As the Federal Government prepares to grant financial autonomy to local governments, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) is pushing for robust anti-graft measures to prevent embezzlement.
In a Sunday letter, SERAP’s Deputy Director Kolawole Oludare urged President Bola Tinubu to deploy the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to monitor local government spending.
The organization also called on Tinubu to instruct Finance Minister Olawale Edun to withhold federal allocations to states failing to conduct free and fair local elections.
SERAP cited a July 11, 2024 Supreme Court judgment mandating funds from the Federation Account be paid solely to democratically elected local government councils.
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The group added that this ruling aligns with the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees local government councils will be governed by elected officials, not appointed caretaker committees.
It said:
“Your government must enforce the Nigerian Constitution and prevent public wrongdoings, including those by state governors.”
The letter pointed out the manipulation of local government elections by state governors, reducing the exercise to mere “coronations” of favoured candidates.
According to SERAP, trillions of naira in federal allocations have been squandered, perpetuating poverty and inadequate public services.
The organization referenced the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu’s criticism of local government elections, describing them as “coronations” of ruling party candidates.
SERAP demanded immediate implementation of the Supreme Court ruling, prohibiting state governors from dissolving elected local government councils or replacing them with caretaker committees.
It insisted that according to section 162(3)(5) of the Nigerian Constitution,
“State governors have no power to control or disburse federal allocations to local government councils.”
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