The Nation Newspaper

Tag: LCDAs

  • ‘Create 30 LCDAs out of existing 16 councils’

    ‘Create 30 LCDAs out of existing 16 councils’

    Member, Kwara State Governor’s Advisory Council, Chief Woke Oke, has advised Governor AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq to create 30 more local council development areas (LCDAs).

    This is in addition to the existing 16 local governments, he said.

    Oke said this would align with what other states in the country had been doing. 

    Oke, who is also the Bashorun of Jebba, urged the governor to accord priority to the neglected and static local government areas of Ifelodun, Moro and Asa.

    Said he: “Their geographical size and population justify the number of LCDAs being proposed for the three local councils

    Read Also: MC Oluomo blames ex-NURTW President for union crisis

    “Judging from the recognised positive dispositions and concern of His Excellency for the welfare and well- being of the people since he began to rule the state, he wants the best for the state; for the survival of the state and for the well-being of the citizens of the state, he would therefore be inclined to consider this proposal. 

    “There is no doubt that he will need a strong political will to successfully achieve this laudable objective, which eternal consequence will be legendary.

    “In the interest of the state and its citizens, the governor needs to engage in low politics, as well as high politics in the best interest of the citizens and for the survival of the state. These are the elements, which the matter now at hand demands.”

  • Ondo LCDAs panel gets 94 memoranda, two reactions

    NINETY-four memoranda have been submitted by communities across Ondo State that are demanding the creation of Local Government Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

    The LCDAs Creation Committee Chairman, Prince Adelanke Odogiyon, at a news conference, said the committee’s members would reconvene on Tuesday to review the memoranda.

    According to the former President, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), members would visit the proposed LCDAs and also study each of the memorandum to know if those council areas would be viable, when created.

    Odogiyon, who said there had been few reactions to the suggested LCDAs’ headquarters, noted that cross border LCDAs would not be tolerated.

    He said the move to create LCDAs was legal and constitutional, adding that it was part of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s promises during campaigns.

    The panel’s chairman observed that any state that is interested in creation of LCDAs can do so because it can be legalised, stressing that Supreme Court has ruled that creation of LCDAs is legitimate.

    According to him, states lack the power to create local governments, except the National Assembly.

    He explained that each committee member had been given copies of the submitted memoranda to study before they would reconvene next week to review and analyse contents of the 94 memoranda.

    The chairman also said members of the committee were not under any undue pressure from any quarter.

    Odogiyon pledged that the committee would follow the mandate given to them to a logical conclusion through diligence and due process.

    He called for the cooperation of the people, saying the state government was ready to implement laudable programmes that would affect the state positively.

  • APC applauds creation of LCDAs

    The Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has described as laudable the decision of the state government to create Local Council Development Authority (LCDA).

    According to the party, the importance of bringing government closer to the people, particularly in a developing setting, can not be over-emphasised.

    Speaking on behalf of the party, the State Chairman, Engr. Ade Adetimehin said with that singular decision, the Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu-led government has once again demonstrated its unquenchable thirst  for rural development, and unrivalled concern about the welfare of the people.

    He said the Ondo APC wholeheartedly supports the idea that will facilitate rapid development, generates employment opportunities, and boost the economy of the new development areas that will be created.

    “We congratulate members of the LCDA committee and urge them to be thoroughly committed to the onerous task, and be guided by a deep sense of patriotism to justify the confidence reposed in them,” he advised.

    The party also commended Governor Akeredolu, for his patriotic and unbiased approach to decision making, particularly in renaming the State University of Science and Technology after Dr. Olusegun Agagu.

    The party noted that only those few administrators who have outgrown “politics of sentiments and bitterness’” could exhibit such level of political behaviour.

    The party also salutes the courage of the government and urged the people to further encourage it by supporting the administration and promoting peace in their various domains.

  • Don’t sign LCDAs bill into law, Oke-Ona Egba rulers warn Amosun

    Don’t sign LCDAs bill into law, Oke-Ona Egba rulers warn Amosun

    Oke-Ona Egba people in Ogun State have warned Governor Ibikunle Amosun against signing the Local Government Creation and Transitional provisions Amendments Law, which was passed into law by the House of Assembly.

    Last Thursday, the 26-member Assembly passed the bill and forwarded same to Amosun the following day for his assent.

