Normalcy returns to Ondo LCDA secretariat as Vice Chairman resumes

Normalcy seems to have returned to the newly created Odigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) as the appointed officials resumed at their various offices on Monday.

The residents of the LCDA last Tuesday had kicked over the screening and clearing of a grassroots politician of Igbo extraction, Hon Eucharia Nwamara, as the Vice Chairperson of the newly created LCDA.

Speaking to the new Vice-Chairperson of the LCDA, Nwamara, while speaking with our correspondent said normalcy has returned to the LCDA, saying we resumed work today, there is no problem, everywhere is peaceful.

It will be recalled that the people of the area protested over the listing of Nwamara
among the officials of the new LCDA, saying Nwamara is not from the area.

But Nwamara who was among the screened and cleared caretaker committee by the Ondo state House of Assembly, was appointed as the new vice chairman of Odigbo LCDA.

It will be recalled that residents of Odigbo community had earlier protested against the appointment of Nwamara as chairman of the Odigbo LCDA.

The residents kicked against kicked a non-Yoruba heading the affairs of the local government and advocated for an indigene as the pioneer chairman of the new LCDA.

The protesters declared that Nwamara is an Igbo associate of the wife of the state governor, Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, and the plan to impose her ( Nwamara) would not be permitted for the new LCDA.

The community said the alleged plan to impose an Igbo politician of the new LCDA would disturb peace in the community.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has criticised the screening and approval of the caretaker committees for the LCDAs in the state.

The PDP in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Leye Igbagbo, said the exercise violated the 1999 constitution and the local government system, establishment and administration, and other auxiliary matters law of Ondo state 2006.

According to him, it was unbelievable that those who were supposed to make laws for the state were the same persons breaking the law.

Igbagbo said that the screening of the caretaker committees was null and void, saying the appointment of the committees was an attempt to derail the local government elections scheduled for February 17, 2024.

He said the plan to derail the local polls by the ruling party was because the Ondo APC was not in a form to have a good showing at the polls.

He said: “The Ondo state House of Assembly should not make itself a willing agent in the hands of those who are hell-bent on driving the state towards a huge rock.

“This public show of shame must stop for once because the consequences of damaging the very constitution that binds us together are better left unimagined.”

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