LG Autonomy: Supreme Court judgment a Catalyst for National Development – ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has hailed the Supreme Court judgement affirming Local Government Financial Autonomy, saying it is a catalyst for national development.

National Chairman of ADC, Ralphs Okey Nwosu told journalists in Abuja that the judgement is “an unprecedented political victory for the judiciary and a clear manifestation of how each arm of government can drive development by taking principled and patriotic positions in the interest of Nigeria.”

Nwosu who said it was a “great outcome for our democracy and catalyst for national development,” said to strengthen the judgment, “I call on all National Chairmen of all other political parties that are in control of the states to call their governors to conduct Local council elections forthwith.

“My party, the ADC has continued to advocate for the active participation of the local government Area councils in running our affairs as the council is the authentic grassroot leadership any nation needs to make organic progress. Total Local government autonomy, financial and otherwise are critical for grassroots development.

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“I congratulate Mr President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the bold step not minding his past and the antics of state governors and some of the legislators. The main kudos and compliments goes to the men and women who sat in the Supreme Court today to affirm that “all the local government councils across the country should, from Thursday, receive their allocations directly from the Accountant-General of the Federation”.

“The judiciary has by this singular ruling breathed life into our local governments and vitality to all communities and persons in this country. They have also put the shameful actions of all the governors who have served for the last 21 years to an end. The governors, without exception, have acted as octopuses strangulating local government and our communities’ development and in many ways debasing our democracy.

“By the time we have free local governments with five to 10 billion naira distributed to each of the 774 of them annually, the effect will be phenomenal. Some LGA councils’ performance will put many governors to shame.” He said.