A HISTORIC JUDGEMENT.part 2

In the statement issued by national publicity secretary of APC Felix Morka on Friday that the judgement "gives practical expression to constitutional recognition of local government councils as the third tier of government.It constitutes the single most significant stride towards restructuring Nigeria since its return to civilian democratic rule in 1999.

However the nigerian union of local government employees and association of local governments of Nigeria have advised the Nigerian financial intelligence unit to help track council funds and prevent diversion of funds common during Obasanjo era.Currently federal government receives 52.68% states 26.72% and local governments get 20.60% of the monthly FAARC allocation being distributed under the presidency and federal account allocation committee.

In May the attorney general of the federation and the minister of justice filled a suit against the 36 states of the federation on behalf of federal government for full local government autonomy predicated on 27 grounds .The attorney generals of the 36 states too in reprisal retaliated with filed objection to the suit instituted against them.Hence the supreme court however in the historic the local government autonomy was non negotiable.

There were pockets of doubt here and there as one reads through the dailies and net .From the voice of caution beginning from the president of NULGE Akeem Mbali despite the good standing by the supreme court however cautioned against disobedience to the historic verdict.

The case of Saturday Tribune was particularly interesting in an essay by Abiodun Awolaja who threw the worst bombshell since the historic judgement was delivered.In the essay Nigeria 's LGs:From Confusion to more Confusion,a paragraph hit like atomic bomb reading the inferno minded essay."I have learnt to embrace methodological skepticism when I see the federal government which typically disobeys court orders lauding judgements in this manner"Then he cited the case of Obasanjo regime when they had full control of the money but did nothing and we recorded no concrete development.To add my viewpoint but under Babangida era the money went directly into local government accounts and we witnessed massive development at the grassroots especially the local roads.Anyway I was so sad when I came across a recent video on social media in which Governor Makinde heavily criticized federal government despite the landmark judgement had begun to renege on the implementation of the historic judgement.He disagreed sharing of money was our problem but rather generation of money.Does it make sense for federal government to renege on the judgement?It is too early to pass verdict till 2027.