KENE
The Bill, ‘Anambra State Local Government Administration Law, 2024,’ is currently in Committee and seeks to enact the joint State and Local Government Account law.
The controversial Clause 13(1) in the Bill stipulates that ‘The State shall maintain a special account called State Joint Local Government Account and shall pay into it all allocations from the Federation to the Local Governments, of the State. (2) The State shall distribute the funds due to the Local Governments as provided in subsection (1) of section 11, on such terms and in such manner as prescribed by the State House of Assembly.’
Many quarters have criticized the Bill, insisting that it undermines the landmark judgment delivered by the Supreme Court on Local Government financial autonomy.
Mbachu expressed concerns over the bill requiring newly elected Local Government chairmen to contribute a portion of their funds to a consolidated account, highlighting the potential negative impacts.
In his opinion, the directive would restrict local governments from managing their allocations from the Federal government.
Acknowledging the bill’s tendency to compromise Soludo’s integrity and having adverse effects on the democratic environment in the State, the lawmaker called on President Bola Tinubu to monitor governors undermining progress in local government elections by compelling elected chairmen to divert funds to the state government
Mbachu’s concerns are rooted in the landmark Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments.
“This executive bill seems to counter that progress, and potentially rubbishing the achievement of compulsory local government elections,” he said.
According to the lawmaker, his public disagreement and refusal to support the bill demonstrate his commitment to core democratic values and the potential consequences of this bill on democracy and future governance in the State.
