By Our Reporters
The Peoples Democratic Party and the ruling All Progressives Congress, on Sunday, traded words over the recent Supreme Court judgment granting autonomy to local governments.
While the opposition PDP described the apex court judgment as a potential source of trouble, the ruling APC called the opposition party an enemy of the people, who did not want the dividends of democracy to percolate to the grassroots.
A month after the Supreme Court’s judgment, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, addressed a world press conference in Abuja on Sunday, stating that the matter was not yet settled.
On July 11, the Supreme Court ruled that the 36 state governors can no longer control funds meant for the 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, affirmed that local governments must manage their own funds, reinforcing their financial independence.
The court also declared that state governments lack the authority to appoint caretaker committees for local councils, recognising only democratically elected local governments.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who is the Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, had warned that the public would bear the consequences of the judgment.
“The law is the law and when there is a conflict, yes, we should go to the court. But it behooves us to look for our own homegrown solutions that can ensure that we have transparency and that our people do not suffer. This is because when two elephants are fighting it is the grass that will suffer,” Makinde said.
However, the PDP spokesman, Ologunagba, said on Sunday that the opposition party was reviewing the Supreme Court judgment to take a position.
He stated, “The concern is very clear, and local governments are related to the state because they are closer to it. Now, as a party, we are reviewing those positions of the Supreme Court with concern. And I will say this —the fact that the Federal Government is trying to create another bureaucracy that would be corrupt or deviant in local government control, we think that would be another recipe for trouble.
“It would be close to where it would be available for manipulation from the Federal Government. We believe that if there are reforms to be made to the local government, they should be done in conjunction with the governors, not by the fiat of the Federal Government.
“I don’t have issues with the court, which, in its wisdom, has done things a certain way. But, of course, I believe that will not be the end of the matter as we speak because the people who have a responsibility for the local government are the governors. The Federal Government doesn’t see people in my village; it is the governors.
“Therefore, if there are concerns, then it should be in conjunction with the local government so that the benefits can go to the people, not by some fiat. The law does not attempt the impossible. When it does, it will fall face-down. I believe that we haven’t seen the end of that with respect to local government administration.”
The PDP National Publicity Secretary noted that if issues arose within a local government, the chairman would reach out to the state governor and not the Federal Government.
“The state government has responsibility. If there is a problem in the local government, they won’t call the Federal Government; they will call the state government. So there must be that understanding that the state government has a duty, has a responsibility, and what you can work on is the best way to allow for the efficiency of that state government, with the governors and the concerns provided for local government joint accounts.
“Again, these are issues that are ongoing. As a party, we are going to have more conversations. We are going to talk to our governors more and find out. I believe that ultimately the governors have a substantial role to play with regard to administering local government because it’s right there in their laps.
“I said, and I mean with all sense of responsibility, I do not think we have seen the end of that. If the LGAs withdraw from ALGON, it will have an effect. That should not be the intent. We want better administrative rights; then we need to have a conversation,” Ologunagba said.
But reacting, the National Director of Publicity for the ruling APC, Bala Ibrahim, described the position of the PDP as preposterous and an afterthought.
Ibrahim wondered why it took the opposition party over a month to arrive at its present decision, adding that it could not overturn the apex court’s judgment.
Ibrahim said, “Even as a layman in law, I know that once the Supreme Court has decided a matter, it is the ultimate. Nobody can challenge that, unless the PDP is trying to initiate something afresh that does not exist in the Constitution. This is to tell you that the PDP, notwithstanding that it is in the opposition, is a party that wants to perpetuate corruption.
“They don’t want anything that will give people the needed dividends of democracy. I have not seen anywhere in the world where someone is given freedom on a platter after years of slavery and he says ‘No, I don’t want that freedom. I want to remain in bondage. I want to continuously remain under the control of my oppressor’.
“By the creation and provision of the Constitution, the local government is the closest government to the people and it is supposed to be one government interface directly with the people. These local governments have been given the powers to discharge their duty in a manner that will give dividends to the people and you are saying no. You want to review it and see how state governments can continue to emasculate the people. This is a shame. This is not opposition; I will say it’s criminality.
“Were they not in court when this matter was adjudicated? Why didn’t they raise that issue? Why is it now that they are coming with an afterthought? For everything that is going to empower the people, the PDP will object to it. I won’t be surprised if later they come out to say they want a review of the Constitution so that powers will be given to those who lose the election instead of those who win.”
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