SERAP Applauds Supreme Court, Gives Governors 7 Days to Return LG Funds

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Governors of 36 States, including the FCT minister, to return local government council funds or face legal action.

In a statement by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP applauded the Supreme Court’s decision, stating that it would put an end to the misappropriation of trillions of FAAC allocations meant for local governments.

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SERAP emphasized the need for governors and the FCT minister to account for and return the funds meant for local governments, and urged the National Assembly to amend the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution to ensure that local government allocations are directly paid to the local government areas.

“Implicit in the Supreme Court judgment is the requirement for the governors and FCT minister to immediately account for and return the funds meant for local governments but retained and used or allegedly misused by them.

“Accounting for and returning the LGA funds collected would build trust in democratic institutions and strengthen the rule of law.

“The National Assembly must urgently amend the provisions Section 162 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] to ensure that local government allocations from the Federation Account are directly paid to local government areas and not collected by governors and FCT,” SERAP said.