By Adeyinka Adeniran
Reactions have been trailing the ruling of the Supreme Court granting financial autonomy to the local governments.as many stakeholders have hailed the judgement and the political will of the President Bola Tinubu and the Supreme Court to ensure that constitutional provisions are upheld.
Reacting, Oyo State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) said the ruling is a welcome development, noting that the judiciary has cleared the doubts surrounding the misinterpretation of the section of the 1999 Constitution which some people it described as hawks leverage on to shortchanged the LG.
Oyo APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare when contacted urged the FG to leverage on the judgement to partner the people while also calling on anti graft agencies to monitor how council funds are spent henceforth.
Sadare said, “It’s a welcome development. The Judiciary has cleared the doubts surrounding the misinterpretation of a particular section of the 1999 Constitution which some hawks leverage on to shortchange the third tier of government.
“We hope the federal government would leverage on this landmark judgement to partner the people at the grassroots through the local government councils for accelerated growth and development in the country.
“Meanwhile, we urge the anti graft agencies to be on their toes and monitor how council funds are spent henceforth.”
In his view, a former Governor of Ogun State and Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District Otunba Gbenga Daniel said President Bola Tinubu has demonstrated uncommon courage and leadership in a manner that seeks to return Nigeria on a trajectory of growth and development as evidenced in the landmark judgment of the Supreme Court granting financial autonomy to the local governments.
Daniel said, “This constitutional resolution is long overdue because the local government administration is the closest to the grassroots and they should have the capacity to impact directly on the lives of the people through the initiation of life-changing programs and projects.
“President Tinubu and the Supreme Court have restored sanity to the Nigerian political space as this will allow the dividends of democracy to reach the masses.
“As a Democrat, and a Progressive one at that, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has demonstrated enormous capacity in the struggle towards strengthening the Nigeria’s Democracy, and with this Local Government financial autonomy, he has once again set to recalibrate the wheels of our political and Economic growth in a way that it will make clear meanings to the average citizens.
“I salute Mr. President for this global road map that will usher in true and practical development in our nation”
Also, the Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Hon Agboola Ajayi, has said the Ondo state Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa didn’t know the Supreme Court would outlawed use of Caretaker Committee in the administration of local government areas.
Ajayi who hailed the Supreme Court for putting final decision to local government autonomy said Governor Aiyedatiwa has committed contempt of court for setting up Transition Committees despite an High Court ruling that nullified the creation of 33 LCDAs.
The former Deputy Governor stated that any government doing contrary to the Supreme ruling ‘is killing democracy.’
Ajayi said, “”We keep repeating it that what they are doing to the local government administration in Ondo state is wrong and criminal, they should allow local government administration to be run by the people at their various local government levels and the Supreme Court has spoken this morning and we want to thank the Supreme Court for putting final decision to this matters.”
Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Otunba Bamidele Akingboye, said the Supreme Court has given life to local government administration.
Akingboye said people at the grassroots would now feel the impact of governance.
