The member representing Somolu Federal Constituency, Ademorin Kuye, has called on the House of Representatives to mandate the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to halt allocations to local council areas without elected leaders.
Kuye argued that state governors’ preference for appointing caretaker chairmen over elected representatives is killing democracy at the local government level.
He noted that 21 states have no elected representatives in their local governments, contrary to Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution and the Supreme Court’s rulings, according to NaijaNews.
The Senate had passed a resolution in December 2023 to stop allocations to states that disobey the constitution.
Kuye urged the House to direct RMAFC to halt allocations to local government areas without elected representatives, accusing state governors of thwarting development and democracy.
“In December 2023, the Senate passed a resolution to stop allocation to some states after debate on a motion sponsored by the Senate Minority Leader Senator Abba Moro on the urgent need to halt the erosion of democracy in local governments.
“Many Senators also urged the government to sanction other states that have disrupted the democratic system in the local governments and installed unelected caretaker committees.
“The dissolution of democratically elected councils is in direct contravention of section 7 of the Nigerian Constitution, the Supreme Court pronouncements on such matters, and a deliberate affront on democracy,” Kuye said.
“The number of states acting with impunity and in utter disregard to the constitution continues to increase as not less than 21 state governors are currently running local government councils with caretaker committees
“This impunity and disregard to the constitution is a deliberate effort to upstage democracy, frustrate accountability and transparency in the local government and also thwart their development potentials,” he added.
