The Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredoluhas accepted a bill creating 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state.
The bill was presented to the governor for approval by the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Oladiji Olamide, in a brief ceremony.
A statement on Saturday by the governor’s spokesperson, Richard Olatunde, said the Vice President, Abayomi Akinruntan; Majority Leader, Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi; and the Parliamentary Secretary, Moyinolorun Ogunwumiju; They were at the ceremony.
The governor accepted the creation of the new councils despite sectors of the state describing it as “unfair.”
Akoko communities have complained that they were not given the proper number of local governments, while Ese-Odo communities said a portion of their territory was ceded to another local government area.
The groups in Akure also alleged that the Akure South and Akure North local government areas were defrauded in the process.
The 33 LCDAs emerged from the 18 local government areas of the state enumerated in the Nigerian constitution.
The bill to create the LCDA was approved by the House shortly after being presented by the executive arm in July.
The governor’s spokesperson, Olatunde, described the establishment of the LCDAs as a substantial step towards fulfilling Akeredolu’s campaign promises and addressing the aspirations of the people for greater grassroots development.
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He said the governor remains dedicated to implementing impactful projects and initiatives for the development of the state.
On Friday, the governor formally resumed his duties after writing to inform the House of Assembly of his return.
Signing the bill was his first obligation since returning from a three-month medical leave in Germany.
When he began his leave in June, he wrote to lawmakers to officially transfer power to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as acting governor.