Atiku Hails Supreme Court’s LG Autonomy Ruling as Win for Nigeria
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has hailed Thursday’s Supreme Court judgment on financial autonomy for local government councils as a significant victory for Nigeria.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Atiku asserted that the ruling represents a crucial step towards enhancing development nationwide.
Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, expressed strong support for the judgment.
He remarked, “The judgment of the Supreme Court earlier today affirming fiscal autonomy to local government councils in the country is a win for the people of Nigeria. The court’s ruling is a step in the right direction and a major corrective action in greasing the wheels of national development across the country.”
Criticizing the Federal Government’s previous decision to consolidate local councils’ revenues into state government accounts, Atiku argued that it was politically motivated and detrimental to local governance.
He stated, “The decision by the Federal Government to consolidate disbursements of local councils’ revenues into the state government accounts was a decision that was borne out of the politics of hasty compromise.
I align with the decision of the Supreme Court that the structure of the Nigerian government is portioned in three layers, and of these, the local governments should be centres of development.”
Atiku further emphasized the importance of fiscal autonomy for local governments, extending beyond revenues from the Federation Accounts to include Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
He noted, “I also share the belief that fiscal autonomy to the local governments should not be limited to revenues from the Federation Accounts, but indeed, should apply to Internally Generated Revenue from the respective local government authorities.
Many of our states, especially those in the ultra-urban areas with high-density economic activities, have become notorious in muscling local councils from generating revenue on items that border on motor parks, outdoor advertising, rents, and many more.”
Atiku concluded by highlighting the alignment of the court’s decision with the core functions of the Supreme Court as an arbitration entity among different levels of government.
He affirmed, “The verdict of the court is in tandem with the core functions of the Supreme Court as an arbitration court between and among governments.”
