The suspension of all 18 local government chairmen and their vice-chairmen by the Edo State House of Assembly has taken on a new dimension, as fresh documents reveal what critics describe as a desperate struggle for control of local government finances, including a staggering N800 million monthly Special Security and Environmental Fund.
A leaked letter from the Ministry of Local Government, Community, and Chieftaincy Affairs, dated December 5, 2024, directed that the November allocation of the N800 million fund “should not be utilized until further directive from the Governor.” The letter, signed by a senior official on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, has raised questions about the governor’s motives and the timing of the suspensions.
Legal analysts argue that the governor’s directive stands in direct violation of the recent Supreme Court judgment, which reaffirmed the financial autonomy of local governments. The court’s decision made clear that state governments have no legal authority to interfere with local government funds or operations.
“Why freeze council funds?” asked one legal observer, who preferred to remain anonymous. “It’s no coincidence that days after this directive was issued, the chairmen were suspended. This points to a financial power play, not governance. The governor cannot bypass the Constitution simply because he wants oversight that isn’t his to demand.”
Sources close to the councils suggest that tensions had been simmering ever since the governor requested statements of accounts from the chairmen—an order described by many as unprecedented and without legal backing. “The governor was met with resistance,” said one local government insider. “The chairmen refused to hand over control, and now we’re seeing the consequences.”
Observers note that the billion Naira monthly security funds have long been a point of contention between governors and local government councils. Local governments, charged with maintaining security at the grassroots level, rely on the allocation to fund community policing, environmental initiatives, and other critical projects. Freezing access to these funds in Edo State is reported to have disrupted operations and raised fears of worsening insecurity across the state.
The suspension of the chairmen, elected representatives of their councils, has further deepened concerns about local government autonomy in Nigeria. Under Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, and more recently with the Supreme Court judgement on local government autonomy, councils are recognized as an independent tier of government, immune to arbitrary interference by state authorities.
One civil society leader put it bluntly:
“If state governments can freeze council accounts and remove elected officials whenever they refuse to play ball, then local democracy is dead. This is sadly about control of the public treasury, not leadership.”