Oshiomhole backs local government autonomy

The lawmaker representing Edo North senatorial district, Adams Oshiomhole
has thrown his weight behind financial autonomy of local governments in Nigeria.

This is coming following the July 11, 2024, Supreme Court ruling that upheld the financial autonomy of local governments.

The former Edo State Governor, while speaking at a forum on local government autonomy organized by the House of Representatives on Monday, stressed the importance of character in governance and accountability.

He emphasized the important responsibilities of local government chairmen, given their proximity to the people, and advised them to allocate resources wisely for essential infrastructure such as roads, hospitals, and other public services.

“It’s better to have 774 local government chairmen who are thieves than one big thief,” Oshiomhole said.

The ex-president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, further stated that with this every local government in Nigeria will produce one or two billionaires, rather than having just one billionaire in the state.