    The bill seeks legal backing for the creation of 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in addition to the 20 local governments.

    But yesterday, the Oke-Ona Egba people urged Amosun not to sign the document because it would unjustly detach them from their “historical and cultural root” and lump them together with Remo people in Remoland.

    Addressing reporters at the palace of the Osile of Oke-Ona Egba, Abeokuta, the state capital,  the Oluwo of Oke-Ona Egba, High Chief Abayomi Jiboku, said they will, within the ambit of the law, resist any attempt to rob them of their “cradle”.

    Jiboku, who spoke in the company of 12 other chiefs, including the Otu Iyalode of Ago -Okoland, Mrs. Olayinka Folarin, advised the governor not to tamper with the sovereignty of the people or do things that could lead to inter-tribal frictions.

    Jiboku said: “The House of Assembly passed the bill into law on May 5.

    “The amended edict is on the governor’s table for his assent. It was taken to the governor’s office by the Deputy Speaker, Kunle Oluomo.

    “You would also have known that the only amendment was the return of Orile Oko to Remo North Local Government.

    “I want to state categorically that we, the people of Oko in Egba land both in Abeokuta, Orile Oko and in diaspora, absolutely reject with all our blood, the return of our homestead, Orile Oko, to Remo North Local Government.

    “We are Egba. We belong to Obafemi /Owode Local Government in Egba land.”

    The Egba chief said he suspects that the government is “under pressure from some quarters”.

    He said his people had earlier voted “yes” to remain with their kinsmen in Egba when the Olusegun Osoba government conducted a referendum in 2002.

    The proprietor of Taidob College, Abeokuta, wondered why the Amosun government and the Assembly will  seek to alter a referendum that had been decided and signed into law in August 2002.

    “By the result of the referendum, no government has the power to obliterate the sovereignty of the people of Orile Oko.

    “That referendum is their sovereignty. It is unalterable. It is immutable. It is undeniable.

    “Governor Ibikunle Amosun must uphold the inalienable right the people of Orile Oko to be merged with Obafemi/Owode Local Government,” he said.

  • I’ll retain 37 LCDAs in Lagos, says PDP candidate

    I’ll retain 37 LCDAs in Lagos, says PDP candidate

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in  Lagos State, Jimi Agbaje, has said he will  retain the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) created by the Bola Tinubu administration, if elected.

    Agbaje told reporters in Lagos that he would grant greater autonomy to the LCDAs and the original 20 local government areas.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 37 LCDAs created in 2003 are yet to be listed in the Constitution and recognised by the Federal Government.

    The Federal Government still deals with Lagos State on the basis of the original 20 local government areas but Lagos State has been running the grassroots through the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs.

    Agbaje said if elected, his administration would move on with the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs.

    He said the LCDAs had been recognised by political parties.

    On reconciliation with Musiliu Obanikoro who went to court after losing the party’s ticket to him, Agbaje said the party had a unity of purpose.

    He said the APC administration in the state had good policies, made achievements in some areas, but recorded poor implementation of many policies due to “vested interest”.

    “Vested interest will prefer building commercial houses to constructing low cost houses,’’ he said.

    Agbaje said that, if elected, his administration would construct low cost houses and offer free quality health care services through a health insurance model, in partnership with the private sector.

    “PDP will do things differently. We will have the boldness to do it,’’ he said.

    Agbaje said that if elected, his administration would allocate five per cent of the state procurement project for young entrepreneurs and graduates, adding that he would ensure transparent public procurement process.

    The governorship candidate also said the administration would exploit the aquatic nature of the state to develop its economy.

    “We have not tapped the ocean’s resources. We will take advantage of our living on water and take what is there to build our economy.

    “We will ensure that Epe and Ikorodu are national fisheries processing hubs and the focal points of the new ocean economy,’’ he said.

    Agbaje said that his administration would ensure 100,000 vocational and internship places annually as well as local and international certification and standards for artisans and technicians.

    He added that his administration would ensure that companies operating in the state employed a certain percentage of their workers from their host communities.

    Agbaje said his administration would avoid multiple taxes, cancel tolls and expand the tax system.

