President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has accused the Federal Government of sabotaging grassroots governance in Osun State by refusing to implement a Supreme Court judgment granting full financial autonomy to local governments.
The union’s President General, Comrade Aliyu Haruna Kankara, in a statement condemned the refusal of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to release local government allocations directly to their accounts, despite a clear ruling by the apex court on July 14, 2024.
He described the situation as a “deliberate breach of constitutional order” as he called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and protect the integrity of the same democratic principles he championed as a former governor.
His words, “Some state actors, in collaboration with federal institutions, are undermining the Supreme Court’s ruling by directing unauthorized individuals to manage local government funds.
“This is illegal, unacceptable, and a disservice to the people of Osun State”.
Kankara cited a June 10, 2025 letter from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, signed by one Okolie Rita O. FCA, which directed that applications for operating LG accounts be signed by either Chairmen, Treasurers, or Directors of Finance/Personnel.
NULGE insists that this directive contravenes the Local Government Financial Memorandum, which designates career officers — specifically Directors of Finance and Supplies and Directors of Administration and General Services—as the only legitimate signatories to LG accounts, with Chairmen and Heads of LG Administration merely confirming.
He warned that allowing unauthorized individuals to manage public funds risks opening the door to mismanagement and eroding the gains made under the Tinubu administration on local government reforms.
“We are calling on the Central Bank, the Minister of Finance, and the Accountant General of the Federation to immediately halt this illegality and release the withheld allocations from January 2025 to date to the rightful LG authorities,” he demanded.
He also referenced the Appeal Court judgment of June 13, 2025, delivered by Justice Peter Chudi Obiorah, JCA, which affirmed the legitimacy and tenure of democratically elected PDP chairmen in Osun State—a decision he said should put to rest any doubt about who is lawfully in charge.
Kankara commended NULGE members in Osun for their resilience amid the “political logjam,” urging them to remain strong and law-abiding.
“This is not just a union issue; it is a constitutional issue. If we allow this kind of impunity to continue, then democracy at the grassroots is under threat,” he declared.
He reaffirmed NULGE’s unwavering commitment to grassroots democracy and called on Nigerians to stand in solidarity with the people of Osun State in defending local government autonomy.
