The Ekiti State governor, Kayode
Fayemi, yesterday said that his administration is thinking of creating
local council development areas in the future to boost development at
the grassroots.
The governor who disclosed this while
on a tour of Efon, Ekiti West and Ijero Local Government Areas said
there is the need to follow due process in getting such council
development areas constitutionally recognised.
The governor was responding to comments
by the people of Ekiti West and Ijero that there is the need to carve
out more local government areas from the existing ones to bring
government and development closer to the people.
While noting that the demands for new
council areas are legitimate, Mr Fayemi said the power to create more
councils did not reside in the state government alone but the National
Assembly is expected to play some roles in legitimising such councils.
He said, “My administration will ensure
that local council development areas are created to ensure that the
people in the grassroots enjoy dividends of democracy while
constitutional due process will be followed to transmute them into
full-fledged local government councils.”
Focus on tourism
The governor also stressed that his
administration is ready to develop tourism in Efon and Ekiti West Local
Government Areas, saying the zone is the tourism corridor of the state.
He revealed that the desire of his
government to develop the tourism sector led to the appointment of an
Efon indigene, Segun Ologunleko, who worked on the Tinapa project in
Cross River State, as his Special Adviser on Tourism.
The governor told the people of Ijero council area that his
administration will soon set up a Mineral Development Agency to tap the
abundant solid minerals in the area and curtail the activities of
illegal miners. He said his administration is committed to reducing
unemployment in the state.
