LG Funds: NULGE Issues Soludo, Other Governors Stern Warning

The National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE has issued a stern warning to 36 state governors in the country not to promote laws in their states capable of circumventing the Supreme Court judgment on financial autonomy to local governments.

The National President of NULGE, Hakeem Ambali, gave the warning on Thursday following suggestions that some Governors are planning to enact laws through the state Houses of Assembly to corner funds belonging to councils in their states.

On Thursday, the Nigerian Senate in its response to the allegations that state governors are trying to corner council funds through the back door after the Supreme Court had ruled on the issue, passed a resolution directing the federal government to withhold funds to states which failed to comply with the judgment.

The senate action followed allegation that Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra state recently passed three Executive Bills through the state House of Assembly, creating different accounts allegedly to siphon council funds.

The Anambra State House of Assembly, on Tuesday,  passed the Local Government Administration Bill 2024 believed to be in violation of the Supreme Court judgment regarding financial autonomy to the 774 councils in the country.

Following the passage, the Assembly has been trenchantly criticised by the civil society bodies and other well meaning Nigerians.

NULGE, in its reaction, called on President Bola Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to call Soludo to order over alleged moves to prevent LG funds from being utilised by chairmen for the betterment of the people at the grassroots.

NULGE President Ambali, described the governor’s action condemnable and an “act of illegality”, urging the federal government to be pro-active to ensure that the governors are prevented from touching what belongs to the councils. I Lost My Dad And Shoe Making Found Me – Lady Cobbler

Ambali: “This act of illegality is condemnable and Governor Soludo should be called to order. This is a move to take local government funds.

“The FG should be proactive and withhold LG funds from such governors. The move by Governor Soludo is an affront to the law of the land. He needs to understand that nobody is above the law. What he is doing is totally against the judgment of the Supreme Court. NULGE thereby calls on the President to call Governor Soludo to order.”