In a recent political development in Nigeria, the critical issue of local government autonomy has come to the forefront, drawing strong reactions from various political stakeholders. A fervent appeal has been made to the well-known political leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to intervene in a case that could challenge a Supreme Court ruling affirming local government autonomy.
The instigator of the appeal, pharmacist Chinedu Ikeagwuonwu Klinsmann, a prominent member of the Anambra State APC party, has warned against the actions of the state governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, following the controversial signing of the Anambra Local Government Administration Act 2024. The Act has been criticized by many legal and political experts, including pharmacist Klinsmann, as a direct attack on local government autonomy as recognized by the Supreme Court.
Pharmacist Klinsmann stressed that if Governor Soludo’s actions were accepted, they could set a dangerous precedent for other state governors, undermining the progress made by the Federal Government and the Supreme Court in granting full autonomy to the country’s 774 local governments. He warned that allowing Soludo’s plan to succeed would mean a step backwards, bringing local governments under the full control of state governors.
The importance of local government autonomy was underscored by Klinsmann as crucial to the development of grassroots communities and the daily well-being of citizens. He urged Nigerians to rise up with all their might to resist any governor attempting to undermine this autonomy, saying such attempts must be met with firm opposition.
Klinsmann reminded Professor Soludo that despite all the justifications given, the decision of the Supreme Court is final and binding. He noted that the judgment delivered in July 2024 categorically stated that local governments must receive their allocations directly from the Accountant-General of the Federation, without any interference from state governments. Klinsmann denounced Soludo’s action as a blatant attempt to undermine the financial independence of local governments in Anambra, which he described as ultra vires and a clear violation of the Supreme Court decision.
The 2024 Supreme Court decision has far-reaching implications, Klinsmann noted. It established that state governors can no longer receive or control funds allocated to local governments, and that the state-local government joint accounts, used by governors to divert funds from local governments, are now null and void.. The appointment of management committees by governors to manage local governments was also declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, which reaffirmed that local governments must be administered by democratically elected representatives.
In a call for vigilance, Klinsmann urged Nigerians to hold their state governors accountable and ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling in favour of local government autonomy. He also proposed that the country’s anti-corruption organs be strengthened to closely monitor the operations of local governments and swiftly prosecute any form of financial malpractice.
Responding to Governor Soludo’s arguments that his new law does not contravene the Supreme Court’s ruling, Klinsmann refuted the assertions by pointing out that the attempt to maintain control over local government allocations through a state-local government joint account runs counter to the clear directive of the Supreme Court.
In conclusion, Klinsmann’s impassioned appeal is of paramount importance in the defense of local government autonomy in Nigeria, and calls on citizens and political actors to remain vigilant and involved in protecting the rights and freedoms of local communities.