By Iyabo Adebisi
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state says his administration will continue to address challenges at the local government areas despite Supreme court ruling on local government autonomy to enable harmonious administration across the state.
He gave the assurance during a state stakeholders’ advisory/consultative meeting held at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s office,Secretariat, Ibadan.
Governor Makinde noted that a critical deliberation is expedient over the Supreme Court ruling on autonomy, saying his administration has never failed in delivering dividends to the people at the grassroots since election in office.
The governor said the judgment, which has no certified true copy yet has created a lacuna between Supreme Court and the constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria.
The governor said problem of federal government allocation fund is not sharing but mechanism to make bigger transformation to destroy poverty among the people at the grassroots.
Fielding the newsmen after the meeting, the Oyo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Biodun Aikomo and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy matters, Ademola Ojo said that two technical committees have been set up to consider and review the Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy, including 1992/1999 local councils expert and legal team with an expected report between four and six weeks
Supreme Court of Nigeria had last week Thursday affirmed the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local governments.
In the unanimous judgement of its seven-member panel, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the suit brought by the federal government to strengthen the independence of local governments in the country.