Stop Anambra’s ill-conceived new LG law

Oct. 15, 2024 - Daily Trust

Succinctly, the law empowers his government to deduct funds designated for local governments into a central purse which will be under its control. In Section 13(1), the law mandates the establishment of a “State Joint Local Government Account” which will hold federal allocations to LGAs.

Operationally, the local government consolidated account will be administered by the local government chairmen now named mayors, the Accountant General of the Local Government, three chairmen of local governments, commissioner in-charge of local governments, the chairman of ASUBEB and executive secretary of local government staff pensions board. We also believe that the law is a bad precedent as no law can usurp the provisions of the constitution or the pronunciations of the Supreme Court.

And it would have inadvertently killed the pursuit for full autonomy of the local governments while appearing to be abiding by the Supreme Court judgment...