• President needs no executive order to compel govs’ compliance on LG funds, says Falana
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Prince Paul Ikonne, has urged Governor Alex Otti to comply fully with the Supreme Court judgment granting local councils unfettered access to their statutory allocations.
 
Ikonne made the call yesterday during an interview on Television Continental (TVC), stressing that local councils constitute a critical tier of governance and should not be undermined.
 
He also called on Otti to work in concert with President Bola Tinubu to ensure the effective implementation of local council autonomy, noting that the President has shown clear commitment to strengthening grassroots governance.
 
According to Ikonne, Tinubu’s stance on the issue reflects sincerity and courage, particularly given the political influence wielded by state governors.
 
He said: “You can see how passionate the President is about ensuring that local councils manage their funds and execute projects that directly impact the people. It was refreshing to see him confront this issue head-on.”
 
Ikonne warned against politicising the President’s directive, arguing that party leaders have a responsibility to engage their members in governance reforms.
 
“If the President does not speak to governors within his party, who else should he speak to? This situation exposes a deeper challenge of constitutional obedience among some state governments,” he added.
 
Drawing comparisons, Ikonne pointed to states such as Lagos and Enugu, where local councils are actively executing projects, including the construction of schools and healthcare facilities.
 
He expressed concern over the situation in Abia State, alleging that local governments there do not have effective control over their allocations.

Meanwhile, a Lagos-based lawyer, Femi Falana, yesterday, said that the President does not require an executive order to give effect to the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local councils, insisting that the responsibility lies with the state governments to immediately comply with the ruling.
 
Falana made this known during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme, on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese, Ijebu, Ogun State.
 
This followed the remarks made by Tinubu at the 15th National Executive Committee meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he warned governors to comply with the Supreme Court judgment or face a possible executive order mandating direct disbursement of funds to local councils.
 
Falana was unequivocal in his response, insisting that the President does not require any executive order to give effect to the Supreme Court’s decision.

He said, “I’m not sure the President was properly advised on this matter. The Supreme Court has already given a judgment. What is required is compliance, not another executive action.”
 
He explained that the Supreme Court had expressly directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation to remit statutory allocations directly to the bank accounts of the 774 local Councils, explaining that those accounts were opened last year in compliance with the ruling.