The House of Representatives has endorsed the Federal Government’s legal action against the 36 states to enforce local government autonomy.
On Tuesday, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) announced its commitment to vigorously mobilize its branches to rally in support of the Federal Government’s push for local government autonomy.
The Federal Government has filed a suit with the Supreme Court to compel the governors of the 36 states to grant full autonomy to local governments. The case, identified as SC/CV/343/2024, was initiated by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on behalf of the Federal Government.
The government is seeking a court order to prevent state governors from unilaterally dissolving democratically elected local government leaders.
Philip Agbese, the deputy spokesman for the House of Representatives, affirmed the legislature’s support for the Federal Government’s efforts, stating, “We are in total support of reforms that would uplift the well-being of our citizenry.”
In a statement on Tuesday, signed by Ambali Akeem, NULGE announced plans for a major rally, stating, “We will design various posters and banners. The rally will start from local government secretariats and move through major markets to important dignitaries.
The national secretariat will send a solidarity message for local reproduction and delivery. Local media houses should broadcast the message in local languages, and national and state officers will lead locally. We will visit Houses of Assembly that pass autonomy bills. This solidarity message is non-political and has been discussed with ALGON national leadership.”
However, Emomotiti Gumor, Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, criticized the Federal Government’s lawsuit. Speaking during the Delta Assembly’s first anniversary in Asaba, Gumor argued that the issue of local government autonomy was already under consideration in the ongoing constitutional amendment process. He said, “It is unconstitutional for the Federal Government to deduct from the state what belongs to the local governments.
Only 16 out of the 36 states supported local government autonomy, which is below the constitutional requirement. The Federal Government should have waited for the constitutional amendment instead of rushing to court, which is an aberration and unconstitutional.”
