Amosun’s proposed 37 LCDAs creation is self – serving and needles – PDP group
A group within the People’s Democratic Party in Ogun State, the PDP Action Movement (PAM) has rejected the decision of the state government to create 37 LCDAs in addition to the existing 20 local governments that is statutorily recognized by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The group in a statement by its Spokesperson, Alhaji Lukmon Adunmo described the venture as “self-serving and needless”.
PAM while extolling the need for government to get closer to the governed says, “Whereas, there is nothing essentially wrong in having government getting closer to the people as it hastens development and integration but as desirable as they may be, their creation must meet certain fundamentals; which to all intents and purposes have not been met in this instance”.
The group also accused the State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun of bastardizing the existing local government councils.
“Since the advent of the current government in 2011, the existing 20 local government structure have been bastardised and rendered comatose”.
“Their statutory responsibilities have been usurped and grossly underfunded by the state government. This has led to non-payment of different emoluments to workers in the LG and the traditional rulers as well. Even when they get paid, it is usually delayed. Virtually all the local councils under this administration have not been able to carry out any significant project. Grinding poverty pervades the nooks and crannies of the council areas”, the statement reads.
In rejecting the proposed LCDAs, the group wondered what the real rationale behind their creation.
PAM further raised pertinent posers which includes:
“Was there a referendum where the people of Ogun state expressed their desires to have these new units at this time?”
“With the creation of LCDA’s, there will be increment in the recurrent expenditure in each of the local governments without concomitant increment in the source(s) of revenue that is accruable to each of the local government going by the system that the LG’s and LCDA’s operates with”
“How will the numbers of political functionaries and work force in each of the local governments and new LCDA’s get paid as the volume of the local government funds that will go into payment of salaries and entitlements of staffs will become higher thereby reducing the fund that ought to go into capital projects and development?”
“As at today, the entire workforce of the state has downed tools owing to the inability of the government to meet up several months of unpaid deductions which has brought untold hardship. Without mincing words, it is glaring that the government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun is only playing to the gallery with this proposed creation of LCDAs that are not viable and unnecessary at the moment at least”.
“To reinforce our opinion, we wish to ask again: How effective are the existing local governments being administered within the last 5 years? How many Local Government projects has his Excellency commissioned throughout the state since his assumption of office?”
“Here is a government that has become incapable of paying the allowances of political office holders and other government functionaries in the local governments across the state; A government that is alarmingly deficient in running the public primary schools in the state and local levels; A government that is unable to run state and local healthcare centers efficiently and also provide portable water for the masses at the grassroots”.
The group likened the LCDA creation to a case of ” a man who failed woefully to manage and feed his 20 children but is desirous of having more kids by impregnating 37 women”.
The group asked, “Will this addition be a blessing or curse to such an individual?”
Governor Amosun was also warned to desist from following luxurious antecedents of Lagos in council creation.
“Lagos state could afford the luxury of additional councils because of its huge revenue base. Must the developmental template for Lagos State that generates over N20b a month be adopted for Ogun State that generates under N2b a month? We advise the governor to undertake a course on cost-benefit analysis as he seems to be lagging behind on this important aspect of his accounting profession”.
“To say this is a misplaced priority is an understatement. There is no doubt that this is a deliberate and calculated avenue to selfishly position his docile and idle loyalists in the nooks and crannies of the state at the expense of the existing but now moribund local governments”.
The group implored the Ogun State House of Assembly to throw the bill into the bin.
“We now remind the members of the OGHA that the confidence reposed on them by the people’s mandate will be put to test by how they dispense with this selfish, counterproductive and repugnant bill. Should it scale through, the future of Ogun State Local governments will be totally mortgaged. Posterity will judge anyone who throws his or her weight behind this asinine move”.
“Finally, PAM demands that the Ogun state House of Assembly throw the bill into the bin. It is unnecessary, self-seeking, ludicrous and not the immediate need of the people of Ogun state that have been economically assaulted and socially brutalized by the regime”.
“The creation of the LCDA’s has started causing uproar in the state because of its lopsidedness and rewriting of history in the state by this administration. Examples of this is the removal of Orile oko from being part of Remo Federal constituency and the alleged continued marginalization of Yewa/Awori axis of the state”
