Abuja, December 3, 2024 – Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, has voiced his strong support for the financial autonomy of local governments in Nigeria. Speaking at a forum organized by the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Oshiomhole emphasized the importance of decentralization for grassroots development.
Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State, argued that local government autonomy would lead to better governance and accountability. He highlighted the Supreme Court’s ruling on July 11, 2024, which upheld the financial independence of local government councils, as a significant step towards achieving this goal.
In a candid and somewhat humorous remark, Oshiomhole stated, “It’s better to have 774 local government chairmen who are thieves than one big thief.” He explained that decentralizing financial control would distribute resources more evenly across communities, potentially creating multiple local billionaires rather than concentrating wealth in the hands of a few.
Oshiomhole underscored the critical role of local government chairmen in community development, urging them to allocate funds to essential projects such as roads, hospitals, and other public services. He stressed that character and accountability are crucial in managing public resources, regardless of the level of governance.
The senator’s comments have sparked discussions on the need for legal reforms to ensure that local government officials are held accountable for their actions. Oshiomhole expressed hope that the National Assembly would review the legal framework to make it easier to punish local government chairmen for financial mismanagement, rather than waiting for governors to complete their terms.
