A Kano High Court has issued a permanent order stopping the Federal Government from tampering with the monthly statutory allocation of the 44 local government areas in Kano State.
The court specifically restrained the Attorney General of the Federation, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, and other agencies from withholding local government funds.
The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, Kano State chapter, had taken legal action against the Federal Government and relevant revenue agencies to prevent any attempt to deny local government workers their salaries.
The applicants, represented by their lawyer, Bashir Muhammad, filed a motion ex parte on November 1, 2024, asking the court to stop the respondents from delaying or withholding allocations needed for local governance.
In his judgment, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad ruled that the applicants had proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
“The respondents are under obligation to release and disburse the monthly allocation belonging to all sub-federating units of the country,” the judge declared.
Counsel to the 44 local councils, Ibrahim Isa-Wangida, who represented Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Eyitayo Fatogun, did not oppose the application. He also stated that local government allocations should not be stopped.
However, counsel to the CBN, Ganiyu Ajape, filed a preliminary objection on November 14, 2024, arguing that the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case. He urged the court to remove the CBN’s name from the lawsuit and not grant the applicants’ request.
