President Bola Tinubu has warned state governors that he would issue an executive order to enforce direct financial allocations to local governments if they fail to comply with the Supreme Court ruling granting financial autonomy to Nigeria’s third tier of government.
The president issued the warning on Friday while addressing the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
“The Supreme Court has capped it for you again, saying give them their money directly,” Tinubu said, adding that he would act if governors continue to delay implementation.
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“If you wait for my executive order, because I have the knife, I have the yam, I will cut it,” he warned.
The Supreme Court, on July 11, 2024, ordered the direct payment of allocations from the Federation Account to local governments, declaring it unconstitutional for state governments to control council funds through joint accounts.
Tinubu said compliance with the judgment was mandatory, stressing that the rule of law must be respected.
“The ultimate goal is our Supreme Court. We have to comply,” he said.
The president also urged the National Assembly to begin deliberations on the establishment of state police, calling on lawmakers to summon the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
“We are going for state police,” Tinubu declared.
He further reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity through the deployment of forest rangers, saying terrorists and bandits would be defeated.
On governance reforms, Tinubu backed constitutional amendment bills to expand women’s inclusion but rejected federal control of lotteries, describing it as a residual matter for states.
