The coalition vowed that it will not allow local government autonomy to be trampled upon by governors, according to the text of a press conference held on Wednesday.
A coalition of 40 civil society organisations (CSOs), working on anti-corruption and good governance, has said that local governments, as the closest tier of government to the people, must be empowered to deliver on their mandate without undue interference from state governors.
The coalition vowed that it will not allow local government autonomy to be trampled upon by governors, according to the text of a press conference held on Wednesday, which was made available to SaharaReporters.
This comes after Anambra State's Governor Chukwuma Soludo signed the Local Government Administration Law 2024, which critics argue undermines local government autonomy.
The CSOs are concerned that centralizing local government funds under state control, through the "State Joint Local Government Account," reverses the gains of the July 2024 Supreme Court judgment.
The judgment affirmed the financial autonomy of Nigeria's 774 local governments.
Governor Soludo has defended the law, stating that absolute autonomy for local governments would lead to chaos. However, the CSOs and other opposition groups, including federal lawmakers and political parties, remain skeptical.
The debate highlights the tension between state and local governments in Nigeria. While Governor Soludo claims the law aims to promote good governance, the CSOs and opposition groups see it as an attempt to consolidate power.
"We express our deep concern over the continued violation of the financial autonomy of Local Government Councils (LGCs) by some State Governors, despite the recent landmark judgment by the Supreme Court of Nigeria affirming the constitutional financial independence of LGCs," the CSOs stated.
"Section 7 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN 1999, as altered), guarantees the system of Local Government by democratically elected councils. Further, the provisions of Section 162(8) of the Constitution as recently interpreted by the Supreme Court of Nigeria, mandates that funds meant for LGCs must be directly disbursed to their respective accounts, free from interference by the State Governments.
"This principle of financial autonomy ensures that LGCs can effectively serve their constitutional duties of providing essential services to their communities, promoting grassroots development, and improving the quality of life of Nigerians at the grassroots community levels.
"The recent decision of the Supreme Court was a bold and much-needed reiteration of this autonomy. The judgment unequivocally upholds the right of LGCs to directly receive and manage their funds, without undue interference from State Governors or any intermediary institutions. It is, therefore, disheartening to witness certain State Governors persist in practices that undermine this autonomy, which, by extension, undermines the rule of law and democratic governance."
The coalition urged all state governors to fully comply with the Supreme Court judgment and end all forms of interference in the financial affairs of local government councils.
The coalition said, "We call on the Federal Government, the National Assembly, and relevant anti-corruption agencies to institute and enforce appropriate sanctions against any Governor or public official who continues to flout the constitutional financial autonomy of Local Governments. This includes withholding of funds to any state that takes any steps inimical to the financial autonomy of Local Governments.
"We urge the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to continue its oversight of Local Government finances and ensure strict adherence to its guidelines for the disbursement of funds to Local Governments.
"We call on Local Governments to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of their funds," adding that financial independence of LGs should be accompanied by proper mechanisms to guarantee judicious use of resources for the benefit of the people at the grassroots.
"We call on the National Assembly to intensify its oversight function to ensure that the constitutional provisions for Local Government autonomy are fully implemented and protected."
The text of the conference was signed by Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ); African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD); African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL); Amnesty International Nigeria; Borno Coalition for Democracy and Progress (BOCODEP); BudgIT Foundation; Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity among others.
Others include Centre Democracy and Development (CDD); Centre for Democratic Research and Training (CRDDERT); Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD); Centre for Social Justice; Centre for Transparency Watch; Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC); Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR); Connected Development (CODE); Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA); Emma Ezeazu Centre for Good Governance and Accountability; Global Rights; Good Governance Team (GGT) Nigeria; Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF); and Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre).
The others are Media Rights Agenda; Mothers and Marginalized Advocacy Centre (MAMA Centre); Nigeria Network of NGOs; Order Paper; Organization for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN); Partners West Africa; Policy Alert; Praxis; Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED); RULAAC - Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre; Say NO Campaign – Nigeria; Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre; Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP); State of the Union (SOTU); Tax Justice and Governance Platform; Transition Monitoring Group (TMG); Women Advocate Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC); Women in Media Communication Initiative (WIM); Yiaga Africa and Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC).