Abuja – Supreme Court has been commended for holding that sacking of elected local government chairmen and councillors by state governments and appointment of administrators are illegal.
The Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, gave the applause in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Turaki Hassan in Abuja on Monday.
Dogara said state governors do not have the constitutional right to sack duly elected local government officials.
He emphasised the need for local government autonomy to ensure their development.
He described the appointment of caretaker committees for local governments by governors as “executive recklessness.
“State governors have a constitutional responsibility to act according to the dictates of the judgment, as Nigeria is a nation of laws and not of men.
“Already, clauses granting financial autonomy to both local councils and State Houses of Assembly are being considered by the National Assembly in the ongoing constitution amendment.
“The proposals include denying federal allocation to local governments that do not have democratically elected council officials.
“In the interim, the Federal Ministry of Finance should be guided by the Supreme Court’s decision which makes it illegal to release federation account funds to an unelected council’’, Dogara said.
The Speaker recently described the state/local government joint account as “evil’’ and urged state legislators to move against governors who refused to conduct council polls and hijack their funds.
