PRESS RELEASE
GOVERNOR AHMED USMAN ODODO SHOULD PUT MACHINERY IN-PLACE TO CONDUCT LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS IN KOGI STATE WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY
The Supreme Court judgment on 11th July, 2024 on Local Government administration in Nigeria:
1. Allocations are to be paid directly to Local Government Councils immediately
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2. The Section of the Constitution for joint allocations automatically got deleted without NASS Amendment.
3. Appointment of Caretaker committees is illegal and unconstitutional; no governor has any powers to appoint any Caretaker Committee Chairman (CTC.)
4. That State governors have constituted themselves as dangerous species to the development of democracy.
In all of these, these can only be effective in state’s local governments that have constitutionally and democratically elected council chairmen.
Meaning, state are to from now cease to operate local government caretaker committee chairmanship, as any state still operating local government caretaker committee will not be given her local government allocation and such allocation will be withheld and not released to neither the state governors nor the local government caretaker committee chairmen any more.
The above pronouncement by the supreme court have further vindicate us in Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR) as we have consistently advocated and continue to advocate for democratic dispensation at Local Government Level, that will promote financial autonomy of Local Government Administration in Kogi State.
It will be recalled, that the last democratically _*“elected Local Government Council tenure”*_ in Kogi State ended in the 14th December 2023. And Caretakers was illegally imposed by the immediate past administration on the 9th January, 2024 and subsequently and tragically, the current administration in Kogi State in collaboration with Kogi State House of Assembly extended the tenure of the Local Government Council Chairmen perpetrating illegality in the face of legitimacy. We are worried the situation that will befall the Local Government staff and the security situation at Local Government level in Kogi State.
We call on the Kogi State Governor reverse the illegal extension of the tenure of Local Government Council as pronounced by State Assembly on Friday 5th July, 2024 in replace them with the Directors of Local Government across the state.
We recommend, that for the purpose of payment of salary and security of the Local Government, the Kogi State Government should continue to make money available inform of loan to the Local Government Council pending when democratically elected Local Government Council will be put in place.
With the supplementary budget approved by the State Assembly on the 5th of July, 2024, the Kogi Governor and its government can no longer claim it has not funds to conduct Local Government Elections.
We therefore commend the Supreme Court for this laudable and historical judgment.
Signed:
Idris Miliki Abdul,
Executive Director,
Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR),
Lokoja, Kogi State.
*Date: 12th July, 2024*
