Aregbesola Tasks People to Participate in Local Govt Administration

Governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has urged the people of the state to participate in the running of local government, describing it as a community government which deals with the daily needs of the people.

Aregbesola, who tasked the people not to ignore the local government, said the only way that the local government will not be neglected is through the payment of taxes and other levies that they are supposed to pay.

The Governor stated this on Wednesday while speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of the new secretariat complex of Ilesa North-East Council Development Area in Ilesa.

He maintained that government at all levels is sustained by the people with tax payment, just as he described as aberration the practice of waiting for federal allocation to run government in Nigeria.

Aregbesola explained that the very first responsibility of government is to provide security and maintain law and order, noting that for the government to do that, it needs funds which is expected to come from the people through tax payment.

According to Aregbesola, “all the revenue to drive the critical needs of the people should be generated from the people, but it is unfortunate that we have depended too much on oil that is no more even there.

“The local government is a community government which deals with the daily needs of the people and it must not be neglected by the people. Some people don’t know that the revenue to drive the critical needs of the people should come from them.”

“The first responsibility of government is to provide security and maintain law and order, to do this, funds which must come from the people are needed. Our practice of waiting for federal allocation is an aberration which is no longer sustainable.

The governor then congratulated the people of the local council on the foundation laying of the new secretariat, expressing the hope that from the building good governance will be spread to the people of the area.

Earlier in a welcome address, the chairman of LCDA, Hon. Oladipo Adeniyi said the achievement of Aregbesola despite paucity of funds is the motivating factor for the project.

He assured the people of the council that his administration will strive to bring smiles to the faces of the people under his care by ensuring that they get the dividends of democracy at all times.