Hundreds of youths in Uso Community in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State on Saturday took to the streets to protest the inclusion of the community in Owo North-West Local Government Development Area without making it a headquarters.
The protesters also faulted the state government’s creation of Owo North-West LCDA but made a smaller town the headquarters at the expense of Uso, saying it would have been good for the community to be left under Owo Local Government.
Speaking during the protest, the leader of the protesters, Mr Dare Oluwafemi said the government had not been fair to the Uso community in the creation of the LCDAs in the Owo area by denying them the headquarters of the Owo North-West LCDA.
He said it was an affront to the community, having in the past written and made it clear to the government to desist from including it, “In the aberrantly, lopsidedly and unfairly created LCDA which named the headquarters in Emure-Ile instead of Uso.”
According to him, the Uso community had suffered deprivation due to its cultural differences with the Owo people.
He said, “Our position on this matter is that it is a slap on our community to be given two slots of supervisors, while Emure retains five with the chairmanship position. Uso has been the economic and political headquarters of the ward since its creation
Those chosen from the community in the steering committee of the LCDAs have rejected their membership which was the reason they did not attend the inauguration.
“All we want is to remain under the administration of Owo Local Government Area as our community is being denied the headquarters of the late Governor Akeredolu ill-created Owo North West LCDA.”
However, the monarch of the Uso community, Oba Ademola Oyinbade, advised the youths to return to their daily activities and assured them that the leadership of the community would engage the government and stakeholders to address the issue.
PUNCH Online reports that the state High Court sitting in Akure, nullified the newly created 33 LCDAs in the state. The court described the LCDAs, which were created by the immediate former governor of the state, late Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, as illegal and unlawful.
In the judgment delivered by Justice A.O Adebusuoye, the court said it was illegal for a governor to sign a law outside the state, adding that the LG Creation Law 2023 signed by late Akeredolu in Ibadan, outside the state, was “Unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.”
However, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Kayode Ajulo, said the state government had filed an appeal against the judgement.
(PUNCH)