Ojuntana:

You're uncouth and lacking in proper manners
Can you mention the part of our laws that says he can't have an opinion? You really think there's any gov who never misused LG funds? You really think so?
You're just a naive small boy

DMerciful:
How did Yahaya Bello became a governor? Flawed judicial system that ratified a rogue that wasn't even in the ballot.

Fix your electoral system so that the process is credible and people with credibility can win elections and use the state resources judiciously!

You cannot be talking of fg govt controlling local gvt resources and still talk of federalism

loswhite:
Is that what you can deduce from the Supreme Court judgement? Where did you see that federal Government will be controlling local government fund? Have you ever asked yourself why we blame the president for everything but never the governors? I am sure you are among those always calling the presidency but have never attacked your state governors for their reckless use of state funds.

EmeeNaka:
Nonsense !
The most important thing in the law is the spirit of the law and not the letters of the law. That's why the Supreme court explicitly stated that the state governors has abused the privilege accorded to them.
The supreme court ruling has effectively established an autonomous third tiers of government and this is very important for the development of the country and Nigerian democracy.

You don't solve one problem to create another massive problem. Look at it from the other side
The fear of political meddling in local government affair by the Federal government is secondary and should not becloud our resolve to give more opportunities for development to local level.
Imagine some towns and local government being at the mercy of their Governor. Some Governors will seize the allocation of local government and use it to develop another place. The Supreme court ruling is valid

seunmsg:
Kudos to the Supreme Court for this landmark judgement. Only rogue governors and former governors will be against the judgement. Local Government should not to tied to the apron spring of the governors. We've seen how rogue governors like Peter Obi ruled for 8 years without conducting local government election. They collect every single kobo belonging to the LGAs and then set up a useless transition committee that are un-elected and then give them peanut to operate. Any one that is against this judgement is an enemy of Nigeria.

Kudos to the AGF and Mr. President for this.

loswhite:
Why do you that has to be the first thing? Even the one INEC conducted lol what was the result?

Deltatoto:
atleast some lp apga sdp members are in nass.with states conducting LG elections what u see is 100/100.

DMerciful:
Tinubu likes to show himself.
What GEJ left, Buhari left, he always jump on it. Same like subsidy removal.

The governors will set him up. Watch and see!

Giving money to local govt is to increase number of looters,

wont change the wellbeing of the common man

maasoap:

Most likely, we all knew this.


Yes, we know. But we don't need the govs to destroy local govt administration.
If executives at the federal and state levels are doing what they like with their allocations, local govt executives too should be allowed to have the same opportunity. Afterall, the fund legally belongs to the local governments. This will even help in stamping out this caretaker committees nonsense that all govs are practising

EmeeNaka:
Nonsense !
The most important thing in the law is the spirit of the law and not the letters of the law. That's why the Supreme court explicitly stated that the state governors has abused the privilege accorded to them.
The supreme court ruling has effectively established an autonomous third tiers of government and this is very important for the development of the country and Nigerian democracy.
The fear of political meddling in local government affair by the Federal government is secondary and should not becloud our resolve to give more opportunities for development to local level.
Imagine some towns and local government being at the mercy of their Governor. Some Governors will seize the allocation of local government and use it to develop another place. The Supreme court ruling is valid

DMerciful:
There is no federal system of govt where you have three federating units. We always do things upside down.

We should be pushing for state autonomy, not lg autonomy!

ElevationD:



You got it bro.

That judgement makes sense. At least local governments can have their resources and use to develop their areas accordingly.

I think Ibori interpreted according to his understanding of the wordings in English. The struggle for local government full autonomy has been going for ages, with governors refusing to let local governments grow and the citizens enjoy proper developments at the grassroots.

For me, Ibori’s opinion is immaterial going forward.
Local government elections are opportunities for governors to instal their stooges. There is no firm of democracy as the councils are not democratically composed. You have council members only belonging to the ruling party in the state. Elections are completely one sided with state electoral commissions conducting what I always term “wayo elections”.

I think NASS should proceed to get INEC to conduct elections at state levels. That way, we can get those we term as our best choices at the local government levels first.

loswhite:
it doesn’t have to be first. It can come now after the Supreme Court judgement.

ElevationD:



You got it bro.

That judgement makes sense. At least local governments can have their resources and use to develop their areas accordingly.

I think Ibori interpreted according to his understanding of the wordings in English. The struggle for local government full autonomy has been going for ages, with governors refusing to let local governments grow and the citizens enjoy proper developments at the grassroots.

