We are not against Local government autonomy – AKS Govt
We are not against Local government autonomy – AKS Govt
By Abel Udoekene
The Akwa Ibom State Government has disclosed that they are not against the autonomy of Local government areas.In a chat with newsmen in Uyo- the Akwa Ibom State capital, Barrister Uwemedimo Nwoko (SAN) who is representing the 31 local government area and the State government in a suit (suit number FHC/UY/CS/88/2019) filed in a Federal High court in Uyo against the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) noted that the power to legislate local government affairs according to the constitution was vested on the State House of Assembly not a mere establishment like the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
According to him, the decision of his clients to challenge NFIU guidelines which is seeking to take over the control of Local government area was out of constitutional concerns and its implication.
“What we are pursuing has nothing to do with the financial autonomy of Local government, it’s an issue that will be resolved in a totally different perspective, all we are saying is that the NFIU lack the power, be it in statute, constitutional or conventional in a Federal structure to come to seek by mere guidelines to take over control and regulate the affairs of the LGA, particularly in terms of finance.
He disclosed that local government was created for the lowest echelon of people in the society. And the attempt by the NFIU to place a limit on amount withdrawn by local government in a day was tantamount to impeding the growth of the local government area.
“Local government was created for the lowest echelon of people in the society. Of the 31 local government in Akwa Ibom State only 7 Local government has banks in their territory, even of the 7, only 5 has interconnectivity in terms of network.
“Now, Local government carter for village heads, market women, town crier and those who needs direct impact from the local government. 99.9% of these people don’t have bank accounts. So when you now tell the Local government that you cannot withdraw more than 500,000 naira in a day, what you have done is that you have tie down the growth of the local government area.
“If we allow this NFIU inordinate ambition to stand, there is a security angle that is very frightening and we put this in our affidavit in court.
“Take for instance, if there is an emergency now and the Local government is faced with security challenge, bearing in mind that most crimes and security challenges have local content and each local government knows how to navigate through it peculiar situation.
“Let assume, something happen now and the Local government needs to immediately raise an alarm across say 70 – 80 villages and it need to call a meeting of the village heads immediately and the village head needs to mobilize their town criers to raise alarm, and the village head needs to be mobilize with 3000 naira each so that they can give their town crier 2000 naira to fuel their bike and move around, so you will now have to ask village heads to bring their account numbers so that you can transfer money to them, then they will now asked their town criers to bring their account numbers so that money can be forwarded to their account, what if there is no Bank in that local government?
“I believe this is an attempt to tactically push us to the situation of Zamfara and Katsina, I think what the NFIU is trying to do is the scramble for Nigeria, they want to create territories and control, so that people can start visiting their office. Their actions is unconstitutional, it does not have any backing of the law and that is the simple argument that we are putting up in court”
Nwoko (SAN) noted that the matter was adjourned to 21st June, 2019 and maintained that NFIU would not succeed in their attempt to cause a constitutional crisis in the Country.
By Abel Udoekene
The Akwa Ibom State Government has disclosed that they are not against the autonomy of Local government areas.In a chat with newsmen in Uyo- the Akwa Ibom State capital, Barrister Uwemedimo Nwoko (SAN) who is representing the 31 local government area and the State government in a suit (suit number FHC/UY/CS/88/2019) filed in a Federal High court in Uyo against the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) noted that the power to legislate local government affairs according to the constitution was vested on the State House of Assembly not a mere establishment like the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
According to him, the decision of his clients to challenge NFIU guidelines which is seeking to take over the control of Local government area was out of constitutional concerns and its implication.
“What we are pursuing has nothing to do with the financial autonomy of Local government, it’s an issue that will be resolved in a totally different perspective, all we are saying is that the NFIU lack the power, be it in statute, constitutional or conventional in a Federal structure to come to seek by mere guidelines to take over control and regulate the affairs of the LGA, particularly in terms of finance.
He disclosed that local government was created for the lowest echelon of people in the society. And the attempt by the NFIU to place a limit on amount withdrawn by local government in a day was tantamount to impeding the growth of the local government area.
“Local government was created for the lowest echelon of people in the society. Of the 31 local government in Akwa Ibom State only 7 Local government has banks in their territory, even of the 7, only 5 has interconnectivity in terms of network.
“Now, Local government carter for village heads, market women, town crier and those who needs direct impact from the local government. 99.9% of these people don’t have bank accounts. So when you now tell the Local government that you cannot withdraw more than 500,000 naira in a day, what you have done is that you have tie down the growth of the local government area.
“If we allow this NFIU inordinate ambition to stand, there is a security angle that is very frightening and we put this in our affidavit in court.
“Take for instance, if there is an emergency now and the Local government is faced with security challenge, bearing in mind that most crimes and security challenges have local content and each local government knows how to navigate through it peculiar situation.
“Let assume, something happen now and the Local government needs to immediately raise an alarm across say 70 – 80 villages and it need to call a meeting of the village heads immediately and the village head needs to mobilize their town criers to raise alarm, and the village head needs to be mobilize with 3000 naira each so that they can give their town crier 2000 naira to fuel their bike and move around, so you will now have to ask village heads to bring their account numbers so that you can transfer money to them, then they will now asked their town criers to bring their account numbers so that money can be forwarded to their account, what if there is no Bank in that local government?
“I believe this is an attempt to tactically push us to the situation of Zamfara and Katsina, I think what the NFIU is trying to do is the scramble for Nigeria, they want to create territories and control, so that people can start visiting their office. Their actions is unconstitutional, it does not have any backing of the law and that is the simple argument that we are putting up in court”
Nwoko (SAN) noted that the matter was adjourned to 21st June, 2019 and maintained that NFIU would not succeed in their attempt to cause a constitutional crisis in the Country.
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