Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has revealed that the Nigeria Governors Forum has scheduled an emergency meeting to review the recent Supreme Court decision granting autonomy to Local Government Councils across the country.
Following a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House on Thursday, Soludo commended the court’s decision, describing it as a commendable democratic process.
Soludo stated, “That’s great. I mean, the Supreme Court is Supreme because it is the final authority and I am a Democrat. I believe in the rule of law. Once the Supreme Court has spoken it has spoken. I understand, I mean, tonight, I think the Governors Forum is meeting to review this.”
Despite his busy schedule, Soludo acknowledged the need for resources to reach the grassroots level, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that public funds benefit people at all levels of government. He said, “But at a fundamental level, yes, we need resources to get down to the real grassroot and we need the people’s money to work for them at all levels, whether at the federal or the state and the local government.”
Soludo also highlighted the necessity of promoting accountability and transparency in the utilization of public resources to alleviate the burdens faced by the common man.
This development follows the Supreme Court’s declaration on Thursday that it is unconstitutional for State Governors to withhold funds meant for Local Governments. The ruling came after the Federal Government took legal action against the state governors, compelling them to relinquish control over local government administration and focus on their gubernatorial duties.
