Ondo 33 LCDAs : I Don’t Know Who Leaked It.
By Olusegun HOSEA. 7th August,2023.
Ondo State Government on Monday said the list of the recently created 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), from the 18 Local Government Area of the state will not be made public until the law creating them is passed by the State House of Assembly and gazetted.
In the new local government reform, which has been causing confusion in the state, Akoko has five, Akure and Owo have four LCDAs Each while Ondo and Ilaje have three each. Also, Idanre, Ose, Ile-Oluji and Okitipupa have two each while Ifedore, Ese-Odo, Odigbo and Irele have one LCDAs each in the reform.
However, the move sparked furore as some residents of the state took to their social media platforms, describing it as unjust and not equitably distributed.
Specifically, a Legal Practitioner, Tolu Babaleye said it was very unfair for Owo with 11 Wards to have 4 new Local Governments.
According to him, ” it is very unfair for Ose with 12 wards to have 2 new Local Governments, it is very unfair for Akoko Southwest LG with 15 wards to have only 1 new LG. Ose has more wards than Owo, yet Owo is now having LGs created for every street. The last has not been heard about this creation of new LGs.
“Akoko had 4 Local Governments prior to this time and Owo/Ose had 2 Local Governments prior to this time but with the new creation, Akoko now has a total of 9 LGs from 4 while Owo/Ose has 8 from 2. This is most unfair. I will advise the Ondo State Government to please take it back and do necessary adjustments”, he said.
However, speaking at a media parley in Akure, the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation Bamidele Ademola-Olateju clarified that the state Assembly can still thinker with the LCDAs delegation and areas, hence the need to keep it secret.
Her words: “You know, people will leak information but it’s inappropriate. LCDAs has been approved by the executives, we all took oath of secrecy while taking this job and I think we should express fidelity to the oath we’ve taken. I don’t know who leaked it but I condemn it and I say it is inappropriate.
“We have three arms of government. When the executive have decided, it has to be ratified by the House of Assembly. So, giving it to the press was wrong. That is preemptive of the House of Assembly. The House can still thinker with the delegation, the areas.
“For instance, let’s say Akure South Local Government has been demarcated to three LCDAs, when it gets to the House, you know, there are political interest and other considerations, they might decide to say we can only have two. So, if we have released it, to the public, we will have to go and change it again. That is why it was not given to the press or made public”.
She however said, ” the fact remains that 33 LCDAs were created in addition to the 18 local government areas but it is still subject to debate, ratification and the governor will assent to it. So, the list you are seeing, we completely disown it, it’s inappropriate.
On electricity for residents of Ondo South Senatorial District, who had been without power from the national grid for over 15 years, Ademola-Olateju said, “I know for sure that certain kilowatts of electricity will be generated by a private company, coming to Ondo State. I am bold to say, that by the time governor Akeredolu will be leaving office in February 2025, base on our estimate, Akure and its environs will have 22 hours power supply base on what we are expecting.
“I know, it will be a big relief for residents of this area. We are even considering our own Electricity Regulation Commission. So, everything is ready”, the Commissioner added.
