GOVERNORS SAY NO TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY

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The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) from forcing states to stay off allocations meant for local government ateas.

This is coming after the speakers of some State Houses of Assembly asked their Governors to challenge the NFIU in court for meddling in states’ affairs.

Speaking with newsmen on Saturday, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Speakers’ Forum, Mr John Gaul-Lebo, described the NFIU as “meddlesome interlopers”, adding that the federal agency was going into an area it had no jurisdiction over.

Gaul-Lebo said, “Under the constitution, enactment of laws for local governments is under the purview of the state government via the House of Assembly. On the June 1 deadline, I believe the governors will challenge this in court and declare it illegal.

“First, NFIU is not the National Assembly and, therefore, cannot make laws. They cannot give a deadline on such matter because the constitution does not recognise NFIU for that. They can only give deadlines if there is a delegated power or guidelines that are provided under a national Act.

I believe that the Governors’ Forum should go to court to challenge and set it aside. That is what I think the Nigeria Governors’ Forum should do and also the Speakers of Assembly Forum.”

Also the Director-General of NGF, Mr Asishana Okauru, confirmed that the Governors had forwarded a petition to the President on the matter and debunked the possibility of approaching the court.

Okauru said ,“I can tell you on good authority that the Governors are not going to approach the court. The Governors, under the platform of the NGF, have had a wonderful and superb relationship with the Federal Government and this is a federal agency.

“This is an issue of concern to all the Governors and the best thing to do is to approach the President.”

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