Supreme Court has struck out a suit by the Osun State Attorney-General seeking to restrain the Attorney-General of the Federation from releasing withheld local government funds due to it to unrecognised council chairmen.
In a split decision of six Justices to one, the lead judgement written by Justice Mohammed Baba Idris, held that the Osun State Attorney-General lacked jurisdiction to initiate the suit in the first place.
The apex court held that the Osun State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice has no legal right to have instituted the case on behalf of the 30 local governments in the state.
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In a minority judgment by Justice Emmanuel Agim, he disagreed with the six other justices, holding that Osun State Attorney-General has the right to institute the case.
Justice Agim said that the action of the Federal Government in withholding the local governments funds was in bad taste because it was capable of crippling the activities of the councils.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
