Ondo State commissioner for information and orientation Bamidele Ademola-Olateju yesterday clarified the fog surrounding the recently created 33 local council development areas (LCDAs) from the 18 local government areas of the state.
Addressing journalists during a media parley in Akure yesterday, Ademola-Olateju said the list will not be made public until the law creating them is passed by the state’s House of Assembly and gazetted.
According to her, the list in circulation did not emanate from the government.
While clarifying that the state Assembly can still think with the LCDAs delegation and areas, hence the need to keep it secret, Ademola-Olateju said “You know, people will leak information but it is inappropriate. LCDAs have been approved by the executives, We all took oaths of secrecy while taking this job and I think we should express fidelity to the oath we’ve taken. I don’t know who leaked it but I condemn it and I say it is inappropriate.”
According to the commissioner, “We have three arms of government. When the executive has decided, it has to be ratified by the House of Assembly. So, giving it to the press was wrong. That is pre-emptive of the House of Assembly. The House can still think with the delegation, the areas.”
Her words: “For instance, let’s say Akure South Local Government has been demarcated to three LCDAs, when it gets to the House, you know, there are political interests and other considerations, they might decide to say we can only have two. So, if we have released it to the public, we will have to go and change it again. That is why it was not given to the press or made public”.
“The fact remains that 33 LCDAs were created in addition to the 18 local government areas but it is still subject to debate, and ratification, and the governor will assent to it. So, the list you are seeing, we completely disown it, it’s inappropriate.
