Supreme Court Ruling on LGA Autonomy Does Not Allow State-LGA Separation, Says Prof. Oguche

In a recent address at a training session for Kogi State local government officials, Prof. Samuel Oguche, a visiting law professor and senior fellow at the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, clarified that the Nigerian Constitution does not permit the separation of states and Local Government Areas (LGAs), despite the Supreme Court’s affirmation of LGA financial autonomy.

Prof. Oguche explained that the Supreme Court ruling, while granting LGAs financial independence, does not change the constitutional structure that places LGAs under the authority of state governments. “The lives of the LGAs are determined by the State Houses of Assemblies, which legislate their existence and functions,” he said.

He cited Section 7 of the Constitution, which assigns the administration of LGAs exclusively to the states and not the federal government. “For the fact that the Supreme Court granted autonomy to the LGAs, the states and local government areas can’t be separated,” he emphasized.

Highlighting ongoing issues such as political interference and corruption, Prof. Oguche called for legislative reforms to align state laws with the Supreme Court’s judgment. He advocated for constitutional amendments to clarify the status of joint state-local government accounts and to provide LGAs with financial independence and improved governance capacity.