FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has revealed that the federal government released over N8 billion allocation to the 18 local government councils in December alone.
Okpebholo stated this while receiving the Acting Chairman of Akoko-Edo Local Government Council, Alabi Oshionogue, councillors and party leaders who were on a courtesy visit to his office in Benin City.
According to the governor, between January and September 2024, the 18 local government councils, according to the Office of the Accountant-General, got over N6.5 billion monthly as allocations, and between October and December, the councils received over N8 billion monthly from the federation account.
Okpebholo stated that the 18 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led councils in one year earned over N83 billion as monthly allocations.
He said President Bola Tinubu had done a lot to promote development at the grassroots level, but lamented that those elected to provide services, squander the resources.
Governor Okpebholo noted that before President Tinubu’s administration, the 18 local government areas were getting N3.5 billion monthly, but the president increased the allocations first to N6.5 billion monthly and now over N8 billion monthly to enable rapid development at the grassroots.
“Before Tinubu’s administration, Edo State was receiving N3.5 billion monthly as local government allocation, but today, they are receiving over N8 billion monthly. This is not state allocation.
“Tinubu is working very hard to ensure that development gets to the grassroots and the people enjoy the dividends of democracy and good governance.
“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,” he said
Lamenting the 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 for the people.
“These chairmen had the boldness to be removing N800 million monthly from local government accounts, while our schools were without good classrooms, teachers and other infrastructure.”
The governor stated that he would invest so much in agriculture.
In his remarks, Oshionogue thanked the governor for his interest in ensuring that those at the grassroots enjoy the dividends of democracy and good governance.
