The proposed Creation of 33 new Local Council Development Areas, (LCDAs) for Ondo State draws closer to actualisation as State government has sent the bill to that effect to the House of Assembly
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, during a press briefing indicated that the state executive council approved the creation of the LCDAs.
According to Ademola-Olateju, the aim is for expansion which reflects the government’s commitment to decentralisation and improving governance at the grassroots level.
With 18 statutory local council areas in the state, the number of councils in the state will swell to 51 if the proposal gets the nod of the state legislature.
Charles Titiloye, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, while giving more insight to the proposed new LCDAs and their operations, stated that the LCDAs would perform the same functions as the existing 18 councils in the state.
Titiloye stated that to bring the proposal into effect, the government has already taken the necessary steps, as the enabling law for establishing the new LCDAs has been forwarded to the state House of Assembly for enactment.
The Justice Commissioner pointed out that the legislative process will ensure the proposal is properly reviewed and debated before being enacted into law.
“This proposed bill was approved by the State Executive Council and is to be sent to the State House of Assembly for enactment to give it the necessary legal backing.”
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu in 2019 received recommendations for the creation of additional council areas in the state from an 11-member committee set up by the government to determine the necessary procedures for establishing new LCDAs.