The government of Ondo State has proposed the creation of 33 new Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation in the State, Mrs. Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, disclosed this while briefing journalists after the weekly state executive council meeting held on Thursday, in Akure, the State capital.
Olateju further disclosed that the enabling law for the creation of the LCDA’s had been sent to the State House of Assembly for enactment.
The state currently has 18 statutory Local Government Areas the number of local councils in the State would be 51 if the State assembly eventually passed it into law.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Charles Titiloye, who joined the Commissioner for Information to brief journalists, explained how the proposed new LCDAs will operate.
He said they would perform the same functions as the existing 18 local governments in the state.
Titiloye added that the 33 LCDAs would have the same functions and operate side-by-side with the existing 18 LGAs in the state.
According to him, the approval followed the recommendation of the Committee on LCDAs set up by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, headed by Prince ‘Lanke Odogiyan.
“The Council received today, the proposed Bill for the establishment of the 33 LCDA.
“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 necessary legal backing,” Titiloye stated.
In 2019, Governor Akeredolu received recommendations for the creation of more local government areas in order to make government closer to the people at the grassroots.
Subsequently, the government set up an 11-member committee to work out the modalities for the creation of new LCDAs.
The proposal, therefore is the recommendation of the 11-man committee.