There has been a lot of buzz about LGA autonomy as if it will change anything. The LGA Chairmen are all selected by the State Governors.

Until State Independent Electoral Commissions are scrapped, there will be no autonomy. As long as State governors select LGA chairmen in the name of LG elections, nothing has changed..
By the way, why is the Supreme Court silent on the LCDAs?

Anyway, I can imagine that this is the only achievement by the Tinubu government in the last 1 year plus of monumental disaster. Having plunged the economy into an abysmal state, a Supreme Court Judgement is Worth celebrating in the midst of significant and unprecedented failure.

Validated:

By the way, why is the Supreme Court silent on the LCDAs?

They weren't presented with a question regarding them. What questions did you want them to rule on?

let them keep beating around the bush

These were the views of Professor Chidi Odinkalu. After watching him explain this fact on Channels TV days ago, I knew it wasn't an Uhuru yet. It's a long walk to freedom.

It's even more disturbing that the Supreme Court validates every sham election with massive irregularities. According to him, the Supreme Court since 2003 has contributed significantly to the failure of democracy to take deep roots in Nigeria.

That's why you see a bunch of politicians attending events organised by the judiciary and lawyers connected to politicians getting the juiciest positions in the bench. Dude shared a lot of troubling revelations.

Validated:
■ There has been a lot of buzz about LGA autonomy as if it will change anything. The LGA Chairmen are all selected by the State Governors. Until State Independent Electoral Commissions are scrapped, there will be no autonomy. As long as State governors select LGA chairmen in the name of LG elections, nothing has changed..
■ By the way, why is the Supreme Court silent on the LCDAs?
■ Anyway, I can imagine that this is the only achievement by the Tinubu government in the last 1 year plus of monumental disaster. Having plunged the economy into an abysmal state, a Supreme Court Judgement is Worth celebrating in the midst of significant and unprecedented failure.

1. Should we equally scrap INEC because the INEC President is selected by the Federal Government? Abeg make una dey reason the main things wey una dey request abeg! That SIEC is at the state level is no reason why SIEC should not be held accountable for

2. Probably because Tinubu was the first one to use LCDAs, and this was while he was governor of Lagos State.

3. This is no bloody achievement. Mind you, if your FG were to end up directly depositing money to the LGs, it would be directly contravening subsections 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of Section 162 in the Constitution. That should raise numerous red flags as it is an attempt to effectively overturn the very Constitution on which Nigeria was founded.

It is never a good idea to use illegal tactics in resolving another illegal act.
● These Governors directly violated the Constitution and stole from a purse they were not authorized by the Constitution to dip into.
● Governors withholding LG funds they have no right to touch or hold is illegal since the decision for the disbursement of funds to LGs is to be made by the National Assembly and the State Assembly.

Calling for their impeachment and trial is a better resolution to this issue than making a joke out of the very Constitution on which the Nation is founded.

SmartPolician:
These were the views of Professor Chidi Odinkalu. After watching him explain this fact on Channels TV days ago, I knew it wasn't an Uhuru yet. It's a long walk to freedom.

He is wrong! Learn your own Constitution so you can easily spot the issues created by these people you listen to.

Kobojunkie:
He is wrong! Learn your own Constitution so you can easily spot the issues created by these people you listen to.

Stop quoting people if you have nothing reasonable to contribute to a debate. If you say he is wrong, you explain how so. This is common sense.

SmartPolician:
■ Stop quoting people if you have nothing reasonable to contribute to a debate. If you say he is wrong, you explain how so. This is common sense.

I just listened to the man repeating some of what OP highlighted. He is wrong! The statement that having the FG pay directly to the LG does not repeal Section 162 of the Constitution is false. Subsections 4,5,6,7, and 8 of Section 162 of the Constitution would be directly impacted should the FG go ahead to pay the LGs directly.

Second, if you carefully read section 162 of the Constitution yourself, you will find that the State's claim that it merely takes a commission from those accounts violates the Consitution— particularly Section 162 — which does not grant the state any power to dip into or remove funds deposited into the account. The State is merely to maintain the accounts by any means it has to without in fact dipping into the account itself. The power to decide what LGs get and what amounts from the accounts belongs, not to the LGs or the State Government, but to the National and State House of Assembly.

Third, as for what the professor said of elections at the state level, using the same logic, should we call for INEC to be removed from the FG since INEC cannot independently call for a Federal election without the say of the FG? Of course not!

Nigerians need to be more intelligent in analyzing issues and coming up with solutions. Trying to chop down the very foundation of the democracy itself in a bid to solve a program of illegality is a stewpid way to go about resolving issues.

