The Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a stern call to Nigeria’s governors and the FCT minister, demanding the immediate return of funds collected from local government councils, or be prepared to face legal consequences.
This demand follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that deemed unlawful the appropriation of funds meant for the country’s 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) by Nigeria’s 36 governors.
The court’s decision prohibits governors from further withholding or utilizing these allocations.
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In a statement released by Kolawole Oluwadare, Deputy Director of SERAP, the organization commended the Supreme Court for its ruling, noting that it marks a significant step toward ending the longstanding misappropriation of substantial sums from the Federation Account intended for local governments.
SERAP emphasized that the Supreme Court’s judgment establishes a clear legal precedent, obligating governors and the FCT minister to be accountable for the funds they have collected on behalf of local governments.
“Implicit in the Supreme Court judgment is the requirement for the governors and FCT minister to immediately account for and return the funds meant for local governments but retained and used or allegedly misused by them.
“Accounting for and returning the LGA funds collected would build trust in democratic institutions and strengthen the rule of law.
“The National Assembly must urgently amend the provisions Section 162 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] to ensure that local government allocations from the Federation Account are directly paid to local government areas and not collected by governors and FCT,” SERAP said.
