Senator Sunday Karimi, representing Kogi West Senatorial District, today asserted that neither President Bola Tinubu nor the National Assembly should be held accountable for the sluggish implementation of the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments, nearly a year after its pronouncement.
Speaking at a media parley at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Lokoja, where he outlined his two-year stewardship in the 10th Senate, Senator Karimi emphasized that President Tinubu’s vision, which paved the way for the landmark Supreme Court ruling, is fundamentally aimed at liberating Nigerians from economic “slavery and underdevelopment” by empowering the third tier of government.
“President Tinubu’s intent behind the Supreme Court judgment is to free our people from the shackles of underdevelopment, starting with genuine financial autonomy for local governments,” Senator Karimi stated, urging Nigerians to continue their support for the President’s commitment to delivering good governance directly to the grassroots.
Senator Karimi underscored the finality of Supreme Court decisions, citing Section 235 of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended). “This section unequivocally establishes the Supreme Court as the ultimate arbiter of legal disputes, rendering its decisions binding and unappealable,” he explained. “No appeal can be made to any other body or person from a decision of the Supreme Court, except for the powers of the President or a state Governor regarding the prerogative of mercy.”
Responding to inquiries about the Senate’s perceived inaction regarding legislative backing for the July 11, 2024, Supreme Court judgment, Senator Karimi passionately defended the President’s approach. He described the ruling as “President Tinubu’s trump card to legally and holistically address the local government challenges once and for all.”
“The very fact that the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federation initiated this case at the Supreme Court demonstrates the Federal Government’s unwavering commitment to a functional local government system,” he declared. “If the Federal Government didn’t desire local government autonomy, it would never have instituted the case in the first place.”
Senator Karimi affirmed the National Assembly’s full support for the autonomy drive. “We in the National Assembly are entirely behind local government autonomy and all steps taken to restore proper governance at the local level,” he asserted. He called for collective vigilance to ensure its success: “Local government autonomy must come to stay. This is not just for the National Assembly; it is for the good of every Nigerian. It is a fight for all of us, because if we remain silent, that autonomy will not stand. But if we speak out, it will prevail.”
He revealed that the leadership of the National Assembly, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, are fully on board with the initiative.
While acknowledging varying levels of implementation across states, Senator Karimi reiterated the President’s core motivation. “The President initiated that case to free the people from slavery. That is President Tinubu’s paramount interest,” he said, expressing unwavering support for the President. “I will back him continuously because the man genuinely has the interest of the people at heart. The current hardships are not of his making, but he possesses the passion to see us develop to our fullest potential.”
He concluded with a powerful message: “Before Nigeria reaches the promised land, hardship may come, but it will not last forever. It will pass. Let us free the people from slavery. Let what rightfully belongs to the people go back to the people. This is what the President aims to achieve by instituting the LG autonomy case in the Supreme Court. And let me be clear: nobody has the power to override that Supreme Court judgment. Anyone who attempts to do so acts at their own peril.”
National Assembly Not to Blame for LG Autonomy Implementation Delays, Says Senator Karimi
