Governor Rauf Aregbesola

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday said the objective of his administration in setting up a committee on local government creation was very clear with respect to the constitutional mandate of Nigeria.

Speaking through his deputy, Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, at a training workshop on creation of new local government in Osun State, Aregbesola noted that the call to undertake a comprehensive review of local councils in the state was demanded by the people. The governor stressed that local government councils had the capacity and the legitimacy to bring development to the state, adding that proposed councils to be created as demanded by the people would lay the foundation for grassroots governance that is democratically elected and sovereign.

“It is in fulfilment of this objective that we set out very clearly, a process that is constitutional and transparent as the foundation to fulfilling the aspiration of our people to create new local governments.

“When I inaugurated this committee, they were issued with clear terms of reference which include guidelines for creation of councils in compliance with provisions of section 7(2)(a) and (b) of the 1999 Constitution and ensuring that creation are in conformity with section 8(3),(4) and (6) of the 1999 constitution,” he said.

Aregbesola stated that as part of government’s commitment to assist the committee to fulfil its mandate, the state government through its technical committee had to organise the training for three days.

In his paper titled ‘Creation of New Local Governments under the 1999 Constitution’, the former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), identified three points to be considered in creating a council under section 7 (2) of the 1999 Constitution.

He listed common interest of the community in the area; traditional association of the community; and the administrative convenience.
Also, the chairman of Creation of New Local Governments in the state, Prof. Mojeed Alabi, said the memoranda called by the committee had received positive responses, noting that submission of memoranda was still on-going.