For me, Ibori’s opinion is immaterial going forward
Local government elections are opportunities for governors to instal their stooges. There is no firm of democracy as the councils are not democratically composed. You have council members only belonging to the ruling party in the state. Elections are completely one sided with state electoral commissions conducting what I always term “wayo elections”.

I think NASS should proceed to get INEC to conduct elections at state levels. That way, we can get those we term as our best choices at the local government levels first.

ElevationD:



You got it bro.

That judgement makes sense. At least local governments can have their resources and use to develop their areas accordingly.

I think Ibori interpreted according to his understanding of the wordings in English. The struggle for local government full autonomy has been going for ages, with governors refusing to let local governments grow and the citizens enjoy proper developments at the grassroots.

For me, Ibori’s opinion is immaterial going forward
Local government elections are opportunities for governors to instal their stooges. There is no firm of democracy as the councils are not democratically composed. You have council members only belonging to the ruling party in the state. Elections are completely one sided with state electoral commissions conducting what I always term “wayo elections”.

I think NASS should proceed to get INEC to conduct elections at state levels. That way, we can get those we term as our best choices at the local government levels first.

EmeeNaka:
Nonsense !
The most important thing in the law is the spirit of the law and not the letters of the law. That's why the Supreme court explicitly stated that the state governors has abused the privilege accorded to them.
The supreme court ruling has effectively established an autonomous third tiers of government and this is very important for the development of the country and Nigerian democracy.
The fear of political meddling in local government affair by the Federal government is secondary and should not becloud our resolve to give more opportunities for development to local level.
Imagine some towns and local government being at the mercy of their Governor. Some Governors will seize the allocation of local government and use it to develop another place. The Supreme court ruling is valid

helinues:
Toh

UnitedKingdom:


Your fake 'LIKES' no dey work again? Upgrade your phone or you update your phone.

helinues:


Stop crying on my mentions you this boy

E pain you abi

senatordave1:


Why

seunmsg:
Kudos to the Supreme Court for this landmark judgement. Only rogue governors and former governors will be against the judgement. Local Government should not to tied to the apron spring of the governors. We've seen how rogue governors like Peter Obi ruled for 8 years without conducting local government election. They collect every single kobo belonging to the LGAs and then set up a useless transition committee that are un-elected and then give them peanut to operate. Any one that is against this judgement is an enemy of Nigeria.

Kudos to the AGF and Mr. President for this.

rolams:


You should know better my bro. Ibori of all people.

The federal government fought a good battle here.

helinues:


Stop crying on my mentions you this boy

ReubenE:

That's the issue with most of us. We don't learn to separate issues from personality.

Ibori is a convicted thief, YES. The judgment makes sense like you said, YES. But the constitution is clear with "states and LG joint account".

You don't use a "wrong" to establish a "right". We all understand what the SC is trying to do here but it went beyond constitutional provisions, that's what Ibori we all dislike is saying and he is right. Until that particular section of the constitution is amended, the Supreme Court cannot add to it in interpretation.

This is almost similar with what the former lawmakers in Rivers State House of Assembly did. They extended the tenure of the last LG chairmen to allow for a window to conduct LG election since caretaker and all is unknown to law. On face, it is good but it is against the provision(s) of the constitution.
What is good does not automatically override the law. What is good must be supported by extant laws and until that provision is amended, Ibori is right for saying the Supreme Court overstepped.

Another thing is, the judgment just replaced one master with another master i.e State with FG over local government administration.
Judging from Nigeria government and politics over the years and our political culture, expect the FG to from henceforth interfere with local government administration in Nigeria now since they have a solid background now.
If the FG can use state apparatus to interfere in Chieftaincy affairs that by law has nothing to do with it, expect interference in LG administration by FG with reliance on SC judgment.

Finally, LGs are not federating units. The intention is good but amend the law. Intention is not a proof or validity in law.

bennybuhari:
He raised very valid points here. I do not understand what the judgement had to say about Section 162 (3). Has the Supreme Court set aside that Section or repealed it?

ElevationD:



Please read the below excerpts from the judgement and then let’s see how it it has affected true federalism, if there’s any, by Ibori.

“In the suit filed in May by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the federal government had accused the state governments of running aground the third-tier of government.

According to the federal government, the states, by keeping funds duly allocated to the local governments, have starved them of needed funds for developing the grassroots and by extension responsible for the high rate of criminalities and insecurity in the country.

In the suit marked SC/CV/343/2024, the AGF prayed the apex court for an order prohibiting state governors from unilateral, arbitrary and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected local government executives.

