Screening for chairmen of Caretaker Committees and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Oyo State commenced on Tuesday, amid the presence of security men in and outside the State Secretariat, Ibadan, the state capital.
The exit gate to the state secretariat was locked while entrants into the House of Assembly complex were screened by security men.
The screening exercise conducted by the Oyo House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, began after the Speaker of the Assembly, Honourable Micheal Adeyemo, reeled out the names of the chairman nominees for 28 local government areas and 29 LCDAs, at Tuesday’s plenary.
There was, however, the exclusion of nominees for Atiba, Afijio, Oyo West, Oyo East, Oriire Local Government areas and their LCDAs, owing to a litigation by some chiefs of the areas challenging the recent creation of LCDAs in the state.
The list forwarded by Governor Abiola Ajimobi to the Assembly includes, son of former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, Olamijuwonlo, Ogbomoso North LG; half-brother to Governor Ajimobi, Teslim, Ibadan South East LG; son of the late Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana, Gbade, Ibadan North East, LCDA.
Others are Fatai Ajadi, Ibarapa North East LCDA; Bosun Ajuwon, Ibadan North West LG; Salawu Moroof, Saki East LG; Ogunrinde Gbenjo, Olorunsogo LG; Akanni Abolade, Iseyin LG; Babarinde Olatunbosun, Ogo Oluwa LG.
Upon confirmation by the Assembly, the caretaker chairmen are to serve for three months.
The Speaker of the Assembly said that though, the Assembly was given a mandate to accelerate the screening and confirmation of the nominees, the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, was not under undue pressure to carry out the processes.
Meanwhile, following an open protest against the nomination of candidates for local governments and LCDAs transition committees by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, the party in the state has appealed to members to remain calm, advising them to channel their grievances through the party hierrarchy.
Also, the Oke-Ogun chapter of the party has dissociated itself from the open protest, adding that the party is one and has no complain over the list.
This position was made known in statements made available to the Nigerian Tribune and signed by the Director of Publicity and Strategy of APC in the state, Olawale Sadare, while that of the Oke-Ogun chapter, was signed by its chairman and secretary, Chief Samuel Adekola and Mr Kareem Tijani, respectively.
Sadare, in his statement stated that: “”Peaceful protest, especially, in a democracy, is an inalienable right of citizens who feel aggrieved over issues of individual or public concern.
“Therefore, the leadership of APC in the state cannot condemn peaceful
demonstration even though, one would have expected the protesters to channel their grievances through the party since the governor is also a member of the party.
“However, if what we heard about the protest is true, we would like our people to be calm because the said list is a stop-gap necessitated by the litigation which led to the suspension of the conduct of local government election as earlier planned.
Also, the APC in Oke-Ogun statement reads: “Contrary to the recent reports in the media alluding to disagreements among members of our party in Oyo State, we as leaders wish to state clearly that our party remains one.
“This position corroborates the admonition of our leader in the state,
Senator Abiola Ajimobi, to our members recently during a meeting at Lafia Hotel, Ibadan, that all members should shun divisive tendencies and forge ahead as one indivisible party,
“The party is not unaware of some complaints arising from the recently re constituted careaker committee members, we take this grumblings in good faith as part of ingredients of democracy, the party has taken note of it.
Speaking after his screening, Olamijuwonlo Alao -Akala said the welfare of the people was paramount in his venturing into politics.
Noting the peculiarities of his area, Babarinde Olatunbosun of Ogo Oluwa West LCDA ,said his focus would be on empowering farmers and traders.
and then