BREAKING: Court Scraps Ondo 33 Local Council Development Areas Created by Akeredolu

BREAKING: Court Scraps Ondo 33 Local Council Development Areas Created by Akeredolu

  • An Ondo State High Court in Akure has nullified the establishment of 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) formed by past administration
  • Presiding Judge Justice A.O. Adebusuoye ruled that the LCDAs were not unconstitutionally created
  • Governor Rotimi Akeredolu had signed the bill for creating the 33 LCDAs before his demise

An Ondo State High Court in Akure has nullified the establishment of 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) formed by the late former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu's administration, deeming the creation unconstitutional and illegal.

Presiding Judge Justice A.O. Adebusuoye stated that the creation of the LCDAs was not carried out lawfully.

Court takes decision on Ondo LCDAs
Court decides on Ondo LCDAs Photo credit: Rotimi Akeredolu/Lucky Aiyedatiwa
Source: Facebook

Recall that Rotimi Akeredolu, the governor of Ondo, signed the bill creating 33 local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state.

Akeredolu approved the bill on Saturday, following his return from a three-month medical leave.

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The state house of assembly had passed the bill for the creation of the 33 additional councils on August 15, after its third reading.

He said:

"The creation of the LCDAs represents a significant step towards fulfilling his campaign promises and meeting the people's aspirations for improved grassroots development."

Nigerians react

@emma_ocheme said:

"You people should stop giving us half information. Other states had created LCDAs without any court saying otherwise so what is the bases for this judgement?"

@Edwin05526876 said:

"After Lagos State experience during Tinubu's terms as Governor, when Local Council Development Areas were declared UNCONSTITUTIONAL,
It's a surprise some people moved to present same anomaly in the High Court, Ondo. Really strange."

Gov Aiyedatiwa freezes LG accounts

Recall that the newly appointed caretaker chairmen in the 18 local government areas and 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) are facing apprehension over the possibility of being removed by acting governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

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Concerns escalated after Aiyedatiwa froze the accounts of the local councils, and he additionally instructed the recently established LCDA not to initiate new accounts.

Speaking anonymously, one of the interim leaders expressed concern about the reported incident.

The interim chairman explained that Aiyedatiwa took action to establish authority in alignment with his vision and to carve out a distinct identity for himself.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Ezra Ukanwa avatar

Ezra Ukanwa (Editor) Ezra Ukanwa is a Reuters-certified journalist with over 5 years of professional experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication from Anchor University, Lagos. Currently, he is the Politics and Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng, where he brings his expertise to provide incisive, impactful coverage of national events. Ezra was recognized as Best Campus Journalist at the Anchor University Communications Awards in 2019 and is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM). Contact him at: ezra.ukanwa@corp.legit.ng or +2349036989944