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Reps Urge RMAFC to Create Special Account for Local Govt Funds

The House of Representatives has called on the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to establish a special account to withhold allocations for Local Government Councils managed by unelected officials.

This resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Jonathan Gbefwi (SDP, Nasarawa) and Ademorin Kuye (APC, Lagos) during a plenary session on Tuesday.

Kuye argued in favor of the motion, stating that Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) guarantees a system of local government run by democratically elected officials, and mandates state governments to ensure their existence. He emphasized the importance of local governments, describing them as “the closest to the people and the foundation of both state and federal governments.”

Following the adoption of the motion, the House directed its Committees on State and Local Government Affairs and Finance to collaborate with RMAFC to withhold allocations to local governments managed by unelected officials. They also urged RMAFC to “create a special account into which allocations due to local governments run by unelected officials will be paid until elected representatives are established by such state governments.”

Additionally, the House urged the Attorney-General of the Federation to institute legal action against any state that terminates the unexpired tenure of a local government.

This follows a December 2023 resolution by the Senate to stop allocations to some states, after a motion sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro on the urgent need to halt the erosion of democracy in local governments. Many Senators also called for sanctions against states that have disrupted the democratic system in local governments and installed unelected caretaker committees.

Kuye expressed concern over the dissolution of democratically elected councils, stating, “The House is concerned that the dissolution of democratically elected councils is in direct contravention of Section 7 of the Nigerian Constitution, the Supreme Court pronouncements on such matters, and a deliberate affront on democracy. We are worried that the number of states acting with impunity and in utter disregard to the constitution continues to increase, as not less than 21 state governors are currently running local government councils with caretaker committees. The House is dismayed that this impunity and disregard for the constitution is a deliberate effort to upstage democracy, frustrate accountability and transparency in the local government, and thwart their development potentials.”