Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has disclosed that the 18 local governments squandered over N83 billion from federation account in 12 months.
He said the Federal Government released over N8 billion monthly allocations to the 18 councils last month. The governor said between January and September last year, the councils, according to the Office of the State’s Accountant-General, got over N6.5 billion monthly as allocations, while between October and December, the local governments received over N8 billion monthly from the federation account.
Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the 18 local government chairmen, who belonged to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in 12 months, cumulatively earned over N83 billion as monthly allocations.
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The governor, who spoke while receiving the Acting Chairman of Akoko-Edo Local Government, Alabi Oshionogue, and the councillors, along with APC leaders, who were on a courtesy visit to him at the Government House, Benin, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had done a lot to promote development at the grassroots, but lamented that the politicians elected to provide services, squandered the money.
Governor Okpebholo yesterday received at the Government House, Benin, the 14 elected All Progressives Congress (APC) members of Edo’s 7th House of Assembly, popularly referred to as G-14, who were denied inauguration by former Governor Godwin Obaseki.
He acknowledged the G-14’s dedication and loyalty to APC, and emphasised the importance of legislative representation in a democracy.