Adams Oshiomhole, the Senator representing Edo North, expressed his opinion on Monday concerning the Local Government autonomy during a forum organised by the House of Representatives Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution.
Gatekeepers News reports that Oshiomhole argued that Nigeria would benefit more from having 774 Local Government chairmen, even if some were corrupt than allowing a single Governor or President to misappropriate funds.
Oshiomhole emphasised the importance of accountability at all levels of governance.
He suggested that the financial mismanagement concerns associated with local government autonomy are outweighed by the potential for a broader distribution of wealth, stating, “better to have 774 thieves, with each local government producing one or two billionaires, than to have one big one taking everything”.
“The issue we have to address is about character. Whether money allocated to local government chairmen is stolen or shared with other non-state actors and abused regulations, what will change?” the senator asked.
“The bottom line of this conversation is that if we transfer money directly to the local government, will that mean more development at the local government level? That, for me, is a matter of character.
“If we want to reduce local government stealing money, I have argued that it’s better to have 774 thieves, with each local government producing one or two billionaires, than to have one big one taking everything.
“I am completely for local government autonomy. I also believe that whoever has power must account for it at whatever level.
“I hope that God will give the national assembly the wisdom to review the legal framework such that it is easier to punish a local government chairman than the governor who is in office, and you have to wait for eight years (to punish him).”
