LCDA creation: Monarchs demand headquarters for Osi-Ekiti

From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti

Some traditional rulers in Ekiti State have demanded creation of Local Council Development Authorities (LCDA) from the existing Ido-Osi Local Government Area in the State.

The traditional rulers added that the headquarters of the LCDA should be sited in Osi-Ekiti.

The monarchs directed the submission to the Committee set up by Governor Kayode Fayemi to superintend the creation of Local Council Development Authorities(LCDAs) in the State.

The monarchs also called on the Committee to embrace justice and fairness in the location of the headquarters of the LCDAs

The traditional rulers from the Ido Osi Local Government who made the appeal are the Olosi of Osi-Ekiti, Oba Oladiran Adewoye Agunbiade, Olugbole of Igbole-Ekiti, Oba Emmanuel Olugbenga Ajayi and the Onifisin of Ifisin Ekiti, Oba Folarin Fabunmi.

The monarchs represented by the Olosi-in-Council made the call on Friday in Ado-Ekiti while addressing the committee on creation of LCDAs.

The monarchs in a paper presented to the committee, expressed optimism that the committee would study their request and do justice to it.

The traditional rulers commended Governor Kayode Fayemi for putting machinery in motion to consider creating LCDAs in the state to bring government closer to the people and for administrative convenience.

“The creation of a local government from Igbole-Osi-Ifisin axis will bring governance closer to the people and ensure administrative convenience.

“This agitation has been on for a long time and that accounted for the recognition granted Osi Ekiti when a new local government was carved out of the old Ero Council and named Ido/Osi local government that is in existent today.”

Also speaking for the delegation, the Odofin of Osi Ekiti, Engr. Olaiya Faturoti, disclosed that similar agitations have been made and presented to successive governments and committees between 1955, 1995, 2003 and 2014.

Faturoti said Ido and Osi were the two paramount land owners in the local government since time immemorial.

” Ido-Ekiti has been the headquarters of the LGA existing since creation and Osi should be headquarters of LCDA to be created soon in the spirit of fairness and Justice.

“We do not have the official figure of the number of LCDAs to be created out of the existing 16 LGAs. Our position however is that, if any LCDA is to be created out of the extant Ido/Osi LGA, then an Osi LCDA, with headquarters in Osi Ekiti must be the first consideration.”

He said Ifisin and Igbole Ekiti and few others have expressed their readiness to working with Osi as the headquarters of the proposed LCDA.

“In view of the settled history of local government administration in what constitutes Ido/Osi LGA today, it is difficult to understand or argue any basis why the headquarters of the proposed LCDA should not be in Osi-Ekiti”. The Chairman noted.

He urged the committee to be conscious of the implications of whatever actions that would be taken, so that such actions do not run foul of the laws and the tradition of the people that have existed from time immemorial.

“Placing Osi-Ekiti under any smaller community, weather in the name of citing of the LCDA, may be rightly regarded as an attempt to denigrate and degrade the Osi Ekiti community and its revered traditional institutions”, he stated.