The Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has advised citizens of Oyo State to continue to ask for local government autonomy and accountability.

Bwala said this in response to a social media post by Akin Alabi, the lawmaker representing Egbeda Federal Constituency, about his visit to a renovated school in Oyo State.

Alabi shared, “If the Oyo state government and their local governments fixed the schools in Oyo state, lawmakers won’t be needed to come into the picture. But what can we do? We have to do our bit. Local Government Autonomy is a task for all Oyo state residents, which must be done.”

Reacting, Bwala recalled how he held such discussions during his engagements on radio stations across Oyo State last week.

He said when he visited Ibadan South-East, Ibadan South-West, and Egbeda Local Government Areas, he made a simple point: if local governments are truly autonomous and accountable, many of the challenges confronting our communities would be addressed at the grassroots without citizens having to look elsewhere.

The presidential adviser pointed out that Egbeda Local Government receives an average monthly FAAC allocation of about ₦753 million, Ibadan South-East receives about ₦736 million, and Ibadan South-West receives about ₦760 million. Combined, all three local governments receive well over ₦2.2 billion every month.

He said, “With such resources, residents are right to ask questions. How many primary schools have been renovated? How many healthcare centres have been upgraded? How many rural roads have been fixed? How much has been invested in sanitation, markets, and community development?”

He pointed out that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s push for Local Government Autonomy is not politics but accountability. According to him, the people deserve to know what goes into their local governments and how those funds are being used.

“If over ₦2.2 billion is coming into just these three local governments every month, then development at the grassroots should not be a mystery. The citizens of Oyo State must continue to demand transparency, accountability, and results.

“That was my message last week, and it remains my message today,” he said.