Stop copying every Lagos idea – PDP blasts Aregbesola over proposed new LGs

Rauf Aregbesola

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has lambasted Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, over his plans to create additional 39 local council development areas in addition to the existing 30 in the state.

PDP Director of Media and Strategy in Osun State, Diran Odeyemi, in a statement on Sunday warned that the current financial situation in the state did not allow for creation of new councils.

“The reality in Osun calls for serious planning because the economy of the state now or even in near future cannot cope with 69 local government councils when the state could not generate fund to develop the present councils,” it said.

"This is a poorly conceived idea lacking the understanding and needs of the people of Osun State and its proposed execution at this time shows that governor Aregbesola has lost ideas of what is next in the state.

“The rest of the country must be astonished about a governor that has not been able to fulfill its financial obligations to the workforce and plunge the state economy in crisis, but interestingly planning to create new councils to make Osun as the only state in Nigeria to have 69 councils.”

The PDP stated that rather than taking into consideration the peculiar needs of Osun State and its financial capacity, the governor was busy copying Lagos State programmes even when they were not needed in the state.

“Copying Lagos State is affecting Osun negatively. Buying helicopter, creating LCDAs, planting flowers are all Lagos ideas. Aregbesola is running Osun as a sole administrator. In his first term, it took him almost one year before he could constitute cabinet.

“Again 10 months into his second term, the cabinet has not been formed and may not be formed at all for obvious reasons. Even, when his commissioners were in office, the whole state knows he does not listen to their suggestions. He governs the state as a sole administrator,” PDP said.

The last House of Assembly had passed a bill to establish 39 additional local development areas following a referendum conducted by Osun State Independent Electoral Commission