Nigeria: Despite LG Autonomy, Nigerian Governor Spends Millions On Vehicles for Council Officials

“I can’t say that the fund came from there, but I know they may have come from there as well.”

Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has spent millions of naira to purchase brand new SUVs for chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of the state’s local government councils despite the July 2024 Supreme Court judgement affirming the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local governments.

On 13 November, Mr Otu, represented by the Deputy Governor of Cross River, Peter Odey, presented Coolray SUVs to 18…