Opposition parties in Ondo State have opposed the proposal of the governor Rotimi Akeredol-led administration to establish 33 local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state.

Recall that the state executive council approved a recommendation to establish 33 LCDAs in a move that has generated reactions within and outside Ondo State.

Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, the state Commissioner for Information, stated that the names of the proposed LCDAS will be made public once the House of Assembly passed the bill that paved the way for their existence.

The state government argues that the creation of the LCDAs became necessary in order to spread the dividends of governance to the people.

While reacting to the development, the main opposition parties in the state – the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – described the plan as a mere deceptive move, Premium Times reports.

Stephen Adewale, the state chairperson of the SDP, denounced the proposed plan while describing it as an attempt to achieve frivolous political goals.

Ordinarily, one should be pleased with the government’s efforts to bring government closer to the good people of Ondo State with the introduction of 33 Local Council Development Area (LCDA),” Mr Adewale said.

“If passed into law by the State House of Assembly, it would bring our local governments to 51 as the proposed 33 LCDAs are expected to share the same equal power and function with the existing 18 council areas once it becomes law and fully implemented.

“However, we currently have 18 LGAs, but their leadership is powerless and dependent on the state government.

“The situation of the existing LGAs is pathetic enough. In a clime, where the state government continues to milk the resources meant for the existing 18 LGAs, where their leadership are toothless and are at the mercy of the state government, no government would be closer to the people if the trends continue and if local governments are not allowed to operate freely.

“What will now happen to the newly proposed 33 LCDAs if the government is already notorious for starving the current 18 LGs of the funds they constitutionally deserve? Obviously, theirs could be worse.”

On his part, Kennedy Peretei, spokesman for the PDP said, “The State Government has not made public the details of the 33 newly created LCDAs but even at that, the move as far as l am concerned is ill-advised.”

“How can you create new LCDAs when the existing 18 LGAs have not been efficiently run?” he said.

“When salaries are being owed. Have they factored the new personnel burden it will add to an already comatose Ondo State economy?

“When responsive state governments are reeling out palliatives to cushion the hardship induced by the Tinubu-led APC government, somebody is talking about creating LCDAs that they don’t have the funds to operate, it is simply laughable.

“What is more, more that 48 hours after the announcement, nobody knows the identities, nomenclature or locations of the LCDAs. It is a sign of a confused government.”