Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has raised concerns about the implications of the Supreme Court’s recent judgment that upholds the right of local governments to receive monthly allocations directly from the federation account.
Fayose, a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party, discussed his views on the issue during his appearance on Channels Television’s *Politics Today* on Sunday.
The Supreme Court’s ruling on July 11, 2024, marks a significant development in Nigeria’s political landscape, affirming that local governments are entitled to receive their share of federal allocations directly from the federation account, bypassing state governments. This decision is seen as a major step toward increasing local government autonomy and reducing the influence of state governors over local administration.
However, Fayose expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the ruling in achieving true local government independence. “I am not a lawyer. I am a politician and by God’s grace today, I am an elder statesman. While I love and do not believe that any government should take local government funds, may I say to you very clearly this evening that you cannot take the baby from the mother? There is nobody that can become council chairman without a governor. Anybody telling you otherwise is wasting his time,” he said.
Fayose argued that despite the Supreme Court’s judgment, state Houses of Assembly and governors will continue to hinder the autonomy of local governments. He elaborated on the limitations of local government authority, pointing out that council chairmen are heavily dependent on governors for their positions.
“Let me quickly remind you that the House of Assembly of every state controls the activities and checkmates the activities of the local government. While I was governor, I had the privilege of receiving money from Abuja. When you receive money from the account, some people manage the account. They are not politicians or the council chairman,” Fayose explained.
He criticized the performance of local government officials, stating that many council workers are often absent from their duties. “Go to the council meeting on Wednesday or Friday, you will not find 10 per cent of the staff of the local government in the office. They don’t come. My name is Ayo Fayose and I want them to dispute this. They don’t come to work. When you make moves to bring them to book, both NULGE and all leaders of the local government will go and beg the governor,” Fayose said.
Fayose also highlighted the systemic issues in local government administration, where officials may only appear for financial gains rather than fulfilling their duties. “The state is more effective in administrative performance than the local government. At the local government, everybody comes to collect money. Even people have left some states. They live somewhere else and money just hit their accounts,” he added.