Fayose: Supreme Court Ruling on Local Government Funds Unfeasible
Ayodele Fayose, the former Governor of Ekiti State and a prominent figure in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has disclosed why the Supreme Court’s recent judgment affirming the right of Local Governments to receive monthly allocations directly from the federation account is unfeasible.
Speaking on national television on Sunday, Fayose emphasized that despite the court ruling, state Houses of Assembly and governors will continue to obstruct local government autonomy.
Fayose highlighted that no one from the grassroots can become a Local Government Chairman without the governor’s support, stating that both the court and the federal government cannot entirely separate local governments from the influence of state executives.
“I am not a lawyer. I am a politician and by God’s grace today, I am an elder statesman. While I love and do not believe that any government should take local government funds, may I say to you very clearly this evening that you cannot take the baby from the mother? There is nobody that can become council chairman without a governor. Anybody telling you otherwise is wasting his time,” Fayose remarked.
He further explained that state Houses of Assembly control and oversee local government activities. During his tenure as governor, Fayose received funds from Abuja but clarified that these funds were managed by non-political officials and council workers, not the council chairmen.
“There is only one representative of the governor, which is the local government commissioner. All others are local government officials, workers, and pensioners of the council. And they appropriate the funds. But when you now come and say we are giving power to the local government, what power are you giving to them? No power,” he added.
Fayose also criticized local government officials for their lack of dedication, stating that many do not take their jobs seriously.
“Any council chairman who says ‘Money is coming to me, I will disrespect my governor,’ the House of Assembly will tell you to go and disobey him inside your house. This is because you can never even be a council chairman without the governor standing up for you. The House of Assembly regulates your activities.”
He claimed that local government offices are often deserted, with many workers not showing up on specific days. “Go to the council meeting on Wednesday or Friday, you will not find 10 percent of the staff of the local government in the office. They don’t come. My name is Ayo Fayose and I want them to dispute this. They don’t come to work. When you make moves to bring them to book, both NULGE and all leaders of the local government will go and beg the governor,” Fayose said.
He concluded by stating that the state government is more effective in administration than local governments, which he accused of being primarily concerned with collecting money without performing their duties.
“At the local government, everybody comes to collect money. Even people have left some states. They live somewhere else and money just hit their accounts,” he asserted.
