Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the recent Supreme Court judgment granting full financial autonomy to local government (LG) councils will enhance Nigeria’s universal basic education system.
The vice president, who warned against abuse of LG autonomy, disclosed this at the public presentation of a book titled ‘Navigating the Politics of Universal Education Policies in Nigeria’, written by former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Modupe Adelabu, held in Abuja on Thursday.
The vice president said the autonomy of local governments, which are directly responsible for providing primary education, will address the financial limitations that have hindered the alignment of administrative units with the government’s educational agenda.
Shettima also assured Nigerians that the ongoing reforms initiated by President Bola Tinubu will address inadequacies and ideologies frustrating universal education in the country.
About 15 states have announced or held local government elections in the last one month since the Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to the third tier of government, ordering the Federal Government to pay the 20.60% monthly allocation of the 774 LGs in the country directly to their exclusive accounts and not to accounts controlled by governors.
The apex court in the landmark judgement in July also barred power-drunk governors from dissolving democratically elected local government councils.
