Suspended LG Chairmen Had Nothing to Show for over ₦83bn Allocations Received in 12 Months – Okpebholo

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Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State on Thursday accused the suspended 18 local government councils’ chairmen in the state of squandermania. The governor also praised the boldness of President Bola Tinubu in removing fuel subsidy, a decision that, according to him, successive presidents from Olusegun Obasanjo to Muhammadu Buhari were not able to do. He said Nigerians are enjoying the dividends of that courage today.
Governor Okpebholo spoke when he received the acting chairman of Akoko-Edo local government council, Alabi Bliss Oshionogue and Councillors, alongside party leaders who were on a courtesy visit to his office on Thursday.
Accusing the chairmen elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of having cumulatively received over ₦83 billion as monthly allocations in 12 months but with nothing to show for it, Senator Okpebholo stated that President Tinubu had done a lot to promote development at the grassroots level, but that those elected to provide services, squandered the resources.
Recall that the governor had on Tuesday alleged that the chairmen, in 15 months, doled out about ₦12 billion to PDP leaders under an opaque subhead – ‘Environmental Security Funding’ – into which they each contributed N800 million monthly.
Governor Okpebholo said from figures got from the office of the state Accountant General, the chairmen received over ₦8 billion in December 2023, and between January and September 2024, they got over ₦6.5 billion monthly as allocations, while they received N8 billion monthly between October and December 2024.
According to him, “Before Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, Edo State was receiving ₦3.5 billion monthly as Local Government allocation, but today, local governments in Edo State are receiving over ₦8 billion monthly. This is not state allocation.
“President Tinubu is working hard to see that development gets to the grassroots as he took a major step to make life better for the people. Since the presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo to Muhammadu Buhari, none had the boldness to remove fuel subsidy, but Tinubu came and did it and the people are enjoying the dividends of what he has done.
“Thank you for coming here to visit as relationships matter to me, and you have come to establish it. Akoko-Edo is dear to me, and you have gotten more appointments than others.”
Lamenting the alleged misconduct of the suspended local government chairmen, Okpebholo said: “The Chairmen had been in office for the past one year and they have nothing to show for it while other states are utilising their resources well for the people.
“These Chairmen had the boldness to be removing N800 million monthly from local government accounts while our schools suffered without good classrooms, teachers and other infrastructure. We are here to correct the wrongs as Edo State must move forward, and no individual will draw us back.
“My administration is set and ready to cooperate with you, provided you work in line with Mr. President’s plan for local government councils by ensuring development gets to the grassroots. We will invest so much in agriculture. We will visit you to ensure we collaborate and make things work.”
Oshionogue thanked Governor Okpebholo for his interest in ensuring that those at the grassroots enjoyed the dividends of democracy and good governance, stressing that the autonomy was for the grassroots to get the dividends of democracy, not for one man to take it all.
The acting chairman said, “We have agreed to work with the Okpebholo administration because governance is now moving to the grassroots. We will work with you to ensure you succeed and the state develops.”
Other Leaders from Akoko Edo, including the former speaker of the state House of Assembly, Kabiru Ajoto, and Akoko Edo APC Chairman, Monday Ose, thanked Governor Okpebholo for his developmental strides in the state, particularly the ongoing construction works on the Auchi-Ibilo Road, and the appointment of one of their own as Chairman, Edo State Internal Revenue Service, (EIRS) and appealed to him for more.