Validated:
There has been a lot of buzz about LGA autonomy as if it will change anything. The LGA Chairmen are all selected by the State Governors.

Until State Independent Electoral Commissions are scrapped, there will be no autonomy. As long as State governors select LGA chairmen in the name of LG elections, nothing has changed..
By the way, why is the Supreme Court silent on the LCDAs?

Anyway, I can imagine that this is the only achievement by the Tinubu government in the last 1 year plus of monumental disaster. Having plunged the economy into an abysmal state, a Supreme Court Judgement is Worth celebrating in the midst of significant and unprecedented failure.

A lot of you just criticize irresponsibly, nothing the government do will make you happy. You're are even asking why the supreme court is silent on LCDAs

Although it will take some time but the autonomy will actually change the way things work. Financial power has always been in the hands of governors alone. Now, imagine when every LGA chairman will be like the governor it means the power is now closer to the people for i would see more people going for LGA chairmen in the hope of change than for governorship or presidency. Gradually, rigging would reduce. It will take time like about a decade or less but something new and good would happen, for it would be like a competition between LGAs and no longer between states. What makes it interesting is that governors would want to probe LGA chairmen for mismanagement of funds and that means everyone would want to sit up.

It's a good thing. I mean, yeah, for real.

Kobojunkie:
I just listened to the man repeating some of what OP highlighted. He is wrong! The statement that having the FG pay directly to the LG does not repeal Section 162 of the Constitution is false. Subsections 4,5,6,7, and 8 of Section 162 of the Constitution would be directly impacted should the FG go ahead to pay the LGs directly.

Second, if you carefully read section 162 of the Constitution yourself, you will find that the State's claim that it merely takes a commission from those accounts violates the Consitution— particularly Section 162 — which does not grant the state any power to dip into or remove funds deposited into the account. The State is merely to maintain the accounts by any means it has to without in fact dipping into the account itself. The power to decide what LGs get and what amounts from the accounts belongs, not to the LGs or the State Government, but to the National and State House of Assembly.

Third, as for what the professor said of elections at the state level, using the same logic, should we call for INEC to be removed from the FG since INEC cannot independently call for a Federal election without the say of the FG? Of course not!

Nigerians need to be more intelligent in analyzing issues and coming up with solutions. Trying to chop down the very foundation of the democracy itself in a bid to solve a program of illegality is a stewpid way to go about resolving issues.

You watched the interview without grasping anything from what he said. Here's the summary of what the man said. In Nigeria, state electoral commissions organise LGA elections and those RECs are firmly controlled by state governors. That's why the party of the governor wins all the LGA positions in most cases.

The man is saying that if a governor rigs you into office as an LGA chairman, you are obligated to give the governor whatever he asks for because he put you there and can also remove you during the next election cycle if you refuse to do his bidding. If you still don't understand this, then I cannot help you.

Forget all these legal jargons; he was talking reality.

Until the Nigerian Judiciary is autonomous like that of America and countries in European union Nigeria will never work. An Autonomous Judiciary is not for fancy it's for accountability. Where there is accountability there's seriousness.

AdesegunSanni89:
Some useless yeebos are perpetual pessimists. They see nothing good in Nigeria making progress, creating stvpid threads on nairaland. Basterds’

Did you see anything good in Nigeria when you voted for a notorious narcotics drug trafficker engaging in criminal state capture to emerge president of Nigeria? Within one year in office, he has only succeeded in bringing the economy of Nigeria on its knees through dishing out calamitous economic policies.

It's not everything some of you guys should wail about.

Being in an opposition don't mean you should just be opposing things for opposing sake

This na validated bunkum

This will actually make things worse because number of looters has increased drastically

Validated:
There has been a lot of buzz about LGA autonomy as if it will change anything. The LGA Chairmen are all selected by the State Governors.

Until State Independent Electoral Commissions are scrapped, there will be no autonomy. As long as State governors select LGA chairmen in the name of LG elections, nothing has changed..
By the way, why is the Supreme Court silent on the LCDAs?

Anyway, I can imagine that this is the only achievement by the Tinubu government in the last 1 year plus of monumental disaster. Having plunged the economy into an abysmal state, a Supreme Court Judgement is Worth celebrating in the midst of significant and unprecedented failure.

He is not wrong, he is spot on.

Did you watch the interview?

Kobojunkie:
He is wrong! Learn your own Constitution so you can easily spot the issues created by these people you listen to.

