By Comfort Olayinka
The Senator Representing Kogi West,Senator Sunday Karimi, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for enabling the judiciary to function independently, leading to the landmark Supreme Court judgment on financial autonomy for local government areas.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Friday, Senator Karimi praised President Tinubu for allowing the judiciary to operate freely, resulting in this historic decision.
He suggested that the President’s actions warrant recognition in the nation’s “Hall of Fame”. Senator Karimi emphasized the significance of the judgment, which grants financial autonomy to local government areas, and acknowledged President Tinubu’s role in ensuring the judiciary’s independence.
Senator Karimi assured Nigerians that the National Assembly will ensure that state governments comply with the judgment and also take on the responsibility of amending the constitution to address contentious issues.
These include the transfer of the responsibility of conducting local elections from state electoral bodies to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He reiterated the National Assembly’s commitment to upholding the principles of democracy and ensuring the effective functioning of local government areas.
He said “I thank Mr President for mustering the courage to do the right thing. Since 1999, the third tier of government literally speaking, has been nonexistent. State governments treated them as appendages of the state governments. No President, has been able to change that. But, within one year, however, President Tinubu has returned the local government to the owners-the masses. Local governments, if well operated, will ensure a better existence for our people. President Tinubu took due cognisance of this and courageously took the bull by the horn.”
He noted that “Some state governors will fight back. President Tinubu allowed the judiciary a free hand to operate in this particular instance, irrespective of the fact that he is but a first term President who may desire a comeback in 2027.”
Tinubu he said, did this primarily because of his single-minded concern for Nigeria’s masses. His words: “I align myself with the President on this. It takes a man of the people, it takes a man of courage, it takes a man that knows and feels the pulse of the masses to make this to happen. He has seen it all, as a former Senator and a former Governor. Former President Buhari promised to push this but lacked the presence of mind and political will to pursue it. It will not stop there. The National Assembly through our oversight responsibility will ensure that revenue from the federal purse goes to where it is suppose to go. We will ensure that the Supreme Court judgment is obeyed to the letter, that allocation is shared between the three tiers of government in accordance with the law.”
The next step, Karimi said, is to ensure that the local government elections are conducted by the INEC. The national assembly he noted, has a duty to amend the electoral act and the 1999 constitution to ensure that credible people are elected to the helms of the local government administration. This, he further noted, “will ensure that capable individuals can step forward to contest local government elections. Experienced people will be needed to manage the funds effectively, and prioritize the development of the grassroots for the masses to become actively involved in shaping the future of their local governments. A lot of money that has gone to the local governments, over the years were either taken over by the state governments through the joint account or not accounted for. Prosperity will remember President Tinubu for this epoch making achievement, his second term is assured”.
