NULGE Demands Immediate LG Autonomy, Blames FG For Delaying Supreme Court Ruling
By HAUWA MAGANA
THE Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has criticised the Federal Government over what it described as the prolonged delay in implementing the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 local government councils. The union said nearly one year and six months after the landmark ruling, there has been no concrete action to enforce the judgment. It described the situation as a serious setback to constitutional governance and grassroots development.
NULGE National President, Mr. Aliyu Kankara, made the union’s position known during an interview in Abuja. He said the responsibility for implementing the judgment rests entirely with the Federal Government and not with state governments. According to him, the Supreme Court clearly directed that local government allocations should be paid directly from the Federation Account through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
Kankara called on President Bola Tinubu to order the immediate implementation of the judgment. He said institutions such as the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria have constitutional responsibilities to ensure compliance with the court’s decision. He insisted that there should be no further delay.
The union maintained that failure to implement the judgment amounts to a violation of the rule of law. It argued that every democratic government has a duty to obey decisions of the country’s highest court. Kankara stressed that the issue is no longer political but one of constitutional obligation and respect for judicial authority.
According to NULGE, financial autonomy would empower local governments to deliver better healthcare, education, sanitation, rural roads and other basic services directly to citizens. The union also argued that stronger financial independence would improve local responses to insecurity because councils understand the security challenges within their communities and require adequate resources to address them effectively.
Kankara disclosed that both NULGE and the Nigeria Labour Congress had already written to President Tinubu on the matter but were yet to receive an official response. He said the union would continue to advocate full implementation of the Supreme Court judgment until local governments receive the financial independence guaranteed under the law.
