Creation of LCDAs in Ondo Laudable –Odogbo of Omi
His Royal Highness Olusola Akinyelure, Ajiboye Akinyelu lll, the Odogbo of Omi, in Ondo State, is a journalist, and former legislative aide to a senator. In this interview with BIYI ADEGOROYE he speaks about the recent creation of local government administration in the state and other issues
What is you view about the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) recently created in Ondo State?
Very, very good, timely and relevant. You know that it was an error on the part of the Federal Government to have assumed that responsibility in the first place. In true federalism the Federal Government should not be creating local governments, but the state. In my own concept of federalism, it is a function of two levels of governments – central government and state governments. It is the prerogative of the state government to create local government through the State House of Assembly. But the military bastardised the whole thing without looking at the viability of the states and local governments.
That is why God will continue to bless President Bola Tinubu. He broke the jinx in Lagos State and created LCDAs. Today, you can see that development has been coming to the grassroots, the country side to the central, not the other way round. And the only vehicle to propel this is the local governments. That is why it is called local government. The creation was even long overdue. Today, Irele local government has been di- vided into two, the former zone two from Omi to Iyasan, then Irele with its wards, along with many villages.
Irele deserves it because it has highest number of villages and population even in the whole Ikale land. It was a kind of cheating. Today, since it has been made public through the pronouncement of state assembly, you will see development. Iyansan will have access to Ajagba, Akotogbo will have access to Ajagba, because it is a nodal town. You will see development in the whole area unlike before when development was concentrated in Irele alone.
And in the future too, I am sure Tinubu will gravitate Nigeria to true federalism, when that happens, these LCDAs will be pronounced local governments. How would you describe development in your domain since your coronation? I don’t think I am the best position to assess myself, but in view of the visible development at Ode Omi, whatever I would say is based on the reality on ground and people can attest to it. I was coronated four years ago, on August 6, 2019, what I have done is to carry out an expansion programme.
I motivated my people far and near to come and develop their property in the town. I disabused their minds against this fear that ‘if I build in my town I will die.’ I was able to persuade a couple of our men who retired in Abuja. For example, one of the engineers who retired as a director in Abuja responded. I made it clear that wherever you are, if you detach yourself from your roots, you are as good as an ordinary person.
Even in the Bible, the Israelites were so close to their roots to the extent that they attached their culture to the worship of Yaweh, the Supreme God. So, if you detach yourself from your roots, you will not be properly placed in the world of culture and citizenship and they responded.
What were some developmental needs of the town which you identified after your coronation four years ago and how have you addressed them?
I discovered that for many years the whole of the southern parts of Ondo State had no power supply. So, we carried out illumination of the town, by providing solar power. This is because we believe that when there is light, development follows. So, I attracted streetlight to all the major streets at Omi, and today, if you come to this place at night, you would think you are at Oshodi in Lagos. And I make sure that, depending on the length of the street, you will see a minimum of two streetlights apart from the major streets.
I have ensured that access roads and bridges to all adjacent towns are completed to link them to the town. I moblised the stakeholders and we contributed huge sum of money to execute the project and today they have free access to their farms. Some of my people were building their houses outside the town but I encouraged them to come home. Today the new site in the town is thrice as big as the original size. We also made sure that our secondary school wear a new look.
We used to have about five blocks of classrooms and after speaking with some of the descendants of the town, and we attracted construction of a building in the school. Today, only Community Grammar School, is the only school in the local government that has a story building- comprising bocks of classrooms. We have a cafeteria, library and new administrative staff rooms. It is the most beautiful secondary school in Irele Local Government. I now embarked on public relations on how to market Omi.
It is one of the major towns in Ikale land. In Irele Local Government, we were the first settlers here before other people came to meet Omi. But the town was given different names, and I had to do programme to publicise it, brought people from all over Nigeria, do media coverage. I used to go to Awawa Radio, Ajulene, to give publicity. Today, before you mention three town in the who Ikale, Omi will be mentioned. These and many others I have achieved.
Do you have any empowerment program for the people?
Let me use these opportunities to thank the elites of Omi town, because there is a great cooperation among them, maybe because we are not too big, they see me as a force for progressiveness. They saw my vision and they continue to drive that development plan. The school I mentioned is one of their achievements, and let me not forget, there is a Grade A Customary Court at Omi today.
We built it along with the town hall, and they have been commissioned and as at last week, they have handled eight cases there. Our Youth Copers’ Lodge is almost at the stage of completion. It was built by the contribution of the elites. We are currently arranging to put more of the elites in the mainstream of things so that they drive the development agenda in the town.
