Babatunji Wusu –
- Chris Ngige criticized the Supreme Court’s judgment on local government financial autonomy, claiming it ignored constitutional provisions.
- He accused local council chairmen of being more corrupt than governors, prioritizing personal luxury over public welfare.
- Ngige highlighted the importance of local governments in the primary healthcare system and urged state authorities to address abandoned healthcare centers.
- He called for statutory deductions for local government workers’ salaries and pensions to be prioritized before federal allocations are disbursed.
- Ngige emphasized that local governments will only succeed if governors and legislatures comply with the law and hold officials accountable.
Chris Ngige, former Governor of Anambra State and current Minister of Labour and Employment, has expressed disagreement with the Supreme Court’s ruling on financial autonomy for local governments. Ngige accused local council chairmen of being more corrupt than state governors, claiming that many council chairmen are more interested in acquiring luxury properties in cities like Abuja and Lagos, as well as in Western countries.
Ngige argued that the Supreme Court’s judgment overlooked Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which he believes should ensure local governments are financially independent. He made this statement during the 29th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Association of Urological Surgeons, Nigeria (NAUS) in Enugu, on the topic ‘Local Government Administration and Primary Healthcare’.
In his address, Ngige also emphasized the importance of the local government system in the delivery of primary healthcare, citing the efforts of former Minister of Health, Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, in transforming the system. He stressed the need for State Economic Planning Boards to address abandoned healthcare centers across the country, which were built as constituency projects.
Ngige criticized the greed of local government officials for hindering progress, pointing out that their desires for luxury often take precedence over building public health centers and paying teachers their due salaries. He referred to a 2006 Supreme Court ruling that had warned the Federal Government against controlling how state governments manage local government funds, a decision that he believes contradicts the current judgment.
He called for the implementation of statutory first-line deductions to cover salaries, pensions, and other allowances for local government workers, arguing that local governments would only function properly if governors adhered to the law and legislative assemblies held them accountable.
