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

• Adams Oshiomhole, the senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, has expressed optimism that granting local government autonomy will lead to the emergence of billionaires who will drive job creation at the council level
• The former Edo state governor stated this 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 said decentralisation is crucial for grassroots development and emphasised the importance of character, governance, and accountability in managing public resources.

Oshiomhole stated this at a forum on local government autonomy organised by the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution. His remark followed the Supreme Court's ruling on July 11, 2024, granting financial independence to local government councils in Nigeria.

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Oshiomhole sends message to LG chairmen

Leadership reported that the former governor of Edo state urged local government chairmen to allocate funds to critical projects such as roads, hospitals, and essential infrastructure.

He emphasised that financial autonomy would enable local governments to prioritize projects directly benefiting their communities.

In a now-viral 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.

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FG to begin implementation of LG autonomy

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

Hakeem Ambali, national president of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), said that the committee set up by the federal, state and local government authorities had concluded their meetings and signed the technical document.

Proofreading by James, Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng

Source: Legit.ng