Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has said any state governor who tampers with funds belonging to local government areas would be guilty of gross misconduct which is an impeachable offence.
Fagbemi, while addressing the 2024 annual conference of the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents (NAJUC) in Abuja warned chairmen of the 774 local government areas across Nigeria against mismanaging local government funds.
In his paper titled, “Aftermath of Supreme Court Judgment On Local Government Financial Autonomy: What Next? said, “By the July 11, 2024 judgement of the Supreme Court, which granted financial autonomy to LGAs in the country, any governor who tampers with the finances of the LGAs in his state is seen to have committed a gross-mis-conduct, which is an impeachable offence”.
While highlighting the critical role local governments play in delivering grassroots development, the AGF urged council chairmen and other officials to prioritize their constitutional duties.
“Primary education must be accessible to every child. Pregnant women and infants must receive quality healthcare, and the vulnerable in the society must benefit from sustainable welfare programmes,” he said and noted that the financial autonomy granted to local governments by the Supreme Court was designed to empower them to carry out their responsibilities effectively”, he said.
However, he said, if any local government chairman chooses to misuse public funds and fail to deliver on his or her constitutional mandates, such local government chairman risks going to jail, adding that local government chairmen do not have immunity like state governors.
The CJN, represented by the secretary of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Mr. Abdullaziz Olumo said, while the judiciary serves as the guardian of justice, equity and the rule of law, the media act as the conscience of the society, dissenting information shaping public opinion and ensuring accountability.
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