Senator Sunday Karimi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Services, has reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to ending the illegal diversion of Local Government (LG) funds by state governors.
Following the July 2024 Supreme Court judgment granting fiscal autonomy to the third tier of government, Senator Karimi observed that several states continue to operate in defiance of the law. He described the continued control of these resources as “unconstitutional” and “a subversion of grassroots democracy.”
“Despite the explicit declaration by the highest court in the land, some states continue to disregard the ruling,” Karimi stated. “The National Assembly is prepared to enact relevant laws that will enable the prosecution of those who have pilfered the people’s resources.”
The Senator highlighted a pattern of “voucher racketeering” used to bypass financial regulations and warned that the National Assembly would provide the legislative framework to support President Bola Tinubu’s potential Executive Orders on the matter.
Senator Karimi concluded by stating that the restoration of LG autonomy is not just a matter of law, but a necessity for national security, as the current dysfunction has left many parts of the country vulnerable to criminal elements.
