News
BREAKING: Supreme Court Orders Funds be Paid to LGAs Directly (UPDATED)
Nigeria’s Supreme Court has ordered governors of the country’s 36 states to henceforth steer clear of the funds meant for its 774 Local Government Areas.
The Apex Court says the control of funds of the local government councils by the States is unconstitutional.
This judgment is in respect of a lawsuit instituted by the Federal Government through the Attorney General of the Federation against the 36 state governors in a move to ensure full independence of the local government areas from the control of the state governors who until now controlled the funds and constitute caretaker committees to run the affairs of the local government areas.
In a landmark judgment delivered by a seven-member justice panel headed by Justice Lawal Garba, Nigeria’s Apex Court says the Constitution under Section 162 (4,5 and 6) doesn’t provide for the existence of a joint account for both the States and local government councils.
In the lead judgment prepared and read by Justice Emmanuel Agim the Court orders that, henceforth, funds meant for the Local Government Councils be paid to them directly from the Federation Account and not through the State governors.
The Court holds that the provision of the Constitution that funds meant for the local government councils be sent to the States is for them to act as agents of the Federal government for the onward disbursement of same.
It adds that the States are therefore not required to hold on to the money and use at will.
It holds that the States are exploiting the roles handed to them by the Constitution by holding onto funds meant for local government councils.
The Court also laments this has been on for over two decades, crippling the effective functioning of the third tier of government.On the aspect of the full autonomy of the Local Government Areas, the Apex Court says the state governors have for over 20 years constituted themselves “a species most dangerous” to the democratic structure of the local government councils.
It holds that Caretaker Committees installed by these governors is illegal as they have no powers to do so.
In a unanimous decision, the Apex Court further holds that the leadership of the local government councils must be by democratic means, insisting no state governor has the powers to dissolve democratically elected local government leadership and install their choice officials to run the local government councils.
As such, the Apex Court has also ordered the governors to desist from receiving, spending or tampering with funds released from the federation account for the local governments when no democratically elected local government system is put in place in the states.
It therefore holds that the constitution of Nigeria recognizes federal, states and local governments as three tiers of government and that the three draw funds for their functioning from the federation account created by the constitution.
The Apex Court orders immediate compliance by the state governors to the judgment.
Suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his predecessor FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule again appeared in public together barely two days after a fresh round of peace talks at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The trio were seen together at a funeral service in Rumueprikom, Wike’s hometown in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
Recall that the three key political figures in Rivers State have been locked in a political wrangling for almost two years.
Their being together comes in the wake of Thursday’s peace meeting brokered by President Bola Tinubu, which demanded an end to the lingering crisis between the Governor and his former political allies.
At the funeral service were key political stakeholders, including Senator Allwell Onyesoh, Senator George Thompson Sekibo, and Senator Olaka Nwogu.
Others include the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Chibudom Nwuche; former House of Representatives Member, Hon. Ken Chikere; South-South Vice Chairman of the ACP, Victor Giadom; and former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Dr Sam Sam Jaja, among others.
Meanwhile, Governor Fubara is expected to hold a closed-door meeting today with his supporters, according to sources.
The meeting is intended to brief them on the outcome of the recent discussions with President Tinubu and Wike in Abuja.
Aged 94, Aminu Dantata died in Abu Dhabi at 3.ooam today (Saturday, June 28).
Dantata was a Kano-based business mogul and philanthropist.
The Principal Private Secretary, PPS, to the deceased, Mustapha Junaid, confirmed the demise in a post on his Facebook handle.
Junaid wrote, “Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun. Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun.
It is with heavy heart that I announce the passing of our beloved father Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata.
“May Allah grant him Jannatul Firdaus and forgive his shortcomings.
“The Janazah (funeral) details will be shared later insha Allah.”
News
LASG reopens Abbatoir at Oko-Oba
The announcement was made by the State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab in a statement he personally signed.
image credit : arisetv
Lagos State Government on Friday night directed the immediate re-opening of the Abbatoir at Oko-Oba following the fulflment of sanitation and hygienic prescriptions by the operators.
The announcement was made by the State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab in a statement he personally signed.
Mr Wahab said that the operators have substantially complied with the minimum benchmark for the operations of abbatoirs in the state which was flagrantly flouted necessitating the closure.
He informed that part of the conditions for the reopening is that on a monthly basis, the ministry of the Environment and Water Resources officials will conduct a periodic inspection of the facilities at the Abbatoir.
He urged the operators to avoid unsanitary activities, waste mismanagement and unhygienic handling of animal products as they conduct their businesses.
It will be recalled that the Oko-Oba Abbatoir was shut by the State Government on June 20 following an inspection by top State officials which discovered a flagrant disregard of the laws guiding safe operations of abbatoirs in the state.
SignedKunle AdeshinaDirector (Public Affairs)June 27, 2025
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