The Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi has explained the delay in the implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government financial autonomy.
The minister of justice said the delay is due to preparations by the federal government to ensure its complete success.
Fagbemi also clarified that the Federal Government has not granted any “grace period” to state governments regarding the apex court’s ruling.
He made these remarks on Monday during an interaction with journalists after receiving an honorary degree at the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) convocation and Founder’s Day ceremony.
Fagbemi revealed that the administration is committed to enforcing the Supreme Court’s decision, which grants financial independence to the 774 local government areas across the country.
This move aims to promote grassroots development by ensuring that local governments receive their funds directly from the federation account.
He cautioned state governments against defying the ruling, indicating that the federal government is steadfast in implementing the decision under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
Fagbemi said, “Unfortunately, I know it has been in the media that they gave them (the governors) a three-month moratorium, which is not the position. The position is that yes, the judgement was delivered, but we felt that there is a need to put some things in place before the full implementation. That it is going to be implemented is sacrosanct; nobody can run away from it.”
