Osun holds referendum for creation of new councils

OSUN state moves a step forward towards creation of additional councils as citizens trooped out in large number to vote in a referendum for the decision in various wards across the state.

    The state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, who also participated in the exercise on Monday said that the objective of his administration in conducting a referendum on Local Government creation is in line with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

   The governor stated this after casting his vote at the Ilofin Ward 8 Unit 1 in Ilesa at the on-going referendum on the creation of new local governments in the state by the Osun Independent Electoral Commission {OSSIEC}.

    He justified the public holiday declared in the state yesterday saying the move was intended to enhance effective participation by the people in the referendum.

  The state government in year 2012 set up a committee to look into how the state could create viable local government councils with sustainable socio-economic potentials.

   Prof Mojeed Alabi, a professor of Political Science and a former Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly was made the chairman of the committee, which has since submitted its report to the governor.

      Aregbesola noted the state would do everything possible under the constitution of Nigeria to create Local Governments that will meet all required standards, noting that the basis for the exercise was the genuine desire and consent of the people of Osun.

     He stressed that the state government is determined to ensure that all legal, technical and constitutional procedures are followed to the letter in the council creation processes hence the referendum in all wards of the state.

    His words, “As it is in democracy, what we are trying to do is to feel the pulse of the people to know what their preferences are. I am sure the state will not have any problem as being envisaged by some people because we will do everything possible to meet the constitutional requirement.

   “We are working round the clock as you can see that voting is taking place all over the state to know the feeling of our people on the creation of additional local governments.

    “We will create councils that will meet all constitutional requirements. It is the genuine desire of the people for self-government,” the governor stated.

    The Chairman, Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSIEC, Otunba Oladunjoye Oladitan, held that the essence of conducting the referendum is for OSIEC to know how desirous the local governments to be created are to the people.

   He noted that the turn out of the people of the state in every ward of the existing local governments is overwhelming, saying the result of the referendum will be transmitted to the state House of Assembly.

     He said, “I am particularly shocked with the number of people that trooped out for the exercise, it has clearly shown that the people are actually desirous of additional local governments.

    “Our own assignment is just to conduct a referendum with the voters register at our disposal and there after send the result to the Osun House of Assembly for further action. The turn-out we have witnessed today is overwhelming”.