Validated:
There has been a lot of buzz about LGA autonomy as if it will change anything. The LGA Chairmen are all selected by the State Governors.

Until State Independent Electoral Commissions are scrapped, there will be no autonomy. As long as State governors select LGA chairmen in the name of LG elections, nothing has changed..
By the way, why is the Supreme Court silent on the LCDAs?

Anyway, I can imagine that this is the only achievement by the Tinubu government in the last 1 year plus of monumental disaster. Having plunged the economy into an abysmal state, a Supreme Court Judgement is Worth celebrating in the midst of significant and unprecedented failure.

Point On.

Even if INEC begins to conduct LGA elections governors in the ruling party would still have a very strong hold on the LGA chairmen.
Because the Governors would still exert huge influences on the Federal institutions like INEC, police, military, judiciary etc.

They will still whip the Chairmen into submission and loyalty.


Only Governors in opposition will suffer from this LGA autonomy cus the Chairmen's loyalty and submission will drift towards Abuja.

ddippset:
Point On.

Even if INEC begins to conduct LGA elections governors in the ruling party would still have a very strong hold on the LGA chairmen.
Because the Governors would still exert huge influences on the Federal institutions like INEC, police, military, judiciary etc.

They will still whip the Chairmen into submission and loyalty.


Only Governors in opposition will suffer from this LGA autonomy cus the Chairmen's loyalty and submission will drift towards Abuja.

This is false. You can only influence someone you rigged into power. If Abuja INEC starts conducting LGA elections, LGA chairmen will be free to operate.

However, I want the constitution to be amended such that those chairmen are mandated to live in their domain. You cannot be an LGA chairman and live in your state capital. You are far away from realities.

SmartPolician:


This is false. You can only influence someone you rigged into power. If Abuja INEC starts conducting LGA elections, LGA chairmen will be free to operate.

However, I want the constitution to be amended such that those chairmen are mandated to live in their domain. You cannot be an LGA chairman and live in your state capital. You are far away from realities.

Are you aware that an LGA chairman can be suspended by the State House of Assembly ( Probably on the influence of the Governor?)

Are you aware that the State Commissioner of Police is normally 100 percent loyal to the Governor especially if it is a Governor in the ruling party?

Are you aware the the State Attorney or State Judiciary is in many cases in the pocket of the Governor, who can use this judiciary to frustrate the chairman especially since the Chairman has no immunity?

Dey play!

Any LGA chairman who is not loyal to the Governor especially if it is a Governor in the ruling party, go hear am hot.
Hot Hot.

At the snap of his fingers, a Governor can orchestrate the impeachment of an LGA Chairman who messes with him.

Kobojunkie:
1. Should we equally scrap INEC because the INEC President is selected by the Federal Government? Abeg make una dey reason the main things wey una dey request abeg! That SIEC is at the state level is no reason why SIEC should not be held accountable for

2. Probably because Tinubu was the first one to use LCDAs, and this was while he was governor of Lagos State.

3. This is no bloody achievement. Mind you, if your FG were to end up directly depositing money to the LGs, it would be directly contravening subsections 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of Section 162 in the Constitution. That should raise numerous red flags as it is an attempt to effectively overturn the very Constitution on which Nigeria was founded.

It is never a good idea to use illegal tactics in resolving another illegal act.
● These Governors directly violated the Constitution and stole from a purse they were not authorized by the Constitution to dip into.
● Governors withholding LG funds they have no right to touch or hold is illegal since the decision for the disbursement of funds to LGs is to be made by the National Assembly and the State Assembly.

Calling for their impeachment and trial is a better resolution to this issue than making a joke out of the very Constitution on which the Nation is founded.

Good points. Nigerians are intellectually fickle. SC is trashing the constitution and you're rejoicing because you think it is against those you hate. When it goes against you, don't cry

Validated:
There has been a lot of buzz about LGA autonomy as if it will change anything. The LGA Chairmen are all selected by the State Governors.

Until State Independent Electoral Commissions are scrapped, there will be no autonomy. As long as State governors select LGA chairmen in the name of LG elections, nothing has changed..
By the way, why is the Supreme Court silent on the LCDAs?

Anyway, I can imagine that this is the only achievement by the Tinubu government in the last 1 year plus of monumental disaster. Having plunged the economy into an abysmal state, a Supreme Court Judgement is Worth celebrating in the midst of significant and unprecedented failure.

No kee yourself with hypertension, wait till Ogun is ready to kee you

DMerciful:
He is not wrong, he is spot on.
Did you watch the interview?

