Benin City, January 10, 2025 — Senator Monday Okpebholo recently hosted the acting chairmen and councilors of the 18 local government areas in Edo State at the Government House in Benin City. The meeting comes in the wake of the suspension of the former local government chairmen over allegations of financial mismanagement and diversion of funds.
During the meeting, Okpebholo commended the acting chairmen for their commitment to upholding democracy and ensuring transparency at the local government level. He emphasized that the funds allocated to local governments belong to the people and must be used for their benefit.
“When I came into office, I had a meeting with the Accountant-General, and he showed me some books. Some of these spending had no explanation,” Governor Okpebholo stated. “I picked interest in some of the spending because I saw an item which was tagged ‘Environmental security funding.’ I have never heard of that before, and the amount involved was huge, N800 million every month. These chairmen were contributing this money and gave it to leaders of a party.”
Okpebholo revealed that the suspended chairmen had failed to provide satisfactory explanations for the funds allocated to “Environmental security funding” and other expenditures. Despite being given multiple opportunities to submit their financial records, the chairmen did not comply, leading to their suspension.
Okpebholo assured the acting chairmen that his administration is committed to working with them to drive development to the grassroots. “The only way to drive development to the grassroots is through you. The President also recognized the local government and advised governors. I am ready to work with the chairmen of various local government councils to see that various council areas progress,” he said.
He also highlighted the importance of using local government funds for the intended purposes, such as improving infrastructure, education, and healthcare. He urged the acting chairmen to prioritize the needs of the people and ensure that the resources are used effectively.
Chairman of the Local Government Commission, Hon. Damian Lawani, who led the acting chairmen on the courtesy visit, assured the governor that they are ready to work closely with the administration to ensure that the people at the grassroots enjoy the dividends of democracy. “The chairmen working at the grassroots level are in full support of your administration. We are committed to bringing the policies and programs of your administration to the grassroots to enable our people to benefit from the dividends of democracy,” Hon. Lawani said.
