LG Autonomy: FG explains delayed implementation

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has declared that the federal government did not give state governments a moratorium in the implementation of the Supreme Court judgement on full financial autonomy of the local government areas. The AGF explained that there is a delay in the full implementation of the apex court verdict due to the measures being put in place by the federal government towards achieving a successful implementation. Fagbemi spoke on Monday while addressing newsmen after he was honoured with an honorary degree during the 12th convocation ceremony and 15th Founder’s Day Event of the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD). According to him, there is no going back in the implementation of the judgement for the 774 local government areas to be given financial autonomy in order to ensure development at the grassroots level. He warned states not to commit contempt of court by disobeying the verdict of the Supreme Court, adding that the administration of President Bola Tinubu was determined to ensure all duly constituted and elected local government administrators received their allocations directly from the federation account. Fagbemi said, “Unfortunately, I know it has been in the media that they gave them (the governors) a three-month moratorium, which is not the position. The position is that yes, the judgement was delivered, but we felt that there is a need to put some things in place before the full implementation. That it is going to be implemented is sacrosanct; nobody can run away from it. ReplyForwardAdd reaction

Supreme Court Reserves Judgement In Governors Suit Challenging EFCC’s Establishment

The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on a significant legal challenge brought by 16 state governments against the constitutionality of the laws that establish the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The case, presided over by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji and a seven-member panel of justices, reached this phase on Tuesday after extensive arguments from the involved parties’ attorneys. Originally initiated by the Kogi State Government through its Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the suit has seen multiple states join as co-plaintiffs. The states involved in the suit, marked SC/CV/178/2023, include Ondo, Edo, Oyo, Ogun, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa, Enugu, Benue, Anambra, Plateau, Cross-River, and Niger. In a turn of events, the Attorneys General of Anambra, Adamawa, and Ebonyi have withdrawn from the case, with the Supreme Court panel granting their request. The suit addresses critical questions about the federal scope of anti-corruption enforcement, challenging the legal foundation of the EFCC’s establishment under current laws. The decision of the Supreme Court will be keenly awaited, as it holds substantial implications for federal and state powers in the governance and administration of justice. ReplyForwardAdd reaction