Ozigbo Hails SC Judgement, Urges Soludo To Conduct LG Polls Without Further Delay
Mr Valentine Ozigbo, a Labour Party chieftain says the Supreme Court’s order which restrained the Accountant General of the Federation from further remitting Local Government funds to States is a welcome development.
Ozigbo said the judgement which implied financial autonomy for the local government system would strengthen the efficiency of the third tier of government.
The chieftain who had been a consistent campaigner for local government election in Anambra said governors have had overbearing influence on public fund and managed the same with impunity.
“In the last few months, calls for local government autonomy have increased in Nigeria. President Bola Tinubu also supported the calls. In May, the Federal Government, through the Attorney-General of the Federation sued the 36 state governors over alleged misconduct of local government funds.
“Recall that I called on Gov. Soludo to conduct Local Government election in Anambra, so it is gladdening that the Judiciary has issued a judgement directing that the Local Government allocation from the Federation account should should be paid directly to them henceforth,” he said.
Ozigbo a leading contender in the 2025 governorship poills in Anambra noted that court documents highlighted that N7,323,679,402.23 was allocated to the Anambra Government in March 2024 for the benefit of the 21 LGAs.
He said the LG system had had a commutative sum of N175 billion accruing to them over the past two years from the Federation account paid to the Anambra government
He said this money would have had tremendous impact on schools, healthcare institutions, markets, and the lives of the people in the grassroots like Ayamelum, Ogbaru, Idemili South, and Ekwusigo, which have felt little to no government presence.
He condemned the continued use of governor handpicked Caretaker Committees to manage the affairs of Local Governments saying it was illegal it was illegal and The corruption ridden.
He said Soludo had broken his bid with the people haven reneged on the promise to conduct council polls which he made on the day of his inauguration on March 17, 2022.
According to him, Consider that this approximated N175 billion is not part of the State Government’s allocation or the internally generated revenue in Anambra.
“While this news is not entirely cheerful, given that it involves funds due to the local government areas of Anambra, it is a welcome development.
“The affairs of the LG system in the state are being run by unelected officials, therefore, denying the people their democratic rights, aspirations and privileges.
“So,I want to call on Soludo to stop wasting resources on legal fees to overturn this order which clearly serves the interests of Ndi Anambra.
“The illegality of the Caretaker Committees cannot be overstated, and no sophistry-cloaked legal argument can defend the indefensible.
“Our state would benefit more if the State Government redirected funds towards conducting genuine Local Government Election,” he said.
