Renowned Accountant and Local Government Administration expert, Elder Dr Ndoma Odey, has proposed the creation of 12 additional Local Councils Development Authority (LCDA) in Cross River State.
According to him, the LCDA, if created, will complement the efforts of the present administration in ensuring sustainable development at the grassroots and harnessing the economic resources of rural communities in the state.
He noted that the creation of 12 new LCDAs, in addition to the existing 18 LGAs, shall bring the total number of Local Government Areas in the state to 30, with each state constituency qualifying for one.
“The new LCDAs shall be funded by the state government and shall operate as full-fledged Local Government Areas, pending the consequential Act of the National Assembly,” he said.
Dr Odey suggests that given the massive population of the state and its expansive landscape, governance and development find it difficult to penetrate the rural areas with the existing 18 LGA structure.
Hence, there is a need to further divide the state into Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Authorities to facilitate speedy development at the grassroots.
“Apart from attracting development to rural areas, creating LCDAs will bring about administrative convenience and address the concerns and agitations of many minority groups for a Local Government of their own, thereby reducing the number of conflicts in the state.
The Nigerian Tribune reports that Cross River state is not the first or only state clamouring for governance and development to reach its local population. States such as Lagos, Ekiti, and even neighbouring Ebonyi have achieved milestones with this initiative.
The expert maintains that, if implemented, the creation of LCDAs will provide room for healthy competition and growth among Council Areas, create employment opportunities for young people, promote urban and infrastructure development, as well as resolve the menace of intra-state boundary disputes in the state.
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