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SUPREME COURT DELIVERS JUDGMENT ON LOCAL GOVT AUTONOMY TOMORROW
The Supreme Court will tomorrow, Thursday, July 11, deliver judgment in the suit filed by the Federal Government against the 36 state governors seeking full autonomy for the 774 local governments in the country.
A document sighted on Wednesday at the apex court indicated that parties in the suit have been notified through their respective lawyers.
Our correspondent observed that the notice for the judgment delivery was served on the federal government through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja.
Recall that Justice Garba Mohammed Lawal had on Thursday June 13 reserved judgment in the suit and announced that parties in the matter would be communicated once the judgment is ready.
Justice Lawal, who led a 7-man panel of Justices of the apex court, announced the reservation of the judgment after the federal government and the governors presented their cases for adjudication.
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, presented the case of the federal government, while the 36 state governors presented their own cases through their lawyers.
The AGF had pleaded with the Supreme Court to grant all the reliefs sought by the Federal Government in the suit and grant the local governments full autonomy as the third tiers of government in Nigeria and as envisaged by the constitution of the country.
The autonomy, he had argued, should involve direct allocation of funds from the federation account to the local governments instead of the present status where governors superintendent over the councils money.
The AGF had also prayed for an order prohibiting unlawful dissolution of local government officials by the state governors.However, the governors through their respective Attorneys General opposed the request of the Federal Government and asked the court to dismiss the suit.
