Ambali Olatunji, president of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), stated that the Supreme Court ruling in favor of financial autonomy for local governments will address over half of Nigeria’s problems.
Speaking in Lagos on Thursday, Olatunji described the ruling as a significant step toward freedom and a new dawn for the country.
Earlier, the Supreme Court mandated that the federal government should directly allocate funds to local government councils from the federation account. The ruling came from a seven-member panel of justices who determined that state governments had been misusing the funds intended for local governments.
Additionally, the court ordered the federal government to withhold allocations from local governments governed by unelected officials appointed by governors.
Olatunji emphasized that financial autonomy for local governments would help tackle issues such as insecurity, unemployment, poverty, and infrastructural deficits at the grassroots level.
“With the local government autonomy judgment, over 50 percent of Nigeria’s problems have been addressed,” the NULGE president remarked. “We also anticipate financial integrity at the local government level, with all financial transactions being monitored.”
He added that NULGE plans to collaborate with anti-corruption agencies to ensure growth and development.