LG Autonomy: Supreme court orders governors to file defence within 7 days

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the 36 state governors of the federation to, within seven days, file their respective defence to a suit filed by the federal government seeking for full autonomy for the 774 local government areas (LGAs) in the country.

The apex court also ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to file his reply within two days upon receipt of the governors’ defences.

The 7-man panel of justices led by

Justice Garba Lawal issued the orders while ruling on an application for an abridgement of time argued by the AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.

The Apex court thereafter adjourned the matter to 13th June for hearing.

The federal government dragged the 36 state govenors to the Supreme Court, seeking full autonomy for all local government areas in the country.

In the suit, the Federal Government specifically prayed the court to issue an order, prohibiting state governors from embarking on unilateral, arbitrary and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected local government leaders.

The suit is also asking for an order permitting the funds standing in the credits of local governments to be directly channelled to them from the federation account in line with the provisions of the constitution as against the alleged unlawful joint accounts created by governors.

The Federal Government also prayed the Supreme Court for an order stopping governors from further constituting caretaker committees to run the affairs of local governments as against the constitutionally recognized and guaranteed democratic system.

It equally applied for an order of injunction restraining the governors, their agents and privies from receiving, spending or tampering with funds released from the federation account for the benefits of local governments when no democratically elected local government system is put in place in the states.