Ex-Anambra governorship candidate describes Supreme Court LG ruling as double-edged sword, wants federal government to release some items in Exclusive List

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Dr. Ikechukwu Victor Anigbata

By Alphonsus Nweze, Onitsha

A former governorship candidate in Anambra State on the platform of the defunct National Democratic Party (NDP), Dr. Ikechukwu Victor Anigbata, has described as double edged sword the latest ruling by the Supreme Court of Nigeria granting Local Governments in the country financial autonomy.

Chief Anigbata, an Actuarist, however lauded the ruling of the Supreme Court on the Local Government autonomy but stated while it places a demand on the State Governors to stop interfering with finances of the Local Governments, it equally indirectly asking Federal Government to extricate itself from some of the items in the Exclusive List.

He said the constitution is very clear about the roles of the federal Government and the State Governments, saying that it is obvious that the State has the constitutional authority over Local Governments and it is being taken away,.
Therefore, he argued in an exclusive interview in Onitsha, the Anambra State commercial hub, that the Federal Government should allow States to participate in some of the items in Exclusive List.

“That is to say that some of those items shoukd be brought to Concurrent Lists to allow State Governments participate in them. It will give Stayed breathing space” he said.

Chief Anigbata said there are about 60 items in the Exclusive List, saying that State Governments should be allowed to share about four or five of these items which would help to keep them afloat financially.

“They should remove some items in Exclusive List to Concurrent List to enable State Governments survive. Federal Government takes most of the wealth of the nation, over 60 percent of the nation’s wealth. Why not reduce it to 30 or 35 percent. Share some of the wealth with States. States should take about 40 percent ,while Local Governments take about 25 percent,” he suggested.

Dr. Anigbata said without Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducting Local Government election, the autonomy is as good as not granted because Governors would still hijack the Local Government through the State Independent Electoral Commission.

Anigbata now a businessman said the ruling has created a lacuna in Local Government law, calling for a meeting between the Attorney General of the Federation and his counterparts in the States to agree on the way forward.

He said despite these hiccups, autonomy still remained the best for our local governments because according to him “it would decentralize the wealth of the nation to the grassroot from councillors to Supervisory Councillors to chairmen.

“So many rural jobs would be done. There would be employment opportunities. It will be less expensive to conduct the election. INEC will conduct it for only one day in the entire country,” Chief Anigbata said.

He said in as much Tinubu’s deployment of trucks of food items looked good at face value, he doubts if it would get to the people at the grass root.

He said the food items if it would come as promised, would be shared along party lines which would eventually deny a lot of citizens getting the food items, saying that for it to get to the people it should be shared through each community/village association or union.

Dr. Anigbata said the president’s deployment of trucks of food to States is a temporary measure to stem the biting food crisis but urged him to drastically reduce insecurity in the country to allow for massive cultivation of crops both by individuals and governments.