Is President Olusegun Obasanjo's proposed National Dialogue the way forward for Nigeria?
New Local Councils Remain, Says Tinubu
By Ndubuisi Francis, 12.15.2004
Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, yesterday reaffirmed the sanctity of the newly created local governments in the state, insisting that the councils will not be dissolved as the Supreme Court pronouncement was unambiguous on their status. Tinubu who fielded questions from newsmen in Lagos at the Murtala Muhammed Airport yesterday said the verdict of the apex court in the land which ruled in favour of the release of withheld council funds by the Presidency was very clear. "It is very clear. The election to the local governments throughout the state which consists of both the old and new is valid", he argued. Tinubu attributed the conflict emanating from the Supreme Court ruling to the misinterpretation of the court's ruling. "There are certain steps that take precedence over the other. We read the law differently. This is what the Supreme Court defines as separation of file. The responsibility of the supreme court is to interpret the law. The responsibility of the National Assembly is to make law. "There is a very far line between the two responsibilities in separation of powers and you can see that clearly done, we don't seek approval from the National Assembly because it's wrong. But the question is you don't make laws through the back door. You don't take over the responsibility of the National Assembly...", he said. Asked what steps his government would take should the Presidency fail to release the seized council funds, Tinubu said he would not indulge in threat since he won't pre-empt whatever the reaction of the Federal Government would be. "I know that the government believes in the rule of law. He (Obasanjo) said categorically on television to the nation times that if the Supreme Court asks him to pay, he will pay. He is the leader of a democratic government. This democratic government is constitutional democracy. "He will be the number one law enforcer. He is the custodian of the law. This is the time to attest to our loyalty and demonstrate our commitment to constitutional democracy. We swore by it", Tinubu affirmed. The Lagos State Government had last year created 37 local councils in addition to the existing 20, an action that irked the Federal Government which withheld funds accruing to local councils in the state. Consequently the Lagos State Government took recourse to the law court, culminating in the verdict of the apex court which had in its verdict last week asked for the release of the withheld funds, maintaining that the Lagos State House of Assembly has the constitutional right to create new councils. It however added that such councils should be recognised by the National Assembly.
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