LG autonomy: Comply fully with Supreme Court judgement- Senate tells State govts, LGAs, others

Ignatius Okorocha,Abuja

Disturbed by attempts by some state governments to circumvent Supreme Court’s judgement on local governments autonomy, Senate on Wednesday expressed its full alignment with the Apex Court’s Judgement of August 11, 2024 which granted financial autonomy to 774 Local Government Councils across the country.
This is as it urged all the three tiers of government, to fully comply with the judgement .
It also resolved to, in collaboration with the House of Representatives amend some provisions of the 1999 constitution .
The Upper chamber’s resolutions followed motions separately sponsored to these effects by the Deputy President of the Senate , Senator Barau Jibrin which were separately seconded by Senator Abdul Ningi and Senator Tahir Monguno .
But Senate resolutions came two hours after it earlier ran into troubled waters on enforceability of the Supreme Court judgement at the State and Local Government levels .
Senator Tony Nwoye (LP Anambra North), had at the commencement of plenary, rose through Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing rules , to move motion on alleged move by some state governments to circumvent implementation of the judgement through counter laws from their respective state House of Assembly .
Nwoye, before Senate ran into confusion over the matter informed the Senate that nine other Senators were co – sponsors of the motion.
He specifically alleged that some State Governors are already using their House of Assembly to enact laws that would mandate respective local government councils in their states to remit monies into State/Local Government Joint Account ruled against by the Supreme Court .
But immediately after finishing with his presentation containing six prayers for enforcement of the judgement and seconded by Senator Osita Izunaso ( APC Imo West ), Senator Adamu Aliero (PDP Kebbi Central) , raised a constitutional point of order for stoppage of debate on the motion .
Adamu Aliero cited section 287 of the 1999 Constitution that makes Supreme Court Judgement enforceable across the country , to urge the Senate not to over-flog the issue .
“Supreme Court judgement is enforceable across the country. There is no need for us to be debating anything that has to do with it here”, he said .
In aligning with Senator Aliero , the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio threw spanner at the motion , by drawing the attention of Senators to section 162 sub section 6 of the 1999 constitution.
The section according to Akpabio , created the State/ Local Government Joint Account, which has to be amended in paving way for full implementation of the Supreme Court Judgement.
“I think what we need to do is to carry out required amendments of certain provisions of the constitution as far as local governments’ autonomy is concerned”, he said .
But before taking final decision on the motion , the sponsor, Senator Nwoye hurriedly raised Order 42 of the Senate Standing rules for personal explanation on the motion the same time , Senator Abdulrahman Summaila Kawu (NNPP Kano South ) raised similar point of order .
The simultaneous points of Order , brought confusion into the session with many senators rushing to the Senate President for personal consultation, which eventually, made the Senate to go into emergency closed door session at exactly 12: 46pm
Resolutions taken at the emergency session which lasted close to two hours , were the two separate motions moved by the Deputy President of the Senate and adopted by the Senate.