Local Governments Only Exist On Paper In Oyo State-Abiodun Alli

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Oyo South Senatorial District in the February 25 election, Barrister Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli has declared that local governments exist only on paper under the present administration in the state.

Alli, a former Secretary the to Oyo State government, made this disclosure on Friday, while featuring at a guest platform organised by the Correspondents’ chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State council.

The politician, who said that he is in the race to attract more federal presence to the senatorial district, promised to support local government autonomy when elected.

The former Chairman of Ibadan North Local Government said further that local governments, under the present administration in the state, cannot do anything because they are existing only on paper.

He maintained that it is a known fact that local governments are dead in the state because they cannot execute any project on their own.

Alli said, “It is a known fact that local governments are dead in Oyo state. This has been admitted by the Governor. He gave them N10m and he said that they did not do anything with it.

“We have local governments during the era of the late governor Lam Adesina, and former governors Chief Rasidi Ladoja, the late Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala and the late Abiola Ajimobi and it was never like this. Local governments are just existing by number, they do not have power to do anything.

“The primary healthcare centres are not functioning in the state despite the fact that certain amount of money are budgeted for them.

“People are now taking malaria to UCH, something that should be treated at the primary healthcare centres all because local governments are not functioning.

“As far as I am concerned, there are no local governments in Oyo State, they are just existing on paper.

“I will support local government autonomy when I get to the national assembly.

“I want to attract more federal presence to Oyo South Senatorial District. All the senators that have represented the district have tried and I am going there to do better. I know what our people need because I live with them,” he said.