By Tunde Olamilekan
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Gboyega Oyetola, has hit back at the Osun State House of Assembly over its claim that he is meddling in the affairs of local government in the state.
In a statement by his Special Adviser, Dr Bolaji Akinola, Oyetola said the attempt to link him to the administration or disbursement of local government funds was reckless propaganda designed to distract the public from the state government’s own failures and ongoing legal battles.
The Minister noted that all local governments in Nigeria have financial autonomy, and are beyond the control of any person or entity, including the state government.
The statement disclosed that the Minister has no constitutional or statutory role in local government finance and has neither issued directives to banks nor interfered in the running of local councils.
He added that the press statement by the Assembly merely recycled the same discredited narratives earlier pushed by Governor Ademola Adeleke, describing them as a desperate attempt to unlawfully reassert state control over local government funds in defiance of binding court judgments.
According to him, “the Osun State Government and the State Assembly are uncomfortable with the reality that local governments have full financial autonomy protected by the Constitution and the Supreme Court.”
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