Senator Tony Nwoye has accused Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra state of trying to tamper with funds belonging to local government in the state against the Supreme Court judgment.
Nwoye representing Anambra state on the platform of the Labour Party, LP, in the upper chamber of the National Assembly said the governor is trying to circumvent the judgment of the apex court.
The senator spoke on Channels Television on Friday saying some state governors in the country are trying to be clever by half by trying to siphon the Supreme Court through the back door.
The Nigerian Senate had earlier on Thursday passed a resolution directing the Federal Government to deny states funds where local government election have not been held. The senators’ action followed a motion by Senator Nwoye.
Speaking after the unanimous approval of the voice vote by the senators, Akpabio said it was now mandatory for all states, all tiers of government in the federation, to immediately comply with the recently pronounced judgements of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, particularly relating to local government accounts.
Akpabio said local government funds should go directly to the local government administrations for utilisation to improve the lot of Nigerians.
He said, “The Supreme Court has said the money should go directly to the accounts of the local governments in the country, so we have deliberated on it. The Supreme Court of Nigeria is the final court of the law.
“In other words, the Nigerian Senate stands strongly behind the Supreme Court’s position on its efforts, through judicial pronouncement, to sanitise the administration of local governments in the country and stop further abuse of local government councils.
“So we stand strongly behind the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“In addition to that, we have looked at the motion (as earlier presented by Nwoye), and we agreed that some of the prayers in the motion are such that could conflict with existing regulations, including the constitution.
“We believe strongly that if there is any legacy that this administration will leave behind, including the 10th Senate, it is the legacy of sanitising the local governments.
“We will ensure that local government funds are well utilized for the benefit of the rural people and at the same time local governments are allowed to function and function well. That will also in due course include their elections.
“I want to thank all of you for your contributions and assure you that the 10th Senate, working with our colleagues in the House of Representatives, will alter any aspect of our constitution and amend any section of our laws to ensure full autonomy for the local government administrations in this country.
“We will ensure that local governments will be recognized fully in action and in fact as a third tier of government of the federation.”
According to Nwoye, Governor Soludo had recently sent three Executive Bills to the state House of Assembly with the aim to corner funds belonging to the local governments in the state. The bills have now been passed by the Assembly, he said.
The senate had earlier warned state house of Assembly not to make laws that violate the supreme court judgment.
In July this year, the Supreme Court, in a landmark judgment affirmed financial autonomy to the 774 local governments in the country.
The judgment has however pit the federal government against the sub-nationals as ding dong continues on the implementation of the apex court ruling more than four months after.
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