Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, has made a move towards granting local government autonomy in the state.
This follows a recent judgement by the Supreme Court granting financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 local councils.
The governor, a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has established a seven-man advisory committee to guide the state government on the full implementation of local government autonomy.
According to a statement released by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Yusuf Sanda, the committee’s formation is in response to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling.
The committee will be chaired by Mr. Abel Peter Diah, Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government and Traditional Affairs and member representing Mbamnga State Constituency.
Other members of the committee include Mr. Gebon Timothy Kataps, Secretary to the Government of Taraba State; Barr. Yakubu Maikasuwa (SAN), Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice; Alh. Hassan Aminu, ALGON Chairman; Lilian Jonathan, Director Inspectorate of Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy; Mr. Bala Hussein; and Mr. Ezekiel Polycarp, who will serve as the Secretary.
The committee is scheduled to be inaugurated on Monday (today) by Governor Agbu Kefas.
It should be recalled that the Supreme Court in a judgement delivered on Thursday, July 11, 2024, declared it unconstitutional for state governors to withhold funds meant for local government administrations.
The Court also barred governors from dissolving democratically elected local government councils, stating that doing so would breach the 1999 Constitution. The judgment ruled that only democratically elected local government administrations, not caretaker committees, are entitled to manage their funds.
