LG Autonomy: Supreme Court Judgment is a Distraction – Makinde

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has described the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments as a mere distraction.

Makinde questioned the sustainability of local governments receiving allocations from the federal government while addressing members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ibadan. He highlighted that local governments are not generating much revenue.

On Thursday, the apex court ruled that the federal government should henceforth pay allocations directly to local government councils. The seven-member panel of the Supreme Court noted that state governors have continued to abuse their powers by retaining and using the funds meant for LGAs.

Makinde commented: “They said there is a judgment of the Supreme Court on local government autonomy. I think it is just a distraction. We must face the real issue that we have. The issue that we have is that we are not producing enough. We are not productive. Maybe it may be part of the problem; we want to have value for what is being shared but our problem is productivity. How much are those LGAs generating within their domains? Can they survive without handouts from Abuja? Handouts from Abuja, is that the way to go? Is it sustainable?”