***Abba Moro applauds SC, says its victory for democracy
The landmark Supreme Court judgement which granted full financial autonomy to the Local Government administration has been applauded by former Governor of Ogun State and Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District Otunba Gbenga Daniel and the senator representing Benue South Senatorial District and Senate Minority Leader,
Senator Abba Moro.
While Otumba Daniel described it as
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s demonstration of uncommon courage and leadership in a manner that seeks to return Nigeria on a trajectory of growth and development, Moro applauds Supreme Court judgement on local government autonomy, said it’s victory for democracy, Nigerians.
According to Otunba Daniel, “This constitutional resolution is long overdue because the local government administration is the closest to the grassroots and they should have the capacity to impact directly on the lives of the people through the initiation of life-changing programs and projects.
“President Tinubu and the Supreme Court have restored sanity to the Nigerian political space as this will allow the dividends of democracy to reach the masses.
“As a Democrat, and a Progressive one at that, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has demonstrated enormous capacity in the struggle towards strengthening the Nigeria’s Democracy, and with this Local Government financial autonomy, he has once again set to recalibrate the wheels of our political and Economic growth in a way that it will make clear meanings to the average citizens.
“I salute Mr. President for this global road map that will usher in true and practical development in our nation”
Comrade Moro said the apex court, while delivering judgement on the suit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) on behalf of the Federal Government, seeking full autonomy for local government councils in the country, had declared that local government councils should receive and manage their allocations themselves.
The court said state government had no power to dissolve a democratically-elected local government council and putting in place a caretaker committee, stating that only democratically-elected local government councils are constitutionally and legally recognized.
According to him, the Thursday ruling is victory for democracy and Nigerians.
He said the court remains the last hope of the common man, stating that the ruling will bring rapid development to the grassroots where majority of Nigerians live and transact businesses.
He charged governors to abide by the ruling and allow the local government to function optimally for the overall good of all Nigerians.
You will recall that the Nigerian Senate, on 1st December, 2023 through a motion moved by Senator Moro had condemned arbitrary dissolution of democratically elected local government councils by governors and urged the federal government to withhold statutory allocations to councils not democratically elected.
The senator is also sponsoring a constitutional amendment bill seeking local government administrative and financial autonomy, to give local government areas financial and administrative independence to make progress. The bill has since passed First Reading.
Senator Moro, a strong advocate of local government autonomy, has been in the forefront of the struggle for total freedom of local governments from the firm grips of state governments, which he believes will speed up infrastructural development at the local level. He commends the highly revered judges of the Supreme Court for the judgement and says t
hey 00⁰have saved and strengthened Nigerian democracy.