Edo State LGAs Accused of Squandering Over N83 Billion Federal Allocations in 12 Months

Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has revealed that the 18 Local Government Councils (LGAs) in the state received over N83 billion in federal allocations over the past 12 months but failed to utilize the funds appropriately for the welfare of the people.

Governor Okpebholo disclosed that the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, allocated over N8 billion monthly to the state’s LGAs as of December 2024. Between January and September, each of the 18 councils received over N6.5 billion monthly, which was increased to over N8 billion monthly from October to December.

Governor Okpebholo expressed disappointment at how these resources were mismanaged by local government officials, despite the significant increase in allocations compared to the N3.5 billion that was received monthly before President Tinubu’s administration.

During a courtesy visit from the Acting Chairman of Akoko-Edo Local Government, Hon. Alabi Bliss Oshionogue, and other party leaders, Governor Okpebholo stressed that President Tinubu had taken steps to promote grassroots development by increasing allocations to local governments. He acknowledged the challenges at the local government level, particularly the alleged misconduct of the suspended chairmen, whom he claimed had misappropriated funds, leaving schools and infrastructure in dire conditions.

The Governor noted that while Edo State’s local governments had received substantial financial support from the federal government, the lack of progress in areas such as education, infrastructure, and healthcare was concerning. He revealed that the suspended local government chairmen had reportedly been withdrawing up to N800 million monthly from their accounts without making tangible improvements in their communities.

Governor Okpebholo emphasized his administration’s commitment to rectifying these issues and ensuring that resources are properly utilized to benefit the people. He vowed to invest heavily in agriculture and collaborate with local government officials to improve service delivery, in alignment with President Tinubu’s vision for grassroots development.

The Acting Chairman of Akoko-Edo LGA, Hon. Oshionogue, expressed gratitude for Governor Okpebholo’s focus on grassroots development and emphasized the importance of local government autonomy in ensuring that the people benefit from democratic governance. He pledged to work closely with the Governor’s administration to achieve these objectives.

Leaders from Akoko-Edo, including former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Kabiru Ajoto, and the APC Chairman of Akoko-Edo, Hon. Monday Ose, commended Governor Okpebholo for his developmental efforts, including ongoing road construction projects such as the Auchi-Ibilo road. They appealed for continued support to ensure further progress in the state.