How I recorded legacy projects with LG autonomy – Remi Odetomi, ex – chairman Ogbomoso South LG
Femi OGUNLANA
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Hon Remi Odetomi who served as chairman on three different occasions in Ogbomoso South local government of Oyo state has recounted how local government autonomy helped him to record legacy projects in six years.
Hon Odetomi, who wrote his name in gold as chairman in the council area in view of his monumental achievements, in a chat with ogbomosoinsightonline.com via WhatsApp, described the recent judgement by the Supreme Court granting fiscal autonomy to the 774 local governments in the country as the best thing to have happened to local government administration in Nigeria blasting the opponents of the autonomy as selfish people, whose goal is at variance with that of the people.
“The L G Autonomy which has just been granted by the Supreme Court of Nigeria is the best thing to have happened to the third tier of government in Nigeria. People that condemn the new development are only having their personal motives which are different from the opinion of the majority of the people… majority of people welcome the new development,” Odetomi remarked.
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He disclosed that during his six year-tenure he was able to touch virtually all sectors with impressive record of achievements, declaring, “As the Executive Chairman of Ogbomoso South Local Government, Ogbomoso, Oyo State for three terms spanning six years, the monumental achievements made can not be described with just a wave of hand. All aspects: Education, Health, Infrastructural Development, especially roads construction, etc were meaningfully touched.”
Attributing his success to the operation of local government autonomy during the dispensation, he stated, “All the achievements were possible because the L G had autonomy.The subventions came directly to the L G from the federal government.The L G chairman had approval limit of five hundred thousand naira(500,000.00)only. Any expenses above that amount, approval must be sought from the state government.”
Odetomi who later served as Commissioner for Agriculture in Oyo state, added, “As a L G chairman, who campaigned rigorously and who was aware of the theory of Social Contract, I had no option than performing well. And we thank God for all that were accomplished.
“This new development (Local Government Autonomy) should be well embraced and imbibed by all and sundry.By the times I was the Chief Executive Officer of the LG, if there was no autonomy, a lot of monumental achievements recorded like the LG Secretariat Complex, several roads with solid drains and well asphalted, school halls, maternity centres, etc wouldn’t have been possible.”
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He however noted the state government will still exercise oversight functions to ensure checks and balances in order to curtail misappropriation and mismanagement. “There would definitely be checks and balances which will be coordinated by the state government with a view to avoiding abuse,” he affirmed.
