By Bimbola Oyesola
chairman, Ogun State Local Government Service Commission, Rotimi Rahmon, has said that the creation of Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) is vital for equal development at the grassroots level.
While commending Governor Ibikunle Amosun on the successful creation and takeoff of 37 LCDAs, he said the initiative resulted in combating daunting economic and political challenges threatening the councils.
He said the councils would receive some level of supports on monthly basis. He added that economic peculiarities in each local government and LCDA would be identified and exploited.
He noted that 32 out of the newly created LCDAs have befitting head offices while the remaining five have structures either donated by members of the community or leased.
Rahmon said in the last one month, the governor supported the commission to train the workforce across all cadres particularly in Change Management Strategies, through series of work group meetings to further prepare them for the task ahead: “The commission has began posting of her members of staff to these LCDAs to take up various professional responsibilities and duties.”
He expressed reservation on the present agitation for local government autonomy: “Agitations for autonomy without adequate financial independence would still prevent local governments across the country their financial obligations to the people.
“The present sharing formula does not reflect fairness, equity and justice. The Federal Government arrogates 52.6 percent of the federal allocation to herself, while 36 states and 774 local governments are left with 47.4 percent to share among themselves. In effect, these facts and figures must be looked into and duly addressed for the sustenance of the autonomy given to local governments.”