A human rights lawyer, Liborous Oshoma, has criticised Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State over his demand for the release of about N130bn in local government allocations, describing Nigeria’s revenue structure as a “feeding-bottle system.”
Oshoma spoke on Monday during an interview on ARISE Television, where he reacted to the governor’s call for the immediate release of funds allegedly withheld from the state’s local governments.
He said the situation reflected a flawed federal arrangement in which states and councils depend almost entirely on monthly allocations from the centre rather than generating and controlling their own revenue.
According to him, “Everybody runs to Abuja at the end of the month to suck from a feeding bottle.
“In a true federal system, revenue should flow from the bottom to the top, not the other way round, where the Federal Government controls everything and the states and local governments queue up to collect.
The lawyer argued that the centralised revenue structure makes states vulnerable to political pressure, adding that any disagreement with the Federal Government could easily translate into financial strangulation.
“If you are not in line with the government at the centre, you fall out of favour and suddenly technical issues are raised, including matters relating to local government elections,” he said.
Oshoma maintained that withholding funds meant for local councils undermines democracy and governance at the grassroots.
He added, “The government cannot continue to hold on to local government funds and still talk about democracy and integrity.
The people suffering are ordinary citizens, not the governor.”
He urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene by directing the Minister of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria to release the allocations to the affected councils.
Oshoma also suggested a political resolution to any disputes surrounding tenure or election issues, noting that unresolved administrative disagreements should not be used as justification to block funds meant for grassroots development.
Governor Adeleke had earlier demanded the release of over N130bn in statutory allocations allegedly withheld from Osun State’s local governments, insisting that the funds were critical to service delivery and development at the council level.