Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman, chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), said the forum welcomed the Supreme Court ruling granting autonomy to local government areas.

Mr Abdulrahman, also the Kwara State governor, made the remark while addressing State House correspondents after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Friday.

He was accompanied by Governor Hope Uzodimma, the chairman of the All Progressives Party (APC) Governors Forum and Bala Mohammed, chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum.

“Compliance is given, and our Attorney General has applied for the enrollment order, which we’ll study carefully.

“But by and large, governors are happy with the devolution of power with respect to local government autonomy. It relieves the burden on governors.

“Our people really don’t know how much states spend on bailing out local governments, and that’s the issue there,” he said.

He said the government had never tampered with local government funds in his state, Kwara.

“What the local governments have to do is manage themselves, especially with the incoming minimum wage, to manage their affairs and make sure salaries are paid, traditional rulers get their five per cent, and those are the main issues,” he said.

In states where local government elections are yet to be conducted, he said the forum would meet next Wednesday to look at the issue wholeheartedly and then come up with a resolution.

He also said the discussion on the minimum wage was ongoing and that the tripartite committee had met and submitted its report.

“Yes, a movement of figures is the prerogative of the president, which he will also transmit to the National Assembly for robust debate before it’s adopted,” said Mr AbdulRahman.

(NAN)