There is nothing"spot on' about any of what he said as he was merely repeating the same narrow-minded solution that had been fed him by politicians over the years.

Let me put it to you this way. It is utter foolishness to delete/repeal the law in an attempt to resolve an illegallity. What the Governors did was illegal. That is the stance of the Law. Calling for a change in the same laws as a solution is stewpidity.

@* The Constitution does not bestow the right to dip into LG accounts to Governors. This means that a Governor who does so does so against the Law and as such should be penalized for it.
@* The Constitution does not grant Governors right to decide as far as LG elections. This means that all Governors who meddle with elections at the Local or National levels do so against the Constitution. ...

... I can go on but the point is the lack of respect for the Constitution by the people on both sides of this is at the root of this and so many other issues in Nigeria.

One werey write that the LG autonomy is Fulani agenda.
Let's call a spade a spade. LG autonomy is a good development!
Any baga that's against it ll suffer data for 600 years.

Kobojunkie:
There is nothing"spot on' about any of what he said as he was merely repeating the same narrow-minded solution that had been fed him by politicians over the years.

Let me put it to you this way. It is utter foolishness to delete/repeal the law in an attempt to resolve an illegallity. What the Governors did was illegal. That is the stance of the Law. Calling for a change in the same laws as a solution is stewpidity.

@* The Constitution does not bestow the right to dip into LG accounts to Governors. This means that a Governor who does so does so against the Law and as such should be penalized for it.
@* The Constitution does not grant Governors right to decide as far as LG elections. This means that all Governors who meddle with elections at the Local or National levels do so against the Constitution. ...

... I can go on but the point is the lack of respect for the Constitution by the people on both sides of this is at the root of this and so many other issues in Nigeria.

First or second time you're making sense.

let them keep beating around the bush

After reading the comments, I conclude that most do not know how the supreme court always arrive at its decisions. Being the supreme court, it can interpret the constitution the way its likes for the benefit of the general public. Looking at section 162 of the constitution of FRN(as amended),the allocations of local councils should go to the States' coffers. But this has been severally abused,and justice not done to local govts. The Court has the power to interprete the law according to justice and also to serve justice according to law. In this case, the supreme court has to move slightly away from the constitution because that section 162 has not really served justice to the local govts.

Munamu:
∆ After reading the comments, I conclude that most do not know how the supreme court always arrive at its decisions. Being the supreme court, it can interpret the constitution the way its likes for the benefit of the general public. Looking at section 162 of the constitution of FRN(as amended),the allocations of local councils should go to the States' coffers. But this has been severally abused,and justice not done to local govts. The Court has the power to interprete the law according to justice and also to serve justice according to law. In this case, the supreme court has to move slightly away from the constitution because that section 162 has not really served justice to the local govts.

The Law has been abused? Explain what you mean by this please.

Seems we're talking of two different persons. We're talking of Prof Odinkalu's interview on Channels.

His point is if elections at the local govt are not credible and the outcome always favors the party of governors, then nothing will change.

Bottomline is Nigeria's problem is lack of credible elections(vote don't count) and as such the politicians are not accountable to the people

Kobojunkie:
There is nothing"spot on' about any of what he said as he was merely repeating the same narrow-minded solution that had been fed him by politicians over the years.

Let me put it to you this way. It is utter foolishness to delete/repeal the law in an attempt to resolve an illegallity. What the Governors did was illegal. That is the stance of the Law. Calling for a change in the same laws as a solution is stewpidity.

@* The Constitution does not bestow the right to dip into LG accounts to Governors. This means that a Governor who does so does so against the Law and as such should be penalized for it.
@* The Constitution does not grant Governors right to decide as far as LG elections. This means that all Governors who meddle with elections at the Local or National levels do so against the Constitution. ...

... I can go on but the point is the lack of respect for the Constitution by the people on both sides of this is at the root of this and so many other issues in Nigeria.

DMerciful:
∆ Seems we're talking of two different persons. We're talking of Prof Odinkalu's interview on Channels.
His point is if elections at the local govt are not credible and the outcome always favors the party of governors, then nothing will change.
Bottomline is Nigeria's problem is lack of credible elections(vote don't count) and as such the politicians are not accountable to the people

So should we also cancel INEC because people have also complained numerously of election rigging at the federal level?

Not cancel the state electoral commission or INEC but reform both so that credible and transparent elections are guaranteed.

In all honesty, without credible elections, forget development even in a 1000yrs

Kobojunkie:
So should we also cancel INEC because pepple have also complained numerously of election rigging at federal level?