Adams Oshiomhole, the senator representing Edo North, has spoken out in support of Nigerian local governments’ financial autonomy.
Oshiomhole made this statement in response to the Supreme Court ruling on July 11, 2024, which upheld local governments’ financial autonomy.
On Monday, December 2, the former Governor of Edo State spoke at a House of Representatives forum on local government autonomy.
He emphasised the importance of character in governance and accountability. He emphasised the important responsibilities of local government chairmen, particularly given their proximity to the people, and urged them to allocate resources wisely for critical infrastructure such as roads, hospitals, and other public services.
Oshiomhole stated, “It’s better to have 774 local government chairmen who are thieves than one big thief,” adding that under this arrangement, each local government in Nigeria would produce one or two billionaires, rather than just one billionaire in the state.