By Charles Igwe
The Labour Party (LP) caucus in the National Assembly has raised concerns over an alleged move by Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, to bypass a Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy. This issue was addressed during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, led by Senator Tony Nwoye (LP-Anambra).
Nwoye expressed displeasure over the governor’s attempt to introduce a “State and Local Government Joint Account” law, describing it as an effort to undermine the Supreme Court’s ruling, which upholds local government financial autonomy. He urged the Speaker and members of the Anambra State House of Assembly to reject the bill for the sake of posterity.
Other federal lawmakers from the LP also criticized the bill, titled ‘Anambra State Local Government Administration Law, 2024,’ arguing that its provisions, particularly those concerning the “State Joint Local Government Account,” conflict with the apex court’s judgement. They focused on controversial clauses, including Clause 13, which calls for the establishment of a State Joint Local Government Account, and Clause 14, which proposes a Local Government Consolidated Account.
Nwoye highlighted that Clause 13(1) would require all federal allocations to local governments in the state to be deposited into a joint account, with the state controlling how the funds are distributed. He condemned this provision, emphasizing that it could allow the state government to manipulate the allocation of funds meant for local governments.
Additionally, Nwoye raised concerns about a proposed 20% deduction from local governments’ federal allocations for security purposes, questioning its justification given the ongoing security challenges in the state.
The Labour Party caucus urged lawmakers in the Anambra State House of Assembly to uphold the Supreme Court ruling and safeguard local government autonomy, while condemning any legislative attempts to undermine this vital aspect of governance.
