Osun dissolves councils, creates 31 LCDAs

The Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola yesterday dissolved the management committees of all the Local Governments in the State including the Area Office in Modakeke, Ile-Ife.

Besides, the governor also announced the creation of additional 31 new Local Council Development Areas {LCDAs}, three Area Councils and two Administrative Offices.

The bill for the creation of the LCDAs had earlier been passed last year by the State House of Assembly while a referendum held across the state by stakeholders also gave approval to the additional councils.

In a broadcast to the people of the state, the governor allayed fears over the funding of the new LCDAS saying they would be managed in an efficient manner that would not place unnecessary running cost on the government given the lean resources of the state.

He said the primary functions of the newly created councils are to bring development to the people, market management, revenue mobilisation and generation among many others instrumental to the yearnings of the people.

Aregbesola noted that due consideration had been given to the solvency of the councils pointing out that the system had been planned in such a way that would engender cost -saving while workers in the existing councils would be drafted to man the new LCDAs

According to him, the entire local government system would be managed by Council Managers for three months. They are to be appointed from among the substantive grade level 14 officers in the local government service.
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His words, “Many would be wondering and asking: why create more councils at this special time of financial challenges? We have also given sufficient consideration to this. With this new parliamentary system, it will cost less to run the new councils and save a lot of money for the government than in the past.

“The primary responsibilities of our new local government system are sanitation, market management and revenue mobilisation and generation.This is consistent with local government administration worldwide.

“The beauty of this new system is its parliamentary nature, which requires the chairman and the vice chairman to be elected by the councillors from among their own ranks, thereby saving cost.”

He explained that the creation of additional local government was informed by desire to bring governance close to the people for improved welfare rapid development of the grassroots.

He said, “It is where the government is designed to be closest to the people.