Breaking News: Oshiomhole Champions Local Government Autonomy, Calls for Swift Implementation
Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North Senatorial District, has thrown his weight behind financial autonomy for local governments, describing it as essential for grassroots development and effective governance.
Speaking at a forum on local government autonomy organized by the House of Representatives on Monday, Oshiomhole emphasized that empowering local councils financially would enable them to fulfill their constitutional mandates.
The senator’s comments follow the July 11, 2024, Supreme Court ruling affirming the financial independence of local governments. Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State, pointed out that local government chairmen, being the closest officials to the people, must judiciously utilize resources for critical infrastructure like roads, hospitals, and public services.
In a lighter vein, he quipped, *“It’s better to have 774 local government chairmen who are thieves than one big thief,”* suggesting that spreading resources more equitably would empower local governments and create billionaires in every council area instead of concentrating wealth at the state level.
However, concerns remain over the actual implementation of financial autonomy. Obiora Orji, spokesman for the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), lamented on Sunday that direct payments to local councils, as promised, have yet to commence.
Similarly, Akeem Ambali, National President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), attributed the delay to the absence of presidential approval. Ambali called on President Bola Tinubu to expedite the process, stressing that the full implementation of financial autonomy is long overdue.
The forum highlighted the urgency of grassroots financial empowerment as stakeholders await decisive action to bring the Supreme Court’s ruling to life.