Youth protest inclusion in new LCDA, demand return to old LG

Hundreds of youths in Uso community in Owo local government area of ​​Ondo State on Saturday took to the streets to protest the inclusion of the community in Owo North-West local government development area without making it a headquarters.

The protesters also criticized the fact that the state government created Owo North-West LCDA and made a smaller town its headquarters at the expense of Uso. According to them, it would have been better if the community had remained under Owo Local Government.

During the protest, the leader of the protesters, Mr. Dare Oluwafemi, said the government had not been fair to the Uso community in the establishment of the LCDAs in Owo area by denying them the headquarters of the Owo North-West LCDA.

He said it was an insult to the community as he had in the past written to the government making it clear that it should no longer include him, “in the distorted, skewed and unfairly set up LCDA which named its headquarters at Emure-Ile instead of Uso.”

According to him, the Uso community faced backwardness due to cultural differences with the Owo people.

He said: “Our position on this matter is that it is a blow to our community to have two supervisor slots while Emure retains five with the chairmanship. Uso has been the economic and political headquarters of the ward since its inception.

“Those elected from the community to the LCDAs Steering Committee declined their membership, which was the reason they did not attend the inauguration.

“All we want is to remain under the administration of Owo Local Government as our community is being denied the headquarters of the poorly established Owo North West LCDA by the late Governor Akeredolu.”

However, the Uso Community Monarch, Oba Ademola Oyinbade, advised the youths to resume their daily activities, assuring them that community leaders would engage the government and other stakeholders to address the problem.

PUNCH Online reports that the State High Court in Akure has declared null and void the newly created 33 LCDAs in the state. The court described the LCDAs, which were created by the former governor of the state, the late Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, as illegal and unlawful.

In the judgment delivered by Justice AO Adebusuoye, the court said it was illegal for a governor to sign a law outside the state, adding that the LG Creation Law 2023, signed by the late Akeredolu in Ibadan, outside the state, was “unconstitutional, illegal, null and void”.

However, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Kayode Ajulo, said the state government had appealed the verdict.