Withheld LG funds: Supreme Court strikes out Osun’s suit

Adeleke

The Supreme Court on Friday struck out a suit filed by Osun State Government that sought to compel the Federal Government to release withheld allocations belonging to local government areas in the state.

A seven-member panel of the apex court, in a split decision of six to one, held that the legal action brought by the Attorney General of Osun State lacked competence.

According to Vanguard on Friday, in the lead judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Idris, the court held that the LGCs of Osun state lacked the locus standi to activate the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction on behalf of the 30 councils.

Justice Idris stressed that the Supreme Court could only be approached as a court of first instance to settle disputes between a state and the Federal Government and that the LGCs, being legally recognised autonomous entities, were the proper parties to challenge the FG’s action.