LG Autonomy: Governors Petition Buhari, Over Control LG Allocation
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) from forcing states to stay off allocations meant for local government areas.
This was as the speakers of some state Houses of Assembly ask their governors to challenge the NFIU in court for meddling in states’ affairs.
Speaking with newsmen on Saturday, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Speakers’ Forum, Mr John Gaul-Lebo, described the NFIU as “meddlesome interlopers”, adding that the federal agency was going into an area it had no jurisdiction over.
Gaul-Lebo said, “They are meddlesome interlopers. They are going into an area they have no jurisdiction over and my advice is that the Federal Government and the National Assembly should focus more on creating a true constitutional autonomy for local government areas.
“Under the constitution, enactment of laws for local governments is under the purview of the state government via the House of Assembly. On the June 1 deadline, I believe the governors will challenge this in court and declare it illegal.