Labour Party Lawmakers Accuse Governor Soludo of Undermining Local Government Financial Autonomy with Controversial Bill

Labour Party (LP) lawmakers from Anambra State have accused Governor Chukwuma Soludo of attempting to undermine the financial autonomy of local governments through a proposed executive bill. At a press conference held in Awka on Thursday, the lawmakers alleged that the “Anambra State Local Government Administration Law 2024” would financially strangle the state’s 21 local government areas (LGAs) and violate a recent Supreme Court ruling.

The LP lawmakers—Senator Tony Nwoye, Hon. George Ozodinobi, Hon. Afam Ogene, Hon. Idu Emeka, and Hon. Anekwe Peter—claimed the bill seeks to reintroduce a joint state-local government account system that the Supreme Court had declared unconstitutional. In July 2024, the court ruled that local governments should receive their allocations directly from the Federation Account, bypassing state control.

“The Anambra State Government is trying to take us back to an era of impunity,” the lawmakers stated, accusing the State House of Assembly of complicity. They cited specific sections of the bill that would allegedly violate the Supreme Court’s judgment, such as Section 13, which proposes maintaining a State Joint Local Government Account to handle federal allocations meant for LGAs.

The lawmakers argued that the bill’s provisions contradict the court’s directive that local government funds must not be controlled or disbursed by state governments. They further criticized sections of the proposed law that mandate local governments to remit a portion of their federal allocations to state-controlled accounts, calling it an attempt to stifle their autonomy.

In their appeal, the lawmakers urged Governor Soludo and the Anambra State House of Assembly to respect the Supreme Court ruling and ensure laws are made in the public’s interest, not for the benefit of a few privileged individuals.