Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing the Edo North senatorial district, has reiterated his support for the financial autonomy of local governments in Nigeria, following the Supreme Court’s ruling on July 11, 2024, that upheld this autonomy.
Speaking at a forum on local government autonomy organized by the House of Representatives on Monday, Oshiomhole, a former Governor of Edo State, underscored the importance of accountability and character in governance.
He emphasized that local government chairmen, due to their direct connection with the people, bear a significant responsibility to wisely manage resources for essential public services, such as roads, hospitals, and other infrastructure.
On a more humorous note, Oshiomhole quipped, “It’s better to have 774 local government chairmen who are thieves than one big thief.”
He explained that this way, each local government in Nigeria would have the potential to produce one or two billionaires, as opposed to having just one billionaire at the state level.