Fagbemi in the originating summons, also prayed the apex court for an order permitting the funds standing in the credits of local governments to be directly channeled to them from the Federation Account in line with the provisions of the Constitution as against the alleged unlawful joint accounts created by governors.

In their individual responses, the 36 states through their attorneys-general urged the court to dismiss the suit, claiming that there was no dispute between them and the federal government that would warrant the intervention of the apex court.

They had also anchored their arguments on Section 162 of the constitution that provides for a joint account for the state and local government; wherein funds accrued to a state and its local governments from the Federation Account are paid into.

They therefore asked the court to dismiss the suit for lacking merit, adding that the plaintiff ought to have filed such suit at the federal high court and not the apex court.

Delivering ruling, a seven-member panel of the apex court led by Justice Mohammed Garba, disagreed with the states, and held that the case of the plaintiff has merit.

In the lead judgement delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court pointed out that Nigeria operates a three-tier system of government where no one tier is subject to the order.

Justice Agim observed that for the last two decades, the states have been retaining funds due to the local governments and disbursing same at their whims and caprices, contrary to the provisions of the Constitution.

The apex court berated the governors for running the LGs as if they were their stooges, adding that the local government was gradually going into extinction by the manner through which it was often dissolved and run by unelected officials.

The apex court further faulted the arbitrary and unilateral manner in which the governors disbursed and managed funds belonging to the third-tier of government.

Not also spared by the apex court were the various state houses of assemblies accused of supporting the governors by enacting laws that put LGs at the mercies of the governors.

It was the position of the Supreme Court, therefore, that the retaining of funds belonging to the LGs had brought unnecessary hardship on the people in the various local government areas.

Hence, the need to ensure constitutional provisions of running the LGs through democratically elected officials as well as ensuring that funds belonging to the LGs were not tampered with by the states.

Agim recalled that before 1999 funds belonging to the LGs were directly paid to them, adding that it was due to convenience that the issue of joint state and local government account came by.

According to him, the state was to collect on its behalf and transfer without tampering/managing/administering the funds which have become the order of the day.

He however concluded that although Section 162 of the Constitution directed the payment of their monthly allocations to a joint account, the aim of that law has been defeated owing to the retaining of the funds by the states and used as they liked.

He however concluded that although Section 162 of the Constitution directed the payment of their monthly allocations to a joint account, the aim of that law has been defeated owing to the retaining of the funds by the states and used as they liked.

According to Agim, by laying claim to Section 162 (4&5), the governors were using the Constitution to perpetrate unconstitutionality, adding the Constitution should not be applied in a manner that supported its destruction.

He faulted the narrow interpretation of Section 162(4) which stipulates that funds of the state and the LGs “shall” be paid into a joint state and local government account, stressing that the governors were using it negatively.

While stating that where the narrow interpretation of the section of the Constitution would result to injustice or work against the intended meaning of the said section of the Constitution, the Supreme Court shall employ an approach that would meet the purpose of the Constitution.

“There is no doubt that the word “shall” will mean that the federal government will pay into the joint state account,” Agim said.

“But, it has not worked,” he added.

Thus, to prevent the governors from further exploiting the said law, the apex court held that it was the responsibility of the apex court to make a law that would serve the interest of the people and the country in general.

Agim held that, “Since paying to the LGs through the state has not worked, the money should henceforth be paid to the LGs directly.”

On the issue of appointing caretaker committees to take over governance at the local government level, the apex court reiterated its previous judgements wherein it declared such as illegal, unlawful, null and void.

It held that state houses of assemblies lacked powers to make laws empowering governors to appoint caretaker committees, declaring further that any governor who dissolved any democratically elected local government greatly breached the Constitution and committed a gross misconduct.

He subsequently granted the reliefs sought by the federal government, which included an order of the apex court stopping governors from constituting caretaker committees to run the affairs of local governments as against the constitutionally recognised and guaranteed democratic system.

In addition, the apex court described as an act of gross misconduct the dissolution of democratically elected local governments and their replacement with caretaker committees.

The apex court also made an order of injunction restraining the governors, their agents and privies from receiving, spending or tampering with funds released from the Federation Account for the benefits of local governments when no democratically elected local government system is put in place in the states”.

richidinho:


I said the same thing just now on Facebook

Eteka1:
Ibori should go and sit down. Every sane, honest and law abiding Nigerian is happy with the judgement. Financial autonomy for LGAs is a recipe for true grassroots development and security.

CyrusVI:


Are u ever happy?
Are u always bitter??

The way u tend to see negativity in every positive news is baffling. Bro, u need mind cleansing and it isnt funny