On Thursday, July eleven, 2024, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgement affirming the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s seven hundred and seventy-four local government councils. The judgement was lauded by the masses, as it aimed at promoting rapid development in the local government areas in Nigeria.
Local Government as the third tier of government does not operate in isolation. They are created with the ultimate goal of bringing government closer to the people at the grassroots. They generally act within the powers and functions assigned to them by law or directives of a higher level of government. That is why Section seven, (One) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, gives the State governments through the Houses of Assembly the power to enact laws on Administration and Finances of the local governments.
It is on record that Governor Chukwuma Soludo was the first Governor in Nigeria who lauded the Supreme Court’s Verdict on Local Government Autonomy when he addressed the State House Correspondents, after a close-door talk with President Bola Tinubu, alongside the Chairman of Nigeria Governor’s Forum, Governor Abdulrahman Abudulrasaq of Kwara State at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
In his words, and I quote “The judgement is great. I believe in the rule of law. We need to promote accountability and transparency. I promised Ndi Anambra a credible local government election, and that I must achieve”, end of quote.
Corroborating Governor Soludo’s honest intention to conduct a credible local government election, the State House of Assembly under the leadership of the Speaker, Right Honourable Somtochukwu Udeze, demonstrated genuine commitment through the enactment and amendment of the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission’s Law for the conduct of the local government election, which was peacefully held on the twenty-eighth September, 2024.
The recent Anambra State Local Government Administration Law enacted by the State House of Assembly has further strengthened the Joint Development Responsibility of the State and Local Government Councils in the State. The Law is a legal framework aimed at enhancing the Administration, Funding and Development of the Council Areas as well as the well-being of the rural dwellers. It has nothing to do with payment of local government allocation funds into the account of the State government as was highly speculated in some quarters before the passage of the Bill.
According to the Speaker, Right .Honourable Udeze, the Law seeks to clearly define the powers of both Chairmen and Councilors at the local government level as they relate to the State and Local Government Areas for effective administration. He further explained that key sectors such as Primary Healthcare, Primary School Teachers, Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board, Local Government Service Commission as well as Pensions Board among others are critical areas where the Local and State governments interface to ensure proper administration at the local level.
It is for the above stated unambiguous merits of the Anambra State Local Government Administration Law that twenty-six out of thirty State Lawmakers, representing different Political Parties, participated in the enactment of the Law.
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