By Chibundu Uchegbu
The Supreme Court ruling hours ago gave Local Government Areas (LGAs), in the country true autonomous status to function independently of the governors. The court further ordered that henceforth, allocations are to be paid directly to only the LGA councils with democratic structures, deleting the section of the constitution with joint allocation without passing through the process of the National Assembly.
While we welcome this judgement, we describe it as the judgement of the year; we praise the courage and insights of their learned justices in answering the prayers of Nigerians from all backgrounds; from all faiths; from all divides; and from all values except those with vulture mindset. The ruling brings a new era and opens another page for development especially at the grassroots level.
We demand for full implementation of this judgement, and let it not be like others that were either not implemented or partially implemented.
Our rural communities over the decades were denied of basic developments and the people of grassroots were neglected in leaps and bounds, because few people whom the Supreme Court described as “dangerous species to the development of democracy” emasculated their breeding spaces.
They might have been elected democratically, but they don’t have democratic culture in them. As far as they are concerned, this ruling is a sad moment for them!
In May 2020, then President Mohammadu Buhari signed an Executive Order 10, granting the financial autonomy to the LGAs to function independent of the state government. But the governors immediately ran to the Supreme Court to reverse the Order. Now that the same Supreme Court has stood in defense of the constitution, the people and their values, let’s see where else they would run to!
It is our position that denying the governors access to the LGA funds is not enough. With the enormously of what their actions and inactions had caused to the grassroots development – insecurity, avoidable deaths, increased unemployment and infrastructural decays, necessary laws should be invoked and heavy sanctions meted on them.
Other elements to be given the same or heavier punishment are those who had served or still serving as Caretaker Chairmen or Sole Administrators (SOLADs), in the LGAs. People must be forced to face the consequences of their actions. They must refund all that they earned while serving in those capacities due to the legitimacy question associated with those offices.
Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. In the coming days, our platform will compile all the pecuniary earnings of the past and present SOLADs in Imo State and forward the same to the agencies in charge to recover them in a whole. In the event, the recovery is not possible, we then approach a competent court for necessary actions. It is time we set this country to the path of speedy development.
Congratulations to everyone who made today’s victory possible!
Chibundu Uchegbu
Convener, BeyondPlatform, 11/07/24.
