Party that it is an attempt to destabilise the in-coming administration.
Governor Fayemi stated this in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday while signing into law the Bill for the Creation of Local Government Areas (2014) following its passage by the state House of Assembly.
The State House of Assembly had ratified the outcome of the referendum conducted by the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC), where the people of the state expressed their support for the creation of the new councils.
Governor Fayemi, at the signing ceremony witnessed by members of the state Assembly and state executive council, asserted that the creation of the new councils was not only a fulfilment of the yearnings of the people but also an exercise in accordance with the nation’s Constitution.
He stressed that his administration has finally fulfilled the aspiration of Ekiti people on council creation.
He said that the demand for new councils has always topped the list of requests by many communities during his annual Town Hall and Village Square meetings in Ekiti communities in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Fayemi said: “This is a promise fulfilled following the yearnings of Ekiti people, yearnings that predated the commencement of our time in office in October 2010.
“We will all recall that the first executive governor of this state had attempted to create new local government areas before the end of his tenure in office. That was not to be. But our people never stopped requesting for additional local governments in order to bring development closer to them.
“This is not a political trap for anyone, I must say that. This is without prejudice to whatever transition arrangements that are being put in place because these are minimum irreducible demands of Ekiti people.
“What we have done is simply to fulfil the yearnings of our people, and we hope that succeeding administrations in the state will build on this effort,” the Governor explained.
According to the Governor, the new local government areas would come into immediate effect in all the areas affected “following necessary assets sharing and the necessary implementation of administrative responsibility”.
Fayemi who stated that new transitional political leadership would be appointed for the council assured that the present administration “will do everything within the constitutional ambit to ensure the effective functioning of these councils till the end of this tenure in October”.
The Governor commended the Justice Akin Ajakaye-led committee that worked on the council creation, the State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC) and the state House of Assembly for their selfless efforts in ensuring that the yearnings of the people were finally actualised.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin said the signing of the Council Creation bill into law was aimed at promoting rural growth and development of the people.
The Speaker added that criticisms from any quarters would not distract the Assembly from performing its duties, especially when it has to do with allowing the masses enjoy the dividends of democracy.
At the event were the Deputy Governor of the State, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly, Chief Adetunji Orisalade, members of the State House of Assembly as well as members of the State Executive Council.
Many of the communities in the newly created council areas, it was gathered, had donated buildings to house the new council headquarters, while arrangements had reached advanced stage for the deployment of core staff to the new councils.
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