****Says State Governments Must Respect Rule of Law
A civil society group, Human Rights and Public Advocacy, has issued a stern ultimatum to state governments across the country, demanding full compliance with the Supreme Court judgment granting autonomy to local governments. The group threatened to stage nationwide protests if the ruling is not implemented by July 30, 2025.
Addressing journalists in Minna on Thursday, the Chairman of the group, Barrister Alfa Mohammed, expressed deep concern over what he described as a deliberate disregard for the rule of law by state governments.
“It is disheartening that one year after the Supreme Court judgment, state governments are still holding on to local government allocations. This is a fragrant violation of the law,” he said.
It will be recalled that on July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that, by virtue of Sections 162(3) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), full financial autonomy must be granted to the 775 local government councils across Nigeria. The Court declared that funds standing to the credit of local governments in the Federation Account should be paid directly to them, without any interference from state governments.
Barrister Mohammed questioned how many states have complied with this directive, saying:
“Twelve months after the judgment, the majority of state governments have failed to comply. This is a blatant disrespect for the rule of law, which is the foundation of any democratic society.”
He further argued that despite the significant allocations due to local councils since the inception of the current administration, the impact has not been felt at the grassroots due to state-level interference.
“The consensus among economic experts is that poverty and insecurity persist at the grassroots largely because state governors continue to control local government finances and administration,” he added.
In a speech titled “Let the Local Government Councils Breathe”, the Chairman lamented that for over two decades, governors have crippled the effectiveness of local governments by diverting or withholding funds meant for grassroots development.
Citing verifiable data, he claimed that only 30% of monthly federal allocations reach local councils, with the remaining funds either misappropriated or withheld—making it nearly impossible for local government executives to deliver on their mandates.
The group linked the resulting underperformance to widespread insecurity, decaying infrastructure, poor healthcare services, and the collapse of agriculture and local entrepreneurship.
Consequently, Human Rights and Public Advocacy demanded the following: