The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has warned state governors to resist the urge to tamper with local government funds.
Fagbemi warned that indulging in such an act would make them guilty of gross mis-conduct, which is an impeachable offence.
He gave the warning on Thursday in Abuja, at the 2024 national conference of the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents (NAJUC),
In a paper titled, ‘Aftermath of Supreme Court Judgment on Local Government Financial Autonomy: What Next?’ Fagbemi disclosed that “by the July 11, 2024 judgment of the Supreme Court, which granted financial autonomy to LGAs in the country, any governor who tampers with the finances of the LGAs in his state is seen to have committed a gross misconduct, which is an impeachable offence”.
The Justice Minister stated that if any local government chairman chooses to misappropriate public funds and fail to deliver on his or her constitutional mandates, such local government chairman risk going to jail.
Fagbemi reminded the 774 local government chairmen in the country that they do not have immunity like state governors, and therefore cautioned them to be wary of governors with overbearing influence on local government officials.
Any debt incurred by governors, in relation to the official function of state government, according to the AGF, must be handled by the state.
He said any such debt should not be shared with the local government areas, as such projects are not the constitutional responsibilities of local governments.
The AGF highlighted the critical role local governments play in delivering grassroots development, and therefore advised council chairmen and other officials to prioritise their constitutional duties.
“Primary education must be accessible to every child. Pregnant women and infants must receive quality healthcare, and the vulnerable in the society must benefit from sustainable welfare programmes,” Fagbemi stated.
He noted that the financial autonomy granted to local governments by the Supreme Court was designed to bring democratic governance closer to the rural populace and to empower them to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
The Justice Minister commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its commitment towards strengthening governance structures at all levels and urged local government officials to embrace transparency.
He warned that the era of impunity was over.