Agency The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, has described the Supreme Court judgment on Local Government autonomy as one of the milestones recorded in the evolution of Nigeria’s healthcare system. He stated this on Monday in Abuja on the sidelines of the Inaugural Quarterly Performance Dialogue with State Commissioners of Health. Recall that on July 11, the Supreme Court ruled that all LGA allocations should be paid directly into their accounts.
The Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fgebemi, SAN, had on May 24, on behalf of the Federal Government dragged the 36 governors before the Supreme Court over alleged misconduct in the running of affairs of local governments in the country. The Attorney General instituted the court action against the governors primarily seeking full autonomy for local governments as third tiers of government in the country. Pate said that LG autonomy was an opportunity to galvanise all levels of government to put healthcare delivery in one direction.
According to him, having all levels of government in one direction will ensure that healthcare is delivered using a ring-fenced fund. “This fund will be managed by the state but with an agreement of the local governments to implement fully the Primary Health Care under one roof,” Pate added. He emphasized that the local governments are closer to the people, the states close to the local government, and the FG is closer to all of the arms of government.
Going.
