BEVERLY HILLS, December 20, (THEWILL) – The Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has declared his happiness with the Supreme Court’s epic ruling that State Governors cannot sack elected Local Government Chairmen and Councillors.
Dogara, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, commended the apex court for the ruling highlighting the need for local government autonomy to ensure the development at the third tier of government.
He emphasised that state governors did not have the constitutional right to sack duly elected local government officials describing the appointment of caretaker committees for local governments by governors as “executive recklessness”.
“State governors have a constitutional responsibility to act according to the dictates of the judgment, as Nigeria is a nation of laws and not of men,” Dogara said.
“Already, clauses granting financial autonomy to both local councils and state Houses of Assembly are being considered by the National Assembly in the ongoing constitution amendment.
“The proposals include denying local governments that do not have democratically elected council officials federal allocations.”
Story by Oputah David
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