New Ekiti LCDAs Take Off As Assembly Passes Bill

By Ayodele Oni

The newly created 19 Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) in Ekiti State, will take off anytime from now.

This followed the passage of a bill to that effect on Wednesday by the state House of Assembly.

The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Olawale Fapohunda had announced on Tuesday that the executive bill and another one on Judicial Autonomy had been sent to the Assembly.

With the creation of 19 LCDA, the state now has 35 Local Councils. They are to function in that capacity until the National Assembly amends the 1999 constitution to reflect the new status.

The bill was unanimously passed at Wednesday’s plenary held in Ado-Ekiti and presided over by the Speaker, Rt Hon. Funminiyi Afuye.

The proposed new LCDAs are, Ado Central, Ado North, Ado West, Ajoni and Gbonyin.

Others are, Ifeloju, Araromi, Ekameta, Ekiti South East and Ero.

The approved  Councils, also, included Ifedara, Ifesowapo, Igbara Odo/Ogotun, Ikere West and Ikole West. The rest are, Irede, Irewolede, Isokan and Okemesi.

The Lawmakers commended Governor Kayode Fayemi for the initiative which they believed would further bring development closer to people at the grassroots.

The LCDAs were first created at the tail end of Governor Fayemi’s first term in 2014 but were abolished b former Governor Ayo Fayose on his assumption of office.

Process for their creation began in earnest in 2017 when Fayemi won election with the setting up of a committee to collate memoranda from interested communities.