Ondo State House of Assembly, today extended the tenure of the Caretaker Chairmen of the 18 Local Government Councils in the state for another six months.
This, according to the House, was to avert any vacuum in the local government administration.
The Speaker, Princess Jumoke Akindele, who presided over the sitting, said the extension of the tenure of the council chairmen was hinged on the need to ensure that the local government councils were not left without administrators.
It would be recalled that there had not been democratic process in the third tier administration since inception of the present Mimiko’s government due to the litigation initiated by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against the present government.
While moving the motion for the extension of the tenure of the local government chairmen, a member of the House, Afolabi Akinsiku, representing Ondo West 1 noted, that polls could not be conducted at the local government councils at present because of legal obstacles.
Seconding the motion, another lawmaker, Adetoro Gbemibade, observed that such extension would afford the council chairmen the opportunity to continue the projects they had initiated at the grassroots.
The House also considered a bill for the establishment of Ondo State University of Medical Sciences.
The bill was moved for second reading by the Majority Leader, Ifedayo Akinsoyinu (Ondo 11) arguing that the university, which would be world class, would ensure the training of professionals in the health sector.
The Deputy Speaker, Dare Emiola, Akoko Southwest(11) commended the efforts of the governor especially in enhancing educational development in the state.
He described the move by the governor to establish a full fledge University of Medical Sciences as a good one, saying it would provide broader platform than a Teaching Hospital.
However, many observers were not favourably disposed to the proposed “Ondo State University of Medical Sciences”.
They are of the opinion that it will remain a white elephant project.
They argued that the existing tertiary institutions in the State, including Adekunle Ajasin University (AAU)Akungba-Akoko, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, (RUGIPO) Owo and Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) Okitipupa were facing myriads of challenges, stressing that the establishment of new University of Medical Sciences would aggravate the problems.
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