Nasarawa Ends Joint Account System, Grants Financial Autonomy to Local Governments

The Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has officially scrapped the joint account system previously held between the state government and the 13 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state. This decision, made in compliance with a recent Supreme Court ruling, grants full financial autonomy to the local councils and aims to boost transparency and development at the grassroots level.

Governor Sule’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Mr. Peter Ahemba, confirmed the development on Tuesday in Lafia. Ahemba explained that the decision aligns with the Supreme Court’s July 11, 2024 ruling, which upheld the autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local governments and directed that federal allocations be paid directly to their accounts. The court also mandated that states without democratically elected local governments would see their allocations withheld, underscoring the importance of local governance autonomy.

Ahemba emphasized that Governor Sule’s decision reflects his commitment to transparency and respect for the rule of law. “The governor is one of the accountable and transparent leaders in the country who believes in the rule of law and has nothing to hide. This suggests the move to do away with the hitherto existing joint account,” he said.

The new policy is expected to provide local governments with the resources and independence needed to foster growth and address pressing community needs. Local government leaders have expressed optimism that this financial freedom will accelerate infrastructure development, education, and healthcare services across the state.

In addition to granting financial autonomy to local councils, the state government is taking steps to improve wages for civil servants. Ahemba announced that Nasarawa State is ready to implement the new N70,000 minimum wage recently passed by the Federal Government. “The governor was willing to implement the new minimum wage in August and pay arrears of three months, but organized labor preferred the implementation of their promotions first, and the governor agreed with their request,” Ahemba explained.

With promotions now completed, discussions on the minimum wage are set to resume, signaling the Sule administration’s focus on improving worker welfare and morale across Nasarawa. The government has assured residents of its ongoing commitment to public welfare and is pledging further investments in infrastructure, agriculture, and job creation to alleviate poverty and reduce hunger within the state.

The scrapping of the joint account system marks a major step toward strengthening local governance in Nasarawa, a move that many believe will lay the foundation for more accountable and responsive local leadership across Nigeria.