LG Autonomy: 774 thieves are better than one big thief, says Oshiomhole

Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, has said that it is preferable to have 774 local government chairmen who are corrupt than a single centralised leader who controls all the resources.

Oshiomhole made the statement during a forum on local government autonomy organised by the House of Representatives on Monday.

The former Governor of Edo State was commenting on the financial autonomy of local governments, which was upheld by the Supreme Court in July 2024.

The senator said he is “completely for local government autonomy” and believes “that whoever has power must account for it at whatever level”.

In his argument against the notion that LG autonomy might lead to financial misappropriation at the grassroots level, Oshiomole 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.”

“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?”

Oshiomhole noted that the key question was whether financial autonomy for local governments would result in tangible development at the grassroots level.

“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.”

Oshiomhole, however, added that he hoped “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).”