FG Institutes Inter-Ministerial Committee to Enforce Supreme Court Judgement on Local Governments Autonomy

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The federal government has inaugurated an inter-ministerial committee to enforce the Supreme Court judgement delivered on July 11, 2024, which granted financial autonomy to local governments in the country.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, performed the exercise yesterday.

The 10-man committee is to be chaired by the SGF. Other members of the committee include the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning and the Accountant General of the Federation.

The rest are the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, the Permanent Secretary (Federal Ministry of Finance), Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, representative of state governors and the representative of local governments.

A statement from the Office of the Secretary of the Government of Federation said the committee has as its primary function to ensure that local governments are granted full autonomy, allowing them to function effectively without interference from state governments.

It added that the setting up of the committee was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to give appropriate implementation to the provisions of the Constitution, which recognises local governments as the third tier of government.