  • Lagos trains trado medics on killer-diseases

    Lagos trains trado medics on killer-diseases

    The Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board (LSTMB) has trained some traditional medicine practitioners to identify and manage some killer-diseases, such as  diabetes, hypertension, sickle cell disorder (SCD), malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

    Its chairman, Dr Bunmi Omoseyindemi, said the capacity building initiative for traditional medicine practitioners will have a far-reaching effect on the capacity of participants and the society.

    He said practitioners in Ikeja division of LSTMB administrative category, which consists of Ikeja, Agege and Alimosho local government areas and Mosan-Okunola and Ejigbo Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), were exposed to modern methods of diagnosing diseases. “This training is for Ikeja Division of traditional medicine practitioners. The next will be at Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry respectively,” Omoseyindemi said.

    The six killer diseases, the chairman noted, were the priority of heads of governments of African Union (AU) and as such, this year’s African Traditional Medicine Day was dedicated to all people suffering from the diseases.

    Moreover, the West Africa region through its West African Health Organisation (WAHO), has been involved in research studies for some time. “It discovered some potent herbal drugs for malaria, tuberculosis and hypertension, among others,” he said.

    This, he said, made WAHO contract some scientists, such as pharmacists, pharmacologists and pharmacognosists as well as botanists, among others, to develop suitable herbal drugs for the treatment of these diseases.

    “These scientists are to study the plants that have been used over the years by traditional medicine practitioners to treat the diseases,” he said.

    Besides, the plants are available in Nigeria and other West African countries so it can set up mini-industry to produce such drugs.

    Omoseyindemi said the LSTMB has designed a training manual to build capacity of practitioners, adding that many experts supplied needed information as inputs.

    Some of the content in the manual, he said, are the steps to take in diagnosing the diseases.

    The LSTMB chair said the practitioners are to send those who have these diseases to the laboratory for tests before commencing treatment, stressing that it is through the laboratory tests that they would be able to tell what disease a person is suffering from. Moreover, it should not be guess work.

    “After that they can use the result of the tests to start the treatment with the drugs WAHO is formulating. Even in orthodox medicine, it is not the doctors who prepare the drugs. It is the pharmacognosists and pharmacists that produce the drugs,” he stated

    The experts, he said, have joined hands to ensure they formulate herbal drugs for the six prioritised diseases.

    Omoseyindemi said there are herbariums where plants are grown for herbal medicine, adding that experts have done the signature and code for the plants to make them easily recognisable and accessible.

    “People can see the same plants in Nigeria, Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire and in other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The issue of poisoning, that is toxicity has been done as well as chemical analysis. So we are using common plants in the region,” he said.

    He said the anti-malaria which is presently being used is the artemisimin combination therapies (ACTs), this does not make economic sense as it is quite expensive.

    “It is a Chinese product that was synthesised in Taiwan.  Our scientists, however, have come up with better anti-malaria herbal drugs but they need to call the pharmaceutical industry to buy into it,” he said.

    Omoseyindemi said the same diseases are being tackled in Cote D’Ivoire, Burkinafaso and Ghana, among other countries.

    He said traditional medicine provides  about 70 per cent of healthcare services, adding that this makes it necessary for practitioners to be trained on how to mitigate the diseases.

    “This training will also enhance their knowledge on the diseases and as such make them relevant to the current health system in the country,” he said.

    Omoseyindemi said that with the right knowledge, traditional medicine practitioners would be able to support the orthodox medicine treatment.

  • Kwara inaugurates committee on LCDAs

    Kwara inaugurates committee on LCDAs

    Again, the stage is set for the creation of local government council development areas (LCDAs) in Kwara State.

    Former governors of the state, the late Adamu Attah and the late Mohammed Lawal, created local councils during their administrations which were later scrapped.

    To bring government closer to the people, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has inaugurated a 14-man committee on the creation of LCDAs.

    The committee is headed by former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and current member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, while Alhaji A. A Yusuf is the secretary.

    Inaugurating the committee in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, Ahmed said the committee had eight weeks to submit its report.

    Other members of the committee are Alhaji Saidu Issa, Alhaji Khaleel Bolaji, Mr. Tunde Umar, AbdulWahab Issa, Mr. Joshua Ogunlowo and Alhaji Rasaq Umar. Others are Prof. Halidu Abubakar, Chief Wole Oke, Chief of Staff to Governor Ahmed, Alhaji Muhammad Toyin Sanusi, Dr Abubakar Ishola and Alhaji AbdulKadir Oba Salihu.

