By Kolawole Ojebisi
Former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has thrown his weight behind granting financial autonomy to the 774 Local Governments in Nigeria
The legislator representing Edo North Senatorial District spoke on Monday at a forum on local government autonomy organized by the House of Representatives
While expressing strong support for local government financial autonomy, Oshiomhole emphasized the importance of character and accountability in governance.
He highlighted the significant responsibilities of local government chairmen, given their proximity to the people, and advised them to allocate resources wisely for essential infrastructure such as roads, hospitals, and other public services.
On a lighter note, Oshiomhole remarked, “It’s better to have 774 local government chairmen who are thieves than one big thief,” adding that with this every local government in Nigeria will produce one or two billionaires, rather than having just one billionaire in the state.
Oshiomhole’s comments came in response to the July 11, 2024, Supreme Court ruling that upheld the financial autonomy of local governments.
Recall that in May, the Federal Government, represented by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, filed a lawsuit to challenge the governors’ authority to receive and withhold federal allocations meant for Local Government Areas.
The suit sought to prevent state governors from unilaterally dissolving democratically elected local government councils and establishing caretaker committees.
The AGF argued that the constitution mandated a democratically elected local government system and did not allow alternative governance structures.
On July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court gave a landmark judgment affirming the financial autonomy of the 774 LGs in the country, noting that governors could no longer control funds meant for the councils.
The seven-member Supreme Court panel, led by Justice Garba Lawal, ruled that it was illegal and unconstitutional for governors to manage and withhold LG funds.
The apex court also directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to pay LG allocations directly to their accounts, as it declared the non-remittance of funds by the 36 states unconstitutional.
Also, on August 20, the Federal Government instituted a 10-member inter-ministerial committee to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy.
The committee’s primary goal is to ensure that local governments are granted full autonomy, allowing them to function effectively without interference from state governments.
