Niger Delta Group Urges NASS to Amend Constitution to Back Supreme Court Ruling on LG Autonomy

The Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group (NDBMG), a non-governmental organization advocating for fiscal responsibility and civic protection, has urged the National Assembly to promptly amend the constitution to support the recent Supreme Court ruling that grants autonomy to local governments.

The call was made in a statement released on July 13, 2024, by the group’s CEO and convener of the Nigeria Civic Space Protection Alliance (NCSPA), High Chief (Dr.) George-Hill Anthony.

High Chief George-Hill emphasized the necessity of recognizing fiscal realities and building on the Supreme Court’s ruling to ensure local governments become more transparent in their budget allocations and general expenditures.

He urged the National Assembly “to act swiftly”, suggesting that amending the constitution to align with the ruling would serve as a form of political restitution to Nigerians and enhance the constitutional framework for local government operations in a democratic context.

The NDBMG highlighted potential challenges in implementing the Supreme Court’s ruling, particularly due to fiscal ignorance among the populace. The group stressed the importance of public awareness regarding constitutional rights and provisions within the Freedom of Information Act that enable citizens to demand accountability and prudence from their leaders.

The landmark Supreme Court verdict mandates that local government officials can no longer avoid declaring the financial status of their councils. Consequently, local councils will now be required to propose and defend their budgets transparently before the public.

To ensure that citizens are fully aware of their responsibilities and can effectively engage with their council representatives, the Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group (NDBMG) has recommended that details of the enabling laws and budget be translated into local dialects or popular communication genres like Pidgin English. This measure aims to facilitate proper understanding among the populace.

The group emphasized that the Supreme Court’s verdict introduces a new level of accountability for local councils. Previously, councils often cited a lack of independence as a reason for not disclosing their budgets and expenditures. However, this excuse is no longer valid, paving the way for critical scrutiny of their fiscal management.

High Chief (Dr.) George-Hill Anthony, the CEO of NDBMG, noted that the ruling has significantly changed the dynamics of local government funding and budgeting processes. He highlighted that it marks the beginning of a new era where councils will be required to engage in budget debates and defenses before their communities, ensuring greater transparency and accountability.

He said, “soon, we hope to see LGAs in Nigeria rolling out their budget proposals and inviting communities to budget defence sessions, observation of budget debates before communities’ development committees, community-based associations, traditional rulers councils, women groups”

“Importantly, they will now have to invite members of their communities for briefings about their programs which the stakeholders can follow them up on and demand answers where gaps are observed in the deployment of the directly allocated funds meant for the people”, said High Chief George-Hill.