By Adeboye Ado, AKURE
The Ondo State Government has denied a viral list containing names and headquarters of the proposed 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) making the rounds on social media.
The purported list of the proposed LCDAs had gone viral on social media at the wee hours of Tuesday and was said to have elicited criticisms from people in some areas who believed they have been shortchanged.
A human rights lawyer, Barr. Tolu Babaleye who reacted to development, said “It is very unfair for Owo with 11 Wards to have 4 new Local Governments, 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.”
But the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Charles Titiloye, in a statement on Tuesday, urged members of the public to disregard the list.
Describing it as unofficial, Titiloye stressed that the viral list was not released officially by the Government, adding that the creation of LCDA is strictly a constitutional process.
The statement read “the Government wishes to inform the general public that Creation of LCDA is strictly a constitutional process. List of Local Council Development Areas can only be properly ascertained from Ondo State Government official Gazette duly issued after passage of the enabling Law by Ondo state House of Assembly and the law is assented to by the Governor of the State.”
“Also the communities in each of the created LCDA will be published in the white Paper to be issued by the Government in respect of the recommendations of the Committee set up on the Creation of LCDA(S).”
“Members of the public are therefore advised to await these official legal documents to be issued by the Ondo state Government in order to get the correct position of Government on the creation of Local Government Council Development Areas in Ondo State.”
“The process to put in place the LCDA(s) and release the relevant Government instruments is ongoing and very soon Government will make it public.”
