide recess.
He recalled the Supreme Court judgment delivered on 25 July 2024, which ordered that federal allocations to the country’s 774 local government councils should be paid directly to them, without interference from state governments.
The senator criticised state governors who have continued to exercise control over local government funds despite the ruling, describing such actions as unconstitutional and harmful to efforts aimed at strengthening democracy at the grassroots.
According to Karimi, the legislature is determined to ensure full implementation of the judgment and will pass the necessary laws to compel strict compliance with financial autonomy for local governments.
He warned that governors who persist in defying the ruling could face legal consequences, noting that the Supreme Court had clearly nullified the practice of governors managing local government finances and declared caretaker committees illegal.
Karimi said the judgment was designed to promote accountable governance by ensuring that allocations are paid directly to democratically elected local government officials, thereby improving service delivery at the grassroots level.
He expressed concern that, despite the clarity of the ruling, some states have continued to ignore the apex court’s decision.
The senator also recalled President Bola Tinubu’s warning to leaders of the All Progressives Congress that he could resort to issuing an executive order should state governments continue to disregard the Supreme Court’s judgment.
