By Stephen Gbadamosi
A bill for a law to provide for the creation of new Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Ondo State 2023 has been passed into law.
According to a statement issued by the chairman, House Committee on Information, Honourable (Chief) Olatunji Emmanuel Oshati, made available to journalists on Wednesday, noted that the passage followed the submission of a report by the House Committee of the Whole by the Deputy Speaker, Right Honourable Abayomi Akinruntan.
The passage came after the Bill scaled through the third reading at a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Right Honourable Olamide Oladiji.
Honourable Oshati said the committee had earlier held a public hearing last Thursday at which stakeholders from the already existing 18 local government areas of the state presented and defended their memoranda.
Recall that the state government, few weeks ago, presented the Bill to the State House of Assembly; it scaled through first and second readings as well as was committed to the House Committee of the Whole House, headed by Oladiji, for scrutiny.
Presenting the report, Akinruntan explained that the Committee of the Whole observed that many representatives called for continued existence of peace, inspite of the creation of new LCDAs.
He said the committee observed that operational facilities for the creation of the new LCDAs had been made available by various communities and also the need for the state Surveyor-General and his team to map out the boundaries of all the communities, in order to avoid communal clashes in future.
READ ALSO: Opu- Nembe crisis: Ex- Fed lawmaker seeks justice
The lawmaker said the committee observed that appreciation was shown to the governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, for creating additional LCDAs, and the State Assembly for bringing up the public hearing, while some clamoured for creation of more LCDAs and the need to change names of some LCDAs’ headquarters.
“The Majority Leader of the House, Honourable Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, while moving a motion for the Bill to move to the third reading stage and be passed into law, appreciated the entire committee members who has been working for several days to ensure the needful is done.
“And this was seconded by the lawmaker representing Akure South Constituency 1, Honourable Olajide Oguntodu.
“The Speaker, in his speech, recalled that Governor Akeredolu had transmitted the Bill for the creation of 33 LCDAs, in addition to the existing 18 local government areas in the state, in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as part of efforts to bring government closer to the people and, by extension, generate development to the grassroots.
“According to him, due to the lofty objective of the Bill, the House swift into action, committing the bill to the Committee of the Whole; and, thereafter, organised public hearing, in order to elicit meaningful and maximum contributions from members who are the representatives of the people.
“The proposal was subjected to public scrutiny to feel their pulse and to give room for necessary recommendations and adjustment where necessary,” Oshati explained.
He added that the speaker said: “l wish to bring to the notice of the entire people of Ondo State that the Committee of the Whole House has painstakingly looked into the agitations and complaints raised by the good people of the state at the public hearings and necessary corrections and recommendations have been made to the executive arm as appropriate.”
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.