THE pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere, yesterday, advised the 774 local government areas across the country not to make themselves appendages of the Federal Government as a result of the financial autonomy granted them by the Supreme Court.
Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Jare Ajayi, in a statement, commended the Federal Government and the Judiciary over last Thursday’s ruling on local government autonomy.
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Ajayi said: “Those holding these positions need to be reminded that the local governments, like other tiers of government, are entitled to the funds in the federation account. The constitution states that federal allocations must be disbursed in this ratio: 52.68 % to Federal; 26.72 to States and 20.60% to Local Governments.
“No tier of government should withhold or corner the allocation meant for another tier. If it happens, such a thing can be challenged in court. And, as we have witnessed in the recent past, the courts would normally rule in favour of the litigant.
“The fact that states get their allocation directly from the federation account does not make them appendages of the Federal Government. By the same token, the fact that local government areas are to get their respective allocations from the same federation account would not make them appendages of the federal government. Any local government chairman that kowtows to Abuja simply because his council’s allocations come from Abuja is being servile and is ignorant.”
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