The Oyo State House of Assembly has passed the local government amendment bill 2016, which makes for the creation of 35 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, in the state.
This followed the adoption of a report by the committee on local government, chieftaincy matters and state honours.
Oyo state already has 33 local Government Areas, which are reportedly having financial constraints.
The bill was unanimously approved during the state assembly plenary presided over by the speaker, Michael Adeyemo.
The speaker commended members of the assembly for their inputs to the bill, adding that it would bring government closer to the grassroots when signed into law by the governor.
However, the passage of the bill was not without controversy as some lawmakers insisted that the distribution of the LCDAs was lopsided.
Ganiyu Oseni, representing Irepo/Olorunsogo, insisted that the allocation of 11 LCDAs to Ibadan zone was unfair compared to the number allocated to other zones in the state.
Similarly, Muideen Olagunju of East-Oyo west, noted that some citizens of the state were dissatisfied with the distribution of LCDAs.
Fatai Adesina and Gbenga Oyekola, expressed scepticism about the viability of the new LCDAs given that the 33 local government areas in the state were having financial difficulties.
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