Human Rights lawyer Dr Olisa Agbakoba has filed a Suit at
the Federal High Court, Lagos south-west Nigeria to stop allocation of public
funds to unelected and unaccountable Local Government Councils, running into
Trillions of Naira.
According to Dr Agbakoba, the basis of the Case is that
Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution guarantees a system of democratically
elected Government Councils. But Local Government Councils in Nigeria are never
elected and are unconstitutional. Therefore allocation of public funds to them
is a violation of the Constitution, as there is collusion with State
Governments in the use of trillions of Naira of Public Funds.
The case raises concern that unelected persons have
unimpeded access to huge monthly allocations that are actually funds intended
for democratically elected Local Government Councils, as guaranteed by Section
7 of the Constitution.
Dr Agbakoba noted that Nigeria operates democratically
elected governments at all levels. The current situation where most of the 774
Local Governments are unelected is not only unconstitutional but meant no
development at the Local Governments level.
Dr Agbakoba also noted that corruption is widespread in
Nigeria because unelected persons that are not accountable to the electorate
have received trillions of Naira of Public Funds.
Although the Federal Government, denied the Case, it appears
that Dr Agbakoba’s concerns have found support with guidelines recently issued
by the Nigerian Finance Intelligence Unit (NFIU), which directs State Governors
and Local Governments to follow the Constitution regarding disbursement of
Local Government funds. Obviously, the new NFIU’s guidelines, like
Dr.Agbakoba’s Case, will uphold accountability of Public Funds at Local
Government Level.
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