The Federal Government has set up a 10-member committee to enforce a recent Supreme Court ruling that grants financial autonomy to local governments in Nigeria.
On July 11, the Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for state governors to keep funds meant for local government administrations. In response, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, has established a committee to implement this decision.
The committee was inaugurated on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, who represented Senator Akume in Abuja.
According to a statement from Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information and Public Relations in the SGF’s office, “The committee’s primary goal is to ensure that local governments are granted full autonomy, allowing them to function effectively without interference from state governments.”
Senator George Akume will chair the committee, which includes:
– The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy
– The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice
– The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning
– The Accountant General of the Federation
– The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
– The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance
– The Chairman, Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission
– A Representative of State Governors
– A Representative of Local Governments
The formation of this committee aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to implementing constitutional provisions that recognize local governments as the third tier of government.
