By Mick Oseji, Asaba
The Governor of Delta State, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has said his government has been working in consonant with the Supreme Court’s recent decision granting financial autonomy to local government areas (LGAs).
The Daily Crucible reports that the federal government had through the Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, instituted a case in May this year at the Supreme Court seeking a stoppage to state governors practically holding the local government councils in their areas by the throat.
In a decision read by Honourable Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court conceded that “the Federation can pay local governments allocations directly to the local governments or through the states.”
It, however, asserted that “since paying them through the states has not worked, justice demands that local government allocations from the federation account should henceforth be paid directly to the local government.”
Speaking on Saturday, Oborevwori said that the councils’ cumulative N14 billion was intact, pending the takeover of the LGAs by new chairmen.
The governor spoke stated shortly after voting at his Osubi Community of Okpe LGA in the local government elections.
He declared the elections as free and fair, commending the peaceful manner and assured of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) victory.
“When we did our grand finale, I promised Deltans that we want a free and fair election; that is what we are doing now. Right from time my local government has been doing free and fair and that is what we are replicating here.
“I came through that same process of free and fair election and with all the opposition I won with a very high margin; so, I am assuring Deltans that this election is free and fair. I have been up since monitoring the process and now l am here to cast my vote; I have cast my vote and we are sure that there will be victory for the PDP by the grace of God.
“Then on the issue of the same court judgment. Supreme Court has given judgment but you can see that we believe in that same process. That is why when I came in, I did not constitute a transition committee; I am not in support of the transition Committee and the HPMs are the ones handling the place and they were given three months to enable us to do the election; today by the grace of God we are doing our election.
“By early next week, those who won will be sworn in by the grace of God. So, on the issue of the Supreme Court judgment, it does not affect Delta State because in Delta State we don’t temper with local government money, as we speak the money for the past three months is still there, almost N14 billion is still there waiting for the chairmen to take over.
“So, we don’t touch government money, we augment it. So, whether the Supreme Court said they should have autonomy, I believe in financial autonomy. As a former Speaker, we were at the forefront of the issue of financial autonomy for the legislature and for the judiciary. The judgment does not affect Delta State, so we still believe in it,” he said.
