By Samuel Edu

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Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Mr Olamide Oladiji has renewed calls for the creation of Local Council Development Authorities (LCDAs) in the State, saying it will serve as catalyst for the development of rural areas.

He made the declaration in an interview with Line Editors of The Hope, at the company’s premises in Akure.

Oladiji described the creation of LCDAs earlier proposed by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu as imperative, stressing that it will facilitate the development of rural areas.

He stressed that creation of LCDA will bring governance nearer to the grassroots and enable locals have more access to basic amenities.

The LCDA, according to the Speaker, will get accelerated approval of the state House of Assembly whenever the state Governor approaches the House on it.

“If we succeeded in having the Local Council Development Authorities (LCDAs), it will go a long way in assisting these rural areas and that is why we have been supporting the governor in that direction because if created, it will go a long way in mitigating hardship in the rural areas.

While lamenting that corruption is the major bane of Nigeria’s development, he appealed to the federal government to overhaul all the institutions involved in the anti- corruption crusade.

“Corruption is one of our major problems in this country, you know the story between June 3rd till now, the people that have been arrested on corruption allegations.

Oladiji said some people have shamelessly embezzled what their third generation cannot spend while leaving majority of Nigerians in abject poverty.

He said that this is the reason many poor people were hostile to government because of high level of corruption and the poverty they were subjected to.

“People have been hostile to the government as a result of poverty, youth unemployment, increase in number of people living below poverty line, among others.

“In some communities, if you introduce yourself as a politician, they have no regard for you and this is as a result of the attitude of those who have been managing the affairs of this nation before we came on board.

“All these are not helping us as a nation, it is rather plunging us into deeper state of insecurity and indebtedness.

“You can imagine that Nigeria recently borrowed $800 million, while three  Nigerians reportedly have N11trillion in their accounts, imagine the level of economic buoyancy Nigeria will experience if this money is injected into the nation’s economy.”

He called on the media to assist in re-orientating the public and even politicians on the need to make the people’s welfare a priority.