The Federal Government has yet to begin direct payment of local government allocations into their accounts despite a Supreme Court ruling issued four months ago.
In July, the Supreme Court ordered the Federal Government to pay monthly allocations directly into the accounts of the 774 local government councils.
However, four months later, allocations have continued to be paid into the joint state-local government accounts by the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee.
Shortly after the ruling, the Federal Government acknowledged the need to resolve operational issues before implementing the decision and set a three-month period to address these concerns.
That period ended in October, but the required changes have not yet been made.
The spokesman for the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Obiora Orji, confirmed to Sunday TheNigerian that the promised direct payments had not been initiated.
“It is what everybody is waiting for. It cannot be hidden, and once the payment is made, everyone will be aware,” Orji said.
The National President of the National Union of Local Government Employees, Akeem Ambali, explained that the delay stemmed from the absence of approval of President Bola Tinubu for the full implementation of local government financial autonomy.
He noted that NULGE had submitted its position paper to the inter-ministerial committee set up by the Federal Government to facilitate the Supreme Court’s judgment on local government autonomy.
He stated that the committee, chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, concluded its meetings and submitted a technical report to President Tinubu for approval.
“The recommendations by the committee have been submitted to the President, and we are eagerly awaiting the start of the implementation,” Ambali said.
Meanwhile, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Bawa Mokwa, told Sunday TheNigerian that the process for direct disbursement to local governments was ongoing.
He confirmed that state governments continued to receive payments on behalf of the local governments until the direct payment process would be completed.
Mokwa said, “I think the governors were paid directly.”
He, however, did not provide a specific timeline when direct payments to local councils would commence.
