Ishowo Olanrewaju Applauds Tinubu, Supreme Court for LG Autonomy Ruling
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Ishowo Olanrewaju Applauds Tinubu, Supreme Court for LG Autonomy Ruling
– Urges Kwara to Stop Paying Junior Secondary School Teachers from Pensioners’ Fund
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
Kwara-based public affairs analyst, Comrade Ishowo Olanrewaju has praised the Tinubu-led administration for its role in securing financial autonomy for local governments.
He stated that this is a clear message to the governors across the 36 states to allow local government administrations to develop their respective areas without interference.
Speaking with INCNews247 on Thursday, Ishowo emphasized the importance of the Supreme Court’s ruling, which declared it unconstitutional for state governors to withhold funds meant for local government administrations.
He noted that this decision mandates that allocations from the Federation Account be paid directly to local government councils, signaling a significant shift in the country’s governance structure.
“This ruling is a victory for grassroots governance and the development of local communities,” Ishowo remarked.
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He also urged the Kwara State government to stop deducting from local government allocations to pay Junior Secondary School teachers.
He cited the judgement of Justice M.O. Adewara of Kwara State High Court, delivered on April 2, 2019, which described the deductions made by the state government since 2011 as illegal, unconstitutional, null, and void.
Ishowo emphasized that the funds being deducted from local government allocations have been a significant burden, constraining the local governments’ ability to adequately provide for their workers.
He noted that halting these deductions would enable local governments to be more financially robust and better equipped to cater to their responsibilities.
He also called on the State House of Assembly to increase the 10% of Internally Generated Revenue accrued to local governments to 20%.
The renowned analyst further urged the Federal Government to address the practice of appointing caretaker committees by state governors.
He suggested that states should be given an ultimatum to conduct proper local government elections or risk having their allocations withheld.
Ishowo also called for a review of the allocation formula to favor local governments, noting, “Currently, the Federal Government receives 52.68%, states get 26.72%, and local governments are allocated 20.60% of the country’s monthly revenue.”
He argued that increasing the local governments’ share would enable them to better address challenges such as insecurity and enhance the welfare of the people at the grassroots.
INCNews247 reports that, in recent months, the call for local government autonomy has intensified, with President Bola Tinubu also supporting these demands.
The Federal Government, represented by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, filed a lawsuit against the 36 state governors over the mismanagement of local government funds.
The Supreme Court’s judgement validates the Federal Government’s stance and reinforces the autonomy of local governments.
Justice Emmanuel Agim, in delivering the lead judgement, criticized the state governors for retaining funds meant for local governments, stating, “The state governors’ retention of the monies meant for the local governments truncates the latter’s activities.”
Agim ordered immediate compliance with the ruling, emphasizing that no state government should be paid monies meant for local governments.
The ruling also declared the appointment of caretaker committees by governors as illegal and unconstitutional, emphasizing that no governor has the authority to appoint such committees.
