By Adetokunbo FAKEYE
Nigeria, Abuja – The supreme court has given the Attorney General of the 36 states in Nigeria seven days to file their defence in the suit instituted by the federal government seeking full autonomy for local governments.
Similarly, the court also ordered the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, upon receipt of the governors’ defence, to file his reply within two days.
Justice Garba lawal issued the order today, Thursday, 30th May, 2024 while ruling in an application for abridgment of time argued the by the AGF Lateef fagebemi.
Justice lawal who led a 7 man panel of the apex court said that the decision of the court was predicated on the National urgency of the suit and the non objection from the attorneys general of the states of the federation.
The Supreme Court held that filing of all processes and exchanging of same must be completed witching the time and subsequently fixed June 13 for hearing of the suit.
He also ordered that the 8 states Borno, Kano, Kogi, Niger, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Sokoto who were not in attendance during the proceedings to be served with fresh hearing notice.
The Federal Government had instituted the suit through the AGF, asking the supreme Court for an order prohibiting State Governors from unilateral, arbitrary and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected local government leaders for local governments.
In an originating summons the AGF is also asking the Supreme Court for an order permitting the funds standing in the credits of local governments to be directly channelled to them from the Federation Account in line with the provisions of the Constitution as against the alleged unlawful joint accounts created by governors.
He also sought order of the Apex Court stopping governors from constituting Caretaker Committees to run the affairs of local governments as against the Constitutionally recognized and guaranteed democratically system.
The Federal Government also applied for an order of injunction restraining the governors, their agents and privies from receiving, spending or tampering with funds released from the Federation Account for the benefits of local governments when no democratically elected local government system is put in place in the states.
