- approves two new Obas
By Banji Ayoola
Ondo State Government has forwarded to the state’s House of Assembly a bill for the creation of 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs ) to take democratic government nearer to the people.
Information and Orientation commissioner, Mrs, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju made the disclosure while briefing newsmen shortly after the State Executive Council meeting held at the Council Chamber, Governor’s Office, Alagbaka Akure on Thursday.
Mrs. Ademola-Olateju added that the enabling law had been sent to the State House of Assembly for enactment.
The Acting Governor, Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa presided over the meeting.
If passed into law, this will increase the number of local council administrations in the state to 51. Now, the state has 18 Local Government Areas, with the three senatorial districts having six each.
Expatiating on the decision at the press briefing, the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Sir Charles Titiloye explained that in 2019, Governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON acceded to people’s yearnings for expansion of democratic government by setting-up an 11-member Committee to work out acceptable strategies for the creation of LCDAs, headed by Mr. Lanke Odogiyan Esq.
He said that the Review Committee on Lanke Odogiyan’s committee’s report recommended 33 LCDAs to be established in the State, in addition to the existing 18 Local Government Areas.
Titiloye added that “The procedure for Local Government creation will not be complete without an enabling law”.
He said: “The Council received today, the proposed Bill for the establishment of the 33 LCDAs”.
“This proposed Bill was approved by the State Executive Council… and is to be sent to the State House of Assembly for enactment into law, to give necessary legal backing.”
He explained that the full implementation of the creation of the 33 LCDAs will commence after the passage of the law by the state House of Assembly and assented to by Mr. Governor.
The commissioner explained that the newly created LCDAs will have equal functions with their own Headquarters and operate side-by-side with the existing 18 Local Government Areas in the State.
Also at the briefing, Titiloye’s counterpart for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Amidu Takuro disclosed that the Council approved Chief Bola Olusa as the Olora of Ora, in Ajowa-Akoko in Akoko North Local Government.
Besides, he said that the council approved the appointment of Oba Temidayo Owoyele as the new Olikan of Etikan, in Ilaje Local Government Area.
The Commissioner added that the government approved eight Warrant Chiefs for the selection of the new Orungberunwa of Erinje, in Okitipupa Local Government and two Warrant Chiefs for the selection of the new Takute of Ipoke, in Ese-Odo Local Government.
Lagos State under the governorship of the incumbent President Bola Tinubu pioneered the creation of new LCDAs in the Fourth Republic, a step which led the state into confrontation with the Federal Government administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Obasanjo withheld statutory allocations to LGAs in Lagos insisting that federal revenue can only be allocated to the 774 LGAS listed in the 1999 Constitution.
Eventually, the late President Umaru Yar’adua who succeeded Obasanjo eventually released the withheld funds to Lagos LGAs and the state has sustained the LCDAS ever since.
From then on, the other South-west states of Osun, Oyo, Ogun, and Ekiti have created their own local council development areas, though the National Assembly has refused to amend the Constitution to recognise them.
