Aregbesola Challenges New LGs on Revenue Generation

By

Kehinde Ayantunji

The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has challenged the Heads of the newly-created Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) in the state to concentrate on Internally Generated Revenue for the council to be self-sustainable.

He said obviously, the national resources that every tiers of government rely on were no more sufficient to cater for the needs of the people and responsible government must look elsewhere to provide the basic amenities at the grassroot.

Governor Aregbesola said this last Thursday during the commissioning of the Osogbo West Local Council Development Authority (LCDA) Secretariat, Awosuru Osogbo.

According to the governor, more councils were created to fast-track grassroot development and urged the administrators to work hard in ensuring that the purpose are not in any way defeated.

He noted the council should be the highest revenue generating LCDA in Osun being the host to major banks, Nigeria big brands show rooms, distribution warehouses, and major markets, among others.

The governor frown at the lackadaisical attitude of some councils towards sanitation, saying his administration would not be soft on any council that handles environmental sanitation with levity.

Aregbesola explained that the cardinal responsibilities of the council apart from IGR is environmental sanitation saying, “the meaning of dirty environment is absence of government, that is more reason we invested huge resources on environmental sanitation and management which is the essence of government and whoever that is not ready to sustain that will be treated as the enemy of the government and the society”.

He commended the Council Manager, Mr Kehinde Isaac for the construction of the new LCDA secretariat, saying despite releasing Take Off Grants for all the new LCDAs, he is just commissioning the second one, urging the council administrators to double their efforts to ensure rapid development.

Speaking earlier, the council manager, Mr Isaac said the support of the governor, Local Government Service Commission, Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun aided the construction of the new blocks and the renovation of the inherited 3 bedroom apartment.

He solicited more support from the political heads, council workers, market women, investors and other stakeholders for the survival of the council.