Ekiti to create 18 LCDAs • Decision ‘ungentlemanly’ — Fayose

THE Ekiti State government is set to create additional 18 ‘Council Development Areas’ in addition to the existing local government areas in the state, saying the move is based on “the recommendations of the White Paper Committee set up by the government.” A statement made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti by the state Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr Tayo Ekundayo, on Thursday, said the state executive council approved the creation of the new council development areas and added that they would be created after a referendum by the state’s electoral commission. Ekundayo said: “The new council areas are to be created from the existing 16 local government areas of the state after the conduct of a referendum by the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) and consideration of the outcome of the referendum by the Ekiti State House of Assembly.” According to him, “the 18 new council areas are to operate as Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) pending the concurrence of the National Assembly, which would accord them the status of full fledged local government councils.” He said the new councils and their proposed headquarters as contained in the White Paper and approved by the state executive council are as follows: Ado West LCDA - Okesha; Ado-North LCDA, Oke–Ila; Ado-Central LCDA, Ijigbo; Ekiti North-East LCDA, Kota-Ekiti; Ogotun/ Igbaraodo LCDA, Oke- Agbe and Osi/Isokan LCDA, Ifaki. The statement listed others as: Eka Meta LCDA, Erijiyan- Ekiti; Okemesi/Ido Ile LCDA, Okemesi-Ekiti; Gbonyin LCDA, Aisegba; Irewolede LCDA, Iloro- Ekiti; Irede LCDA, Ipoti-Ekiti and Ikere West LCDA, Anaye. Others are Ajoni LCDA, Aiyedun; Ifelodun LCDA, Igbemo–Ekiti; Araromi LCDA, Iyin–Ekiti; Ero LCDA, Igogo; Ifesowapo LCDA, Bamisile Land and Ifeloju LCDA, Ilupeju- Ekiti. But the in-coming governor of the state, Mr Ayo Fayose, in reaction to the decision on the coming new LCDAs, said it was “ungentlemanly for the Dr. Kayode Fayemi administration to be creating local government areas at the twilight of his administration.” He also expressed his displeasure at what he described as the moves by the outgoing government in the state to employ people at this time in the life of the administration.