Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has advocated for financial autonomy for local governments, News About Nigeria reports.
He stated this at a valedictory Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting with the outgoing local government chairmen in the state at the Exco Chambers, Government House, Asaba.
He noted that he believed in the separation of powers and financial autonomy for local governments, stating that this would help local government administrators perform optimally because they are the closest tier of government to the grassroots.
He further noted that two local government administrators in the state have proved themselves worthy of autonomy, adding that they have been able to manage the funds in their respective local governments and have produced harvests of projects in all areas.
“I believe in the separation of power. As a lawmaker and the presiding officer of the State House of Assembly for six years, I am in support of financial autonomy for the local governments.
“This is because, since I was sworn in nine months ago, I never interfered with what you people were doing. I gave you people that freedom and you came up with projects.
“You have been able to manage the funds in your respective local governments and today, we see harvests of projects in all the local government areas; you people have done very well,” he stated.
He also stated that if state governments and the federal government can replicate what the local governments are doing, the hardships in the country will be a thing of the past.
“So, you have done very well and, as a government, if the local governments, with what they have done, we do our own at the state level and the Federal Government Government does its own, we will see that the hardship we feel today will reduce,” he added.
