The implementation of the Supreme Court’s July 11, 2024 judgment on local government autonomy faces delays as talks between the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, and the Attorney-General, Lateef Fagbemi, continue.
The discussions focus on the modalities for submitting local government bank accounts for direct allocation payments, but challenges remain, particularly in identifying local governments with democratically elected officials.
Currently, only the local governments in Delta State have submitted their bank account details to the Accountant-General’s office. Efforts are ongoing to ensure other local governments follow suit, but there is confusion about which councils have properly elected leadership. The process has also been hindered by legal concerns and constitutional provisions.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has started profiling the chairmen and signatories of local government accounts as part of efforts to implement the autonomy. However, many local government chairmen claim they have not received official communication from the CBN regarding the opening of accounts.
The National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has warned against any attempts to undermine the autonomy, citing that local governments are ready to present their audited accounts to ensure a smooth process for receiving direct allocations.
Despite this, the financial autonomy for local governments is still not fully implemented, months after the court ruling.