    The committee’s terms of reference are to: identify all basic parameters necessary for the creation of local council development areas, using variables peculiar to the Kwara environment while borrowing relevant experiences from other states that have similar structures; consider all factors related to viability (internally-generated revenue, population and land area, among others) in suggesting an area for LCDA status; identify suitable communities as headquarters, taking due cognisance of precedence in administrative responsibility in arriving at the choice; consider other relevant factors that will ensure uniformity, equity, fairness and greater sense of belonging. Others are to: assess the possibility of converting existing districts into development area councils with little adjustment where necessary and review the reports of similar exercises carried out in the past and any other considerations the committee finds pertinent for the successful completion of the crucial assignment.

    The governor said: “Since the creation of the state over four-and-a-half decades ago, the 1976 local government reforms remain a watershed in local government administration in the state in particular and the nation in general. Since then, the system has undergone several transformations resulting in the present 16 local government area structure.”However, as currently constituted, the local government structure remains largely inadequate, considering our population, land mass and other demographic features. For instance, Asa, Moro and Ifelodun local government areas, which were created by the 1976 reforms, have maintained their structures to date, while several other local government councils have been created out of the others.

    “Consequently, the said local government councils remain unnecessarily large, resulting in avoidable administrative bottlenecks. Even the 13 local governments that have transformed over the years still require to be sub-divided into more local government areas to make purposeful.

    “Furthermore, our people’s clamour for more local government areas remains unfulfilled due to the stringent and time-consuming constitutional process required for the creation of new local government councils.

    “Consequently, we have received requests from across the three Senatorial Districts and the 16 local government areas for the creation of local council development areas (LCDAs).”In response, therefore, I am pleased to inaugurate this 14-man committee on the creation of LCDAs in Kwara State.

    The creation of new LCDAs is expected to bring government closer to the people, and assist the people in bringing their aspirations to fruition. LCDAs will also help our people to realise their socio-economic goals and expand access to basic amenities that will accelerate development in these areas.”

    Responding, Baraje said: “The assignment is taxing. But Yoruba has a saying that no matter how weighty a word is, you will not cut with cutlass. You will only use mouth to discuss it. So, we intend to follow certain procedures. It is something that has a lot to do with the grassroots. We will go back to them and make consultations with them. “It is an activity that has to do with traditional institutions. We will have to do a lot of consultations with our traditional institutions.

    Thirdly, it is the request of the people, so we have to ask people to tell us what they want. It is the collation and conglomeration of the people’s wish, request, traditional institutions and grassroots people’s inputs that we are going to use. “Incidentally, members of the committee are erudite administrators. They are people who have deep experiences; they still have contact with the grassroots. We intend to make use of their experiences to carry out this herculean task.We urge you journalists to co-operate with us, as this is the time we need your assistance most; this is the time we need to work with you most. “This is a very sensitive job. It has to do with the sentiments and sensibilities of the people.

    “Therefore, we need you to report us honestly, appropriately and adequately. We, therefore, solicit your support.”

  • Commission chief warns Fayose not to scrap LCDAs

    Commission chief warns Fayose not to scrap LCDAs

    Chairman of Ekiti State Local Government Service (ELGS) Chief Ranti Adebisi has cautioned that any attempt by the incoming administration to scrap the new local council development areas will set it against the people.

    Adebisi, in a statement yesterday, noted that the creation of the LCDAs was borne out of the people’s genuine demands for more councils.

    He added that they were not created to cause problems for the incoming government.

    He said the process of creating the LCDAs preceded the last governorship election, adding that it would not serve any purpose for anybody to read political meanings to their creation.

    The government last month created 19 LCDAs in addition to the 16 councils. It has also appointed caretaker committees to oversee the affairs of the LCDAs.

    But the state governor-elect, Mr. Ayo Fayose, whose party – the PDP – opposed the creation of the new LCDAs, said his administration would not fund the new councils.

    Adebisi noted that the creation of LCDAs would not add any burden to the incoming government as it has not increased the workforce.

    Rather, he said the councils’ formation has created more space for career workers at the top echelon of the local government service

    “Besides, it has further brought government closer to the grassroots and ensure wider participation by the people,” he said.

