The Federal Government has set up a 10-member Inter-Ministerial Committee to ensure the enforcement of the Supreme Court’s recent judgement granting financial autonomy to Local Governments in Nigeria.
This committee was inaugurated by Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) on August 20.
The Supreme Court, on July 11, 2024, ruled that Local Governments must receive their funds directly, without interference from state governments.
This ruling, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, declared that it is unconstitutional for state governments to withhold or use funds meant for Local Government Areas.
The committee is led by the SGF, Senator Akume, and includes the following members:
- Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume – Chairman
- Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun
- Attorney General of the Federation
- Minister of Budget & Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu
- Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein
- Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso
- Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Sewan Temitope
- Chairman, Revenue Mobilization Allocation & Fiscal Commission, Bello Shehu
- Representative of State Governors
- Representative of Local Governments.
The main objective of this committee is to ensure that Local Governments operate independently and receive the funds they are entitled to, as stipulated by the Constitution.
This move aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s efforts to strengthen local governance and promote grassroots development across the country.