"Why 774 Thieves Are Better Than 1 Big Thief": Oshiomhole Drops Explosive

• Adams Oshiomhole, the senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, has expressed optimism that the local government autonomy would produce billionaires levels who will create jobs at the council
• The former Edo state governor made the assertion while announcing his support for the local government autonomy in the country
• Oshiomhole's comment came after the Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to local governments in Nigeria

Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North Senatorial District, has expressed his support for financial autonomy for local governments in Nigeria. He believes that decentralization is crucial for grassroots development and emphasizes the importance of character, governance, and accountability in managing public resources.

Oshiomhole made these remarks at a forum on local government autonomy organized by the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution. His comments come after the Supreme Court's ruling on July 11, 2024, granting financial independence to local government councils in Nigeria.

Read also

Atiku breaks silence on Tinubu's Tax reform bills, advises National Assembly on what to do

Oshiomhole sends message to LG chairmen

The former governor of Edo state urged local government chairmen to allocate funds to critical projects such as roads, hospitals, and essential infrastructure. He emphasized that financial autonomy would enable local governments to prioritize projects directly benefiting their communities.

In a thought-provoking statement, Oshiomhole said, "It's better to have 774 local government chairmen who are thieves than one big thief." He argued that this structure would allow every local government in Nigeria to produce one or two billionaires, distributing resources across communities instead of concentrating wealth in the hands of a few.

The Supreme Court's ruling on financial autonomy for local governments is a significant step towards decentralization and grassroots development. With financial independence, local governments can now directly receive their allocations from the federation account, enabling them to prioritize projects that benefit their communities. This development is expected to promote economic growth, improve public services, and enhance citizens' overall quality of life.

Read also

Rivers Allocation: Lawyer mentions what should be done urgently

FG to begin implementation of LG autonomy

Legit.ng earlier reported that the federal government is set to implement the Supreme Court judgment granting local government financial autonomy.

Hakeem Ambali, the NULGE national president, said that the committee set up by the federal, state and local government authorities had concluded their meetings and signed the technical document.

According to Ambali, President Bola Tinubu is expected to sign the technical document and the FAAC is expected to disburse the allocation according to the Supreme Court judgment.

Source: Legit.ng