Local government chairmen in Kano and other northern states have denied receiving any directive from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) regarding signatory verification for direct allocation disbursement. Despite reports of the CBN initiating the process, no local government in Kano has opened an account with the apex bank. Officials from Benue, Bauchi, Plateau, and Kwara also confirmed they had not been contacted.
The delay in implementing financial autonomy, despite a Supreme Court ruling in July 2024, has raised concerns among local government officials. However, former Wudil Local Government Chairman, Yusuf Ibrahim Lajawa, argues that local governments remain powerless, as state governors still control their affairs.
Lajawa insists that without independent electoral bodies overseeing local government elections, autonomy will remain unattainable. He also asserts that local governments can sustain themselves financially if state governments stop interfering in their allocations.
Although the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of financial independence for local governments, its implementation remains stalled, leaving local authorities in uncertainty.
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