LG Autonomy: Supreme Court judgment is victory for democracy – Senator Moro

As reactions continue to trail Thursday Supreme Court judgment in favour of Local Government autonomy, Senator representing Benue South Senatorial District and the Minority Leader, Abba Moro has lauded the apex Court, saying, it’s victory for democracy.

The apex court, while delivering judgement on the suit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) on behalf of the Federal Government, seeking full autonomy for local government councils in the country, had declared that local government councils should receive and manage their allocations themselves.

The court said state government had no power to dissolve a democratically-elected local government council and putting in place a caretaker committee, stating that only democratically-elected local government councils are constitutionally and legally recognized.

Senator Moro says the Thursday ruling is victory for democracy and Nigerians. He says the court remains the last hope of the common man, stating that the ruling will bring rapid development to the grassroots where majority of Nigerians live and transact businesses. He charges governors to abide by the ruling and allow the local government to function optimally for the overall good of all Nigerians.

You will recall that the Nigerian Senate, on 1st December, 2023 through a motion moved by Senator Moro had condemned arbitrary dissolution of democratically elected local government councils by governors and urged the federal government to withhold statutory allocations to councils not democratically elected. The senator is also sponsoring a constitutional amendment bill seeking local government administrative and financial autonomy, to give local government areas financial and administrative independence to make progress. The bill has since passed First Reading.

Senator Moro, a strong advocate of local government autonomy, has been in the forefront of the struggle for total freedom of local governments from the firm grips of state governments, which he believes will speed up infrastructural development at the local level. He commends the highly revered judges of the Supreme Court for the judgment and says they have saved and strengthened Nigerian democracy.