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The Ondo State High Court, yesterday, declared the 33 Local Government Development Areas (LCDAs) created by the late governor of the state, Rotimi Akeredolu, as unconstitutional and illegal.
Justice A.O Adebusuoye said the LCDAs were not lawfully created and described them as inchoate.
Leaders of the four local governments in Akokoland, had approached the court to challenge the creation of the LCDAs in the area, alleging marginalisation of the area. The leaders of the Akokoland, which include, Akoko Southeast, Akoko Southwest, Akoko Northwest, and Akoko Northeast, through their lawyers, Mr Tolu Babaleye, dragged the state government to court, challenging the marginalisation in the creation of the LCDAs.
However, Justice Adebusoye, in his judgment, held that the creation of the LCDAS did not comply with sections 7 and 8 of the 1999 constitution. He also agreed with the leaders of the four local government areas that there was no equitable distribution of the council areas among the existing local governments in the state.
Hailing the judgement, the Akokoland leaders, under the umbrella of the Akoko Development Initiative (ADI), who filed the suit, said the decision of the court represented the true position of law. The ADI, in a statement signed by the claimants in the suit, including the former Speaker of State House of Assembly, Bakitta Bello, Matthew Ofosile, and Lawal Rogbitan, said the judgment of the court represented the true position of law and the aspiration of the people of the four local governments of Akoko.
They said they noticed the lopsidedness in the recommendation from the Executive Council to the State House of Assembly for the creation of the 33 LCDAs, in July 2023, and made representation to the government in letters addressed to the governor and the Attorney General, to correct the injustice meted to individual local government areas and the entire Akoko land. They said there was no adjustment made to the error pointed to the Executive Council before it forwarded its recommendation to the Ondo State House of Assembly for legislation.
They said: “Given the protest at the House of Assembly by aggrieved citizens across the State, the House of Assembly adjusted her time-table, which was designed to pass the bill in one sitting, to accommodate a hurriedly arranged public hearing on the bill.
“Representatives of local governments in Akoko presented memoranda at the hearing, which was backed up with adequate records and data to assist the House arrive at equitable decisions. For instance, Akoko South West, which was the largest local government area in the state with 15 wards and two state constituencies, had only one LCDA carved out of it, while Ose local government area, with one state constituency, had one too.
“In the overall consideration, the Owo ethnic group, with originally two local government areas, was subdivided into eight LCDAs, while Akoko was originally four local government areas.
was subdivided into nine LCDAs. The fact that both ethnic divisions make up the Ondo North Senatorial district made the arrangement sinister.
“Despite the veracity of the data presented before the House of Assembly to prove the lopsidedness of the LCDA creation, the House went ahead to pass the flawed bill into Law. We had no choice as law-abiding citizens of Ondo State, but to approach the court for redress. More so, the bill was signed into law on of September 9, 2023.”
The leaders said they were grateful that the outcome of the case has vindicated their decision to approach the law court for adjudication.
They said: “The court did not only make informed declarations that support our position, it granted sufficient reliefs to safeguard the aspirations of the Akoko people and, indeed, other ethnic groups in Ondo State to coexist with one another in a peaceful environment conducive for even and sustainable development in our political, social, religious and economic life.
“We do not take for granted that justice will come to us on a platter of gold. We are, therefore, resolute and determined to always fight for it, no matter the obstacles that may come and the quarter from which they may emerge.
“We hope that the outcome of this process will serve as a guide to the government and the people of our Sunshine State in the handling of our public affairs in the future, beginning from now. We should understand and implement our statutes for the good of all, without fear or favour, and focus, at all times, on fairness, equity, and justice to build, jointly, the egalitarian society that we deserve”.
