Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, has argued that Nigeria stands to benefit more from local government autonomy even if it results in financial misappropriation at the grassroots level.
Oshiomhole made his remarks on Monday at a forum on local government autonomy organised by the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.
The senator expressed his firm support for local government autonomy, emphasising the need for accountability at all levels of governance.
Addressing concerns that autonomy might lead to financial misconduct by local government chairpersons, Oshiomhole said it is “better to have 774 thieves, with each local government producing one or two billionaires, than to have one big one taking everything.”
He stressed that the character of leaders, rather than the structure of governance, is the primary issue.
“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.
Oshiomhole also highlighted the challenges of holding state governors accountable during their tenure, advocating for a legal framework that makes it easier to penalise local government officials for mismanagement.
“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),” he said.
