ICPC urges Attorneys-General to enforce the Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy and uphold accountability across Nigeria’s 774 councils

ICPC urges enforcement of local government autonomy as the anti-corruption commission presses Attorneys-General across Nigeria’s South-West region to ensure full compliance with the Supreme Court judgment granting financial independence to local councils.

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Speaking during a roundtable engagement in Akure on Monday, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Aliyu, charged state Attorneys-General and Commissioners for Justice to uphold the rule of law by giving full effect to the historic ruling.

The engagement, held in Ondo State’s capital, marked the final session in a six-part regional series organised by the commission to promote integrity, accountability, and corruption prevention within governance systems.

The ICPC chairman lamented that despite the Supreme Court’s July 2024 verdict, which affirmed the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local government councils, some states still obstruct the commission from monitoring local government expenditures.

Aliyu said, “Despite court orders restraining us from tracking the remittances and expenditures of local government funds in some states, I feel it is obligatory for ministers in the temple of justice to uphold the Supreme Court’s judgment.”

He stressed that Attorneys-General, as guardians of the law, must take proactive steps to ensure compliance and protect the interests of citizens at the grassroots level.

“Local communities in Nigeria are in dire need of welfare, sustenance, and protection from the obstacles that push government resources beyond their reach,” he added.

“We must fulfil our responsibilities to actualise their hopes for survival and development, which remain grim 65 years after independence.”

Aliyu underscored that the enforcement of financial autonomy would not only strengthen local governance but also help curb corruption and diversion of public funds, which have long hindered rural development.

Delivering a keynote address, former Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), examined the independence of the Attorney-General’s office and the pressures of executive influence.

According to him, “Once a person with courage, integrity, and fidelity to the rule of law takes office, that individual will have no difficulty in placing the rule of law above political or executive interests.”

Onigbanjo also dismissed suggestions to separate the offices of the Attorney-General and the Commissioner for Justice, warning that such a move would not end executive interference if both roles remain politically appointed.

He further disclosed that State Commissioners for Information had joined the ongoing collaboration to enhance transparency and accountability at both state and local government levels.

“The media remains essential if we want the message of our crusade to travel beyond these halls to the grassroots we seek to empower,” he added.

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The ICPC’s renewed call for enforcement is seen as a crucial push towards implementing the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling, which seeks to end decades of state interference in local government administration and empower councils to directly manage their resources for community development.