The Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo revealed that governors will appraise the Supreme Court verdict granting financial autonomy to Local Government Councils. Soludo spoke on Thursday after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja and described the verdict by the apex court as great. “That’s great. I mean, the Supreme Court is the final authority and I am a democrat. I believe in the rule of law. And once the Supreme Court has spoken, it has spoken. Tonight, I think the Governors Forum is meeting to review this.”
The governor said the autonomy will promote accountability, transparency in the utilization of public resources at all levels, and be able to lift the burden of the common man.
He re-echoed his resolve to conduct local government elections in the South-East state after years.
“I promised the people of Anambra that we’re going to have local government election, and I stated that in my inaugural speech. We’ve just passed the Independent Electoral Commission Law of Anambra State and we’re putting together the institutions to be able to organize that. It is a promise I made and when I make a promise, I am serious about keeping it.”
In its lead judgment, Justice Emmanuel Agim of the apex court mandated the Federal Government to begin immediate and direct payment of local government funds to the latter’s exclusive accounts.
The Supreme Court scolded the decades-long refusal of the state government on financial autonomy for local governments.
