Critical scholars, yesterday, urged the three arms of government and stakeholders to fashion out ways to address the lacuna in the Supreme Court’s judgment, which granted autonomy to local councils instead of the growing divergent criticisms and appraisals trailing the verdict.
The stakeholders, including university dons, Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), renowned politicians and other notable scholars, while speaking during a seminar organised by the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, said that though the financial autonomy granted to the councils was done in good faith, it has, however, placed a constitutional challenge before the country and especially the National Assembly.
In his keynote address, Niyi Akintola (SAN) said as good as the apex court verdict was, “it is specifically targeted at the governors as if they were the only ones misappropriating funds meant for the councils in Nigeria.” He also said that the verdict did not take into cognisance the cultural and social values of the country, leaving a very big lacuna.
“The judgment is not new. There had been four similar judgments by the same apex court. Those who pigeonhole it had their reasons. Though many Nigerians have been commending the judgment, there is more to it, otherwise, it’s just like another onshore, offshore judgment, which could be hardly implemented.”
Akintola further said: “As we speak, the UBEC is reportedly building 100,000 primary schools across the 774 councils. The funds for the execution of such projects are taken directly from the council funds without the consent of any of the local councils concerned.
“The Federal Ministry of Agriculture also involves in the act of buying tractors for councils for farming and in most cases, buy refurbished ones as new. The Federal Ministry of Health is not left out, claiming the purchase of vaccines to be distributed to councils and whose cost will be deducted directly from the council’s fund at source.”
“So, in effect, the locust at the state level, masquerading as governors, took advantage of the loopholes, inconsistent policies and corruption to feast on council funds which they hitherto turn into security votes that cannot be accounted for. It is an irony of life that both the federal and state governments have now constituted themselves into a cabal through MDAs to siphon council funds.”
In her remarks, the Director-General of NISER, Prof. Antonia Simbine, said the objectives for the seminar include the development of actionable plans to drive effective implementation of the Supreme Court ruling, as well as identifying potential opportunities and challenges in the transition to financial autonomy for the 774 local councils.
She lamented that the same Constitution, which granted autonomy to the councils in some sections, also quashed the same autonomy in other sections, which put the nation in a state of quagmire.
