Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti, signed into law a bill for the establishment of 19 additional local government areas in the state.
Fayemi signed the bill following its passage by the House of Assembly after approval was given to the result of the referendum conducted earlier.
The governor said the policy was not meant to set a trap for the incoming administration of the Governor-elect, Mr Ayodele Fayose.
Fayemi said he decided to create the councils to fulfill the promise he made to the people while campaigning for re-election.
He promised that the state government would bridge all noticeable gaps in the policy to ensure smooth take off of the policy before the end of his tenure on Oct. 15, 2014.
Fayemi explained that the Assets Sharing Committee of the House had visited the affected councils and submitted its report to him.
He promised to implement the recommendations of the reports thoroughly to ensure smooth take-off of the councils.
Fayemi added that the people had been yearning for creation of additional councils long before he came to power in 2010.
He then promised to do everything within the confine of the country’s Constitution for effective functioning of these councils before the end of his administration.
“Soon, we will appoint transitional political functionaries that will begin the process of take-off of these councils for rapid development at grass-roots level where the bulk of our people live,” he said.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Dr Adewale Omirin, said the House decided to key into the policy because of the enormous role the local government system was playing in the lives of rural dwellers.
“We know that local government system forms a critical segment of our development strategy and we need to tap into our rural areas for revenue drive to enhance development.”
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