Ambali Olatunji, National President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), has stated that over 50% of Nigeria’s problems will be addressed following the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Lagos, Mr. Olatunji reacted to the Supreme Court’s decision granting financial autonomy to local government areas (LGAs).
The ruling came after the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Federal Government seeking full autonomy and direct funding for all 774 LGAs in the country. The Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional for state governors to withhold funds meant for local government administrations.
Expressing his joy at the ruling, Mr. Olatunji described it as a new dawn for the country. “We believe that with the local government autonomy judgment, over 50% of Nigeria’s problems have been fixed. We hope there will be financial integrity at the local government level, and all financial transactions will be tracked. We will work with anti-corruption agencies to ensure growth and development,” he said.
He also highlighted the potential impact of the judgment on various issues. “With this judgment, insecurity will become a thing of the past, joblessness will be addressed, and poverty and infrastructural gaps will be reduced,” Mr. Olatunji added.
Mr. Olatunji thanked the media and social partners, particularly the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, for their resilience and support.
NAN