By John Ogunsemore
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Okutepa has expressed fears that the Supreme Court judgement barring state governors from interfering with the funds meant for the local governments will not be respected.
Okutepa bared his mind in an X post after Justice Emmanuel Agim led a seven-member panel to deliver the landmark judgement on Thursday.
Okutepa said before now, local government funds have always been and invariably held by the state governors, and some shared the money of local governments anyhow they liked.
He lauded the Federal Government and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi SAN for filing the court process that birthed the judgement.
“But I have my fears. Will our leaders respect the orders of the Supreme Court?” Okutepa asked.
He said the propensities of those in power circumventing law and orders and even court judgements without the dire consequences could not be disregarded.
“What remedies do we have against governors who may be forcing the chairmen of the local governments to part with the money of the local governments to them?” he further queried.
He lamented that the State Houses of Assembly which ought to act as checks and balances against the excesses of the governors have been pocketed by these same governors and political leaders who see politics as money-making ventures in Nigeria.
“Very many local government chairmen are political stooges of the governors. Many are appendages of the state governors who handpicked them.
“Like I have always emphasised, there is no democracy or democratic system in our country. Being independent-minded is not an advantage in the Nigerian political landscape.
“That is why sycophantic praise singing and eye service have overcome our political loyalty in the Nigerian democratic journey. Loyalty is not to the Nigerian state.
“So, my main fear is who is to enforce the judgment of the Supreme Court in the years to come? Will successive governments be prepared to respect the Supreme Court judgment? Are we not in Nigeria, where we find political solutions to breach of the Nigerian constitution?
“We need to do more to give effect to this judgment than the pronouncements made by their lordships,” Okutepa said.