    He stressed that the creation of the LCDAs has met the stipulated procedure as stated in the constitution, adding that Ekiti people should ensure that the desire of the people are met through the new LCDAs

    Adebisi  maintained that council workers are happy with the new LCDAs, which has accounted for the successful take off of the new councils

    He added that the donation of structures and equipment for the smooth take off of the LCDAs by communities showed that they were widely accepted.

    Adebisi stressed that the communities, whose age long agitation for new councils were met by the Fayemi administration, have been praising the government for meeting their demands.

    On the performance of the commission, he said it has restored the confidence of the workers in the APC administration.

    He said despite the attempt at instigating the workers against the outgoing government, the commission has served the best interest of the workers and government in ensuring the harmonious relationship between them.

  • Ekiti new LCDAs and development

    SIR: The creation of new Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) by the Ekiti State Government represents a bold step to stimulate grassroots development and bring government nearer to the people. With the signing of a bill creating new 19 LCDAs into law by Governor Kayode Fayemi on July 30, the dreams of many people living in the grassroots were fulfilled as they have now been offered opportunities to feel the impact of the government more than ever before.

    The issue of creation of new council areas was one of the major requests of various communities in Ekiti State during Governor Fayemi’s village square meetings with the people for their inputs into the budgets that had so far been implemented during his administration.

    The exercise which commenced in January this year with the inauguration of a committee which received memoranda from various communities and interest groups also passed through the stages of referendum, consideration and passage by the House of Assembly and assent of the governor of the enabling bill.

    Nobody can fault the fact that due process was followed in the steps leading to the creation of the LCDAs as the communities which presented memoranda were visited by the committee to verify their claims while their representatives also defended their memoranda.

    Ekiti had been operating 16 local government councils since its creation on October 1, 1996 which are made up of 12 LGAs inherited from the old Ondo State and four new ones created by the military administration which decreed the state into existence.

    Almost 18 years down the line, it is very obvious that the 16 councils are insufficient to cater to the needs of the people of the state as the population has increased and the available facilities and amenities already overstretched.

    For example, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital which used to exist as a single LGA now has additional three LCDAs as one local council can no longer cope with the demands of an ever expanding city.

    Ikole LGA before the latest LCDA creation exercise had 24 communities and a large land mass extending to the boundaries with Kwara and Kogi states.

    Creation of two more LCDAs from the old Ikole local council is expected to make administration of the communities easier and bring dividends of democracy closer to the people.

    The case of the people of the old Irepodun/Ifelodun was very pathetic as people in Igbemo, Afao, Are and Iworoko axis used to pass through either Ado, the state capital Ifaki/Esure before reaching Igede which hitherto served as their council headquarters.

    Although the last stage of the exercise now rests with the National Assembly which is expected to give the LCDAs the seal of LGAs, the benefits of their creation are enormous.

    Some of the expected benefits include provision of more social amenities, boosting grassroots economy, provision of more employment opportunities, avenues to generate more revenue and provision of more services to the people at the grassroots.

    All hands must be on deck to nurture the new LCDAs into maturity and make them fulfil the purpose for which they are created.

    This is not the time to play politics with the creation of the LCDAs as the people of the grassroots remain the ultimate beneficiaries of the new councils.

    • Odunayo Ogunmola,

    Ado-Ekiti,

    Ekiti State.

     

  • Ekiti Assembly approves 19 LCDAs

    Ekiti Assembly approves 19 LCDAs

    Ekiti State lawmakers have approved the creation of 19 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

    This was sequel to the adoption of the report of an Ad-hoc Committee set up to work on the bill seeking the creation of the new councils at the plenary.

    The House increased the number of the councils by one. Governor Kayode Fayemi sought approval for 18.

    Presenting the report, a member of the Committee, Ayodeji Odu representing Irepodun/Ifelodun Constituency 11, justified the increase based on the consideration of a petition submitted by the people Kajola/Oreniwa in Ikole Local Government Area.

    He urged the Assembly to ensure that necessary steps were taken for the listing of the councils in the constitution.

    Majority Leader Churchill Adedipe moved the motion for the approval of the report and the result of the referendum conducted by the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).

    Adedipe said the result of the referendum conducted was a clear indication that Ekiti people were in full support of the exercise.

    Both reports were unanimously approved by members of the House. Adedipe also moved that the councils should be addressed as local councils Development Areas pending the final approval by the National Assembly.