By Victor Ogunje
In order to make governance close to the people, the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has sent a bill for the creation of 19 Local Council Development Authorities (LCDAs) in the state to the state’s House of Assembly for legislative consideration.
The bill titled the “Creation of Local Government Bill, 2021,” was sent yesterday August 3 by the governor through the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Wale Fapohunda.
The proposed 19 LCDAs are: Ado Central LCDA, Ado North LCDA, Ado West LCDA, Ajoni LCDA, Araromi LCDA, Ekameta LCDA, Ekiti South East LCDA, Ero LCDA, Gbonyin LCDA and Ifedara LCDA.
Others include Ifeloju LCDA, Ifesowopo LCDA, Igbara-Odo/Ogotun LCDA, Ikere West LCDA, Ikole West LCDA, Irede LCDA, Irewolede LCDA, Isokan LCDA and Okemesi/Ido-Ile LCDA.
Fayemi said that the bill would seek to create 19 new local government areas in addition to the existing 16 local government areas in the state as specified in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
He said: “These newly proposed local government areas are inchoate and shall operate for the time being as Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) until such a time as the National Assembly shall pass an act recognising them under section 8(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“The Creation of Local Government Bill, 2021, is the culmination of a process of consultative and inclusive engagement of various communities in the 16 local government areas of the state.
“It will be recalled that on November 16, 2020, the governor of Ekiti State formally inaugurated the Committee on the Creation of Local Council Development Areas in Ekiti State.
“The committee consulted extensively over a five-month period and submitted a comprehensive report that took into consideration several issues including population of each of the proposed LCDA, availability of personnel, physical structure of proposed headquarters and broadly economic viability of the proposed LCDAs.
“In addition, there were several inter-ministerial meetings within the framework of a white paper committee that met to review the report and made recommendations on institutional arrangements for the effective functioning of the proposed LCDAs especially in view of the economic situation facing the country, which Ekiti State is no exception.”
The governor stated that the State Executive Council further deliberated extensively on the proposals and resolved that the creation of the new LCDAs is in response to the agitations of the communities affected and that continuing the efficient management of state resources to ensure that the LCDAs are appropriately funded.
“By the provisions of the bill, the governor shall have the power to appoint persons to administer the affairs of the LCDAs until such a time when a democratically elected authority is put in place,” Fayemi said.
