Senator Sunday Karimi, representing Kogi West, has absolved President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly of any blame for the slow implementation of the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments.
Speaking in Lokoja while presenting his two-year stewardship in the 10th Senate, Karimi said the apex court had already ruled on the matter, and it was now the responsibility of all Nigerians to push for its enforcement.
“Some people are not interested in this local government autonomy,” he said, urging citizens to demand action. “If we keep quiet, that autonomy will not stand.”
The senator praised President Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening local government administration, noting that the decision to take the matter to the Supreme Court through the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), was a clear sign of political will.
He stressed that the responsibility to ensure implementation does not lie with the National Assembly alone.
“It’s a fight for all of us. And for us in the National Assembly, we are fully in support of local government autonomy and the steps taken so far to restore proper governance at the local level,” he stated.
Karimi also cited Section 235 of the 1999 Constitution, which affirms the finality of Supreme Court rulings, to underscore the binding nature of the judgment.
