The Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that local governments are an independent, autonomous tier of government, nullifying provisions of the 2004 Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act that placed them under state control.
Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) can now directly access federal UBE funds from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) without interference from State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs).
The court gave UBEC and the Attorney-General three months to notify all 37 SUBEBs and 774 LGEAs, emphasizing that local governments “shall” access funds directly.
The judgment addresses long-standing issues of stalled projects, poor funding, and mismanagement at the grassroots level.
Details later……
