AAC queried the essence of LCDAs when at the end of the day, they serve as conduit pipes for greedy elements to swindle the people's resources and also help the governor to keep the local councils almost useless.
The African Action Congress (AAC) campaign in Ondo State has accused the state governor of turning local governments to yet another "Automated Teller Machine" to siphon resources and settle his kitchen cabinet and structures.
Abiodun Lijofi, the spokesperson of the AAC's Ajayi/Dada IrapadaOndo 2024 Gubernatorial Campaign Committee in a statement on Monday, said the party opposed Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa's efforts to keep the local councils under through his stern hatred of local government autonomy.
AAC queried the essence of LCDAs when at the end of the day, they serve as conduit pipes for greedy elements to swindle the people's resources and also help the governor to keep the local councils almost useless.
The statement reads in part; "For the past few days, both Ex-Deputies of Late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu who are the candidates of the APC and PDP have been roaring so loud in the airwaves and newspapers about the Court cancellation of the newly created LCDAs, without saying anything tangible or even relevant to the current sorry situations in our beloved Ondo State.
"On the part of Kunle 'Wizeman' Ajayi and Dada Olusanya David of the African Action Congress (AAC,) both Aiyedatiwa and Agboola are rather turning a very serious issue into Bolekaja rants.
"As our candidate posited recently; "the qualms about the LCDAs in the Local Government Council system in Ondo State is a jamboree talk. What matters is how much autonomous the Local Councils are, and how much they have been able to engender the redistribution of wealth in a state where 27% of the population are below poverty level while 24.7% are unemployed.
"For #IrapadaOndo, we need the Local Government to be autonomous and also to redistribute the collective wealth such that unemployment and poverty will be knocked to near extinction.
"Whether the LCDAs are over a thousand, what is the gain if the people of Ondo State are still going through masses suffering, pains and hardships? What is the essence of LCDAs when at the end of the day they serve as conduit pipes for greedy elements to swindle the people's resources and also help the governors to keep the Local Councils almost useless?
"It is clear that Governor Aiyedatiwa is a tyrannical element who is one of the governors in court to stop the attempts at Local Government Autonomy as is being pursued by the Federal Government and Local Government administrators and workers.
"Governor Aiyedatiwa never want the autonomy of the LGs, just as he is using the State House of Assembly to hoodwink and usurp the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Council (OSOPADEC.) All what the governor is interested in is primitive accumulation and the haranguing of state powers and resources.
"AAC also believes that Agboola Ajayi is busy saying nothing as his only sentiment is that Aiyedatiwa is betraying his Late boss who initiated the LCDAs. Agboola was an LG Chair, and till date, his own hometown does not have electricity. Rather, he enriched himself and used the seat to rise politically while neglecting the great people of Ese-Odo LG.
"Our position is clear that we oppose Governor Aiyedatiwa's efforts to keep the Local Councils under through his Stern hatred of Local Government Autonomy. The LGs are the closest to the people, but governors have turned them to yet another ATM to siphon resources and settle their kitchen cabinets and structures.
"We also believe that Agboola Ajayi cannot give what he doesn't have as he himself never believe in the autonomy, growth and development of the Local Councils.
"We call Ondo State people to snub the rants of these elements who seek to come continuing the bad governance that has kept Ondo State in retrogressions and economic backwardness.
"AAC will ensure the just and massive redistribution of people's wealth through the Local Councils and even the communities. We will govern and lead from below. We will allow the people to self-development and democracy. We will walk out talks and not just shout for the sake of the press and deceiving the people of Ondo State.
"Both Aiyedatiwa and Agboola Ajayi do not believe in the truism of the Local Government system. This is why they hate LG autonomy, democracy from below, and the expected redistribution of wealth. IrapadaOndo is a must. We call on all our people to know that our standards are the great leaders of the old, not all these accidents of history whose stock in trade is deceit, greed, and the irritating lust for power."