The ruling of Federal High Court, sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, on Friday rejecting the application of the state Government seeking to stop the implementation of the guidelines on local government funds has started generating reactions among political pundits in the state.
The state government had, through the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Uwemedimo Nwoko, and the chairmen of the 31 local government councils, in the state had approached the court to nullify the guidelines issued by NFIU in a suit number FHC/UY/CS/88/2019.
The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has been at loggerheads with the Nigerian governors who had kicked against the direct allocation to local government councils from the federation account.
The NFIU had, on May 6, issued guidelines to reduce vulnerabilities created by cash withdrawals from local government funds in the country which restored the full mandate of the operations of states and local government joint accounts to be used solely for the distribution of funds directly to the accounts of the local governments.
But the state government along with the 31 council chairmen sought court order stopping the direct disbursement of federal government allocation to the local government council’s accounts.
But the court presided over by Justice A.A Okeke after hearing the matter declined to grant the request.
Reacting, Mfon Okon an economic and public affairs analyst, described state government attempt at frustrating local government areas development through court order as shocking.
Okon said the involvement of council chairmen in the suit was a strange development.
“Rather, it is an illustration on the dimension and magnitude of abuse on separation of power as enshrined in the constitution of Nigeria, which has been very common in the state for a while.
“Sadly, with the level decay in both infrastructure and human development witnessed today in rural community, our council chairmen who were expected to bring dividend of democracy to the grassroots are joining suit in this deviant conspiracy by rejecting local government autonomy.
“You see, what we failed to understand in Akwa Ibom State is the fact that after politics is governance. It is only governance that will serve as a panacea that can bring dividend of democracy and inclusive government to all sundry.
“In fact, their refusal to accept autonomy granted them by federal government has proven beyond any reasonably doubt that our council chairmen are acting scripts of the state government, at the detriment of their poor rural community they were elected to serve”
In his reaction, Obong Iniobong John, state chairman, APC national youth caucus, in a statement condemned the action of the local government councils elected chairmen for allegedly colluding with the state government to deny themselves what is their legitimate right.
“We are dismayed by the evil conspiracy between the Akwa Ibom state government and the local government chairmen against the autonomy granted the local government by the APC federal government and to us, it is absurdity of the highest order.
“The suit by the Akwa Ibom state government and the local government chairmen against local government autonomy is the height of open display of disdain for accountability and grassroots development which was the primary essence of the local government system.”
