Former Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has called on the federal government to dismantle the Local Government system if state governors persist in hindering its proper operation.

Speaking on Channels Television’s socio-political program “Inside Sources” with Laolu Akande on Friday, Ogbeh emphasized the dysfunction of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas due to the controlling influence and financial mismanagement by state governors.

In recent months, demands for local government autonomy have grown louder. President Bola Tinubu has endorsed these calls, and in May, the federal government sued the 36 state governors over alleged misappropriation of local government funds.

Ogbeh, a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stated, “What I want to say to Nigerians, if we don’t want the local government system, scrap it. If it were allowed to work, it would have been a fantastic system.” He condemned the misappropriation of funds and federal allocations intended for local governments, pointing out the absence of substantial improvements in citizens’ lives.

The ex-minister urged the Federal Government to cease monthly allocations to states where governors have established caretaker committees for local government administration. “I can’t be sending you money that disappears. You don’t repair primary schools, you don’t do anything, the money vanishes and they say they are paying workers, for which work? Strolling around in the morning and drinking palm wine? These are the issues. Those failures are creating dangerous problems for the country,” Ogbeh said.

He further contended, “Any governor who sets up a caretaker committee should not receive any funds because a caretaker is illegal, by the Supreme Court. Don’t send them cash, deduct their own and keep it.”