House Directs FG to Withhold Allocation to Local Govts Run By Caretaker Committees

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The House of Representatives, has called on the federal government to withhold allocations to local governments run by officials not elected democratically.

It also directed Revenue Mobilisation and Allocation (RMFAC) to create a special account into which such monies would be paid until democratically elected representatives are put in place by such state governments.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), recently instituted a suit on behalf of the federal government, at the Supreme Court, against the 36 governors in the country, while seeking full autonomy for local governments.

In the suit marked SC/CV/343/2024, the AGF urged the apex court to issue an order, prohibiting governors from unilateral, arbitrary and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected LG leaders.

The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion on the urgent need to address refusal of state governments to uphold democratic principles in the local government and the financial impropriety in unelected local government officials moved at plenary by Hon. Gaza Jonathan and Hon. Ademorin Kuye.

Moving the motion, Jonathan said Section 7 of the Constitution guarantees the system of local government run by democratically elected officials and prescribed that state governments should ensure their existence

He added that by virtue of section 8 of the 1999 constitution as amended, it mandated the State House of Assembly to make laws for the establishment, tenure, structure, composition, finance and functions of these councils Stipulated by the constitution.

The lawmaker added that the local government, as envisaged by the constitution, is the most important tier of government as it is the closest to the people and the obvious foundation of both the sub-national and the federal government.

He expressed dismay that the impunity and constitutional disregard were a deliberate effort to upstage democracy, shrink the development potential of local councils, enshrine lack of accountability and limit transparency in Local governments and the state as a whole.

The House, therefore, mandated “the House Committee on Finance, Revenue 1 Mobilisation and Allocation to withhold local government allocation for Local Government run by Officials not elected democratically.

“In the alternative, direct RMFAC to create a special account into which such monies will be paid until democratically elected representatives are put in place by such state governments.

“Mandate the office of the Attorney General of the Federation to institute legal action against any state that terminates the unexpired tenure of local government administration and direct RMFAC to withhold allocations due to such Local Government.”