By Ghazali Ibrahim 
A fresh wave of resistance from state governors is threatening to derail the implementation of local government autonomy in Nigeria.
Despite a Supreme Court ruling granting full autonomy to the 774 local government areas (LGAs), several governors have issued stern warnings to council chairmen, instructing them not to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
In an investigation published by LagosReporter, it was reported that the move is seen as an attempt by governors to maintain control over local government finances, a tool often used for political maneuvering.
Earlier, the Federal Government had set up a panel to drive the implementation of local government autonomy, and the CBN was directed to open accounts for all LGAs to ensure their allocations go directly to them, bypassing state control.
However, progress has been sluggish, with only Delta State submitting the required account details for its LGAs. Most other states have not complied, citing a range of challenges, including pressure from governors.
Some local government chairmen have spoken out about the intimidation and backroom power plays they are facing. One chairman from a South-East state disclosed that their governor refused a proposed arrangement that would allow LGAs to remit 50 percent of their allocations back to the state, in exchange for being allowed to open CBN accounts.
The lack of democratically elected local councils in some states has also hindered the implementation of local government autonomy. Top government officials, including former Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, and the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, are working on the modalities for rolling out autonomy.
Analysts warn that continued resistance by governors could derail grassroots development and violate constitutional directives. The battle for local government autonomy continues, with Lagos Reporters monitoring developments and holding public officials accountable.
