Kwara Government Tackles Federal Government, Rejects Full Autonomy For LGAs
The Kwara State Government has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the suit filed by the Federal Government seeking full autonomy for the 774 Local Government (LG) Councils in the country.
In a legal process filed at the apex court, the state contended that granting the reliefs sought by the federal government is in bad faith and contrary to the dictates of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
The Counter Affidavit to the Originating Summons of the federal government filed by the Kwara Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Senior Ibrahim-Sulyman, was obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday in Abuja.
The state AG asked the apex court to dismiss the Originating Summons of the federal government and the reliefs sought therein, in the interest of justice.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government instituted the legal action against the Attorney General of the 36 states, over alleged misconduct in the administration of local government Councils.
The suit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), is seeking full autonomy for all local government councils in the country.
In the suit, the Federal Government specifically prayed the court to issue an order, prohibiting state governors from embarking on unilateral, arbitrary and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected local government leaders.
Fagbemi urged the court to grant an order for the withhold of the fund meant for the local governments in such states that unlawfully dissolve democratically elected local government officials and run them through illegal Transitional Implementation Committee.
He prayed the Supreme Court for an order to allow the monthly allocations of LGs to be directly paid to them from the Federation Account in line with the provisions of the Constitution as against the alleged unlawful joint accounts created by governors.
No comments