Following the Supreme Court judgment that granted financial independence to local government areas in the country, uncertainty seems to have surrounded the fate of local government Caretaker Committee in the 18 local government areas and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Ondo state.
Though, the state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Wednesday constituted Transition Committees for the 18 local government areas and 33 LCDAs in the state, saying the moves became necessary following the failure of Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC), to conduct the local government elections after a series of postponement.
According to the governor, who said the transition committees are to oversee the affairs of the LGs and LCDAs in the State until the local government election is held by the electoral body, said the appointment takes immediate effect.
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But in the landmark judgment, delivered some 24 hours after the appointment of the Transition Committee, the apex court granted local governments both administrative and fiscal autonomies, declaring that they can only be governed by democratically elected councils.
.The development, however, has left members of the Committee and officials and workers of the local government at crossroads as the judgment emphasised that it takes immediate effect.
Condemning the constitution of the Transition Committee, the opposition party in the state, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described Aiyedatiwa’s action as a flagrant disrespect to an earlier judgment by an Ondo State High Court. Speaking, the PDP Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Peretei, said “It is the height of lawlessness and impunity for Aiyedatiwa to appoint Committees for LCDAs that are non-existent in the eyes of the law.
