Rowdy Session, Protest Rock Creation Of LCDAs In Ondo

There was a rowdy session and protests over the creation of 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) out of the existing 18 Local Government Areas of Ondo State.

The rowdy session almost marred the public hearing on the proposed creation of LCDA held in Akure, the state capital as traditional rulers, community leaders as well as government officials converged on the international culture and event center in Akure, the venue of the public hearing.

The public hearing was aimed at brainstorming on the document which would finally give credence to the creation of the thirty-three local Council development areas to complement the existing eighteen local government areas in Ondo state.

However, the event was almost disrupted as some individuals suspected to be supporters of Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi wanted to stop the Iralepo of Isikan, Oba Olugbenga Ojo from making his presentation on the need to create Isikan LCDA to bring recognition to the people of Isikan community.

The speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Oladimeji Oladiji had to wade in to ensure orderliness. After the rowdy session, the monarch was allowed to make his presentation praying that the people of Isikan wanted the initial nomenclature of Akure West to be changed to Isikan LCDA, which comprises wards one to three in the old Akure South LGA.

Some communities also protested the alleged ceding of the towns and villages to other local governments, others wanted the change of the headquarters from one place to another.

For instance, some youths from the Arogbo-Ijaw area of Ese- Odo local government area of the state stormed the venue of the public hearing for the LCDAs, faulting the entire process of the creation of the LCDA.

The protesters who carried placards with various inscriptions, said undue political manipulation and chicanery were allowed to prevail over objectivity, common sense, and rationality in the creation of the LCDA.

The Kalasuwei of Apoi, Pere Sunday Amuseghan, demanded correction in the skewed map that has ceded Ese-Odo communities into different council areas.

Amuseghan who said they had been living peacefully with their neighbours noted that the government should not allow the map to create enmity between them.

Also, the state Chairman of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Mr Bonsuwe Ominidougha demanded more LCDAs to the Ijaw Arogbo people who had only one LCDA in the proposed ones.

A legal Practitioner, Mike Barakumo explained that most of the Ijaw communities have been mapped into Ilaje and Irele council areas.

Other petitions submitted by various stakeholders included changes in the names of some LCDAs, and change in the citing of headquarters while some clamoured for additional LCDAs.

The Speaker, Olamide Oladiji saluted the visionary leadership of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for choosing to toe the line of other southwest states which had earlier created their LCDAS to fast-track development at the grassroots.

Oladiji however emphasised that the Akeredolu administration would not hesitate to cancel or suspend the creation of Local Council Development Areas in any community or Local Government areas where there is crisis or court injunctions.

His words: “There is no gain saying the fact that what is happening in Ondo State today, in the context of the bold step taken by His Excellency, Odunayo Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to create LCDAS, is a great thing of joy and as such, all hands must be on deck to ensure that it succeeds and does not fall. The purpose of the yearnings and quest to bring government closer to the people and hence facilitate development at the grassroots must not be defeated.

“However, as much as we know as a matter of fact that it is not unexpected for community leaders to express their grievances and concerns about the geographical composition, nomenclature, and location of headquarters of the LCDAS, so much more, we do need to know that our agitation and the “push” for the realization of our interests or requests must be done with caution. In whatever we do today, we should be mindful of the fact that we do them in the eyes of the global community.

“Thus, let me state without mincing words, that the Akeredolu-led administration in Ondo State will not hesitate to cancel or suspend the creation of Local Council Development Areas in any community or Local Government areas where there are crisis or court injunctions.

“At this juncture, let me quickly mention that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria empowers State Governments to create Government Areas, subject to the ratification of the State Assembly, and that the process towards this ratification gives impetus to our gathering here today.

“However, the constitutional bottlenecks caused by the required final approval of the National Assembly buoyed by the quest to bring development to the grassroots, necessitated the creation and adoption of Local Council Development Areas as a comfortable nomenclature, which when they begin operation, they shall enjoy full status of the existing local governments.”