BY Gbenga Ariyibi

ADO EKITI—THE bill on the planned creation of additional 18 Local Government Development Areas, LGDAs, has passed the first reading at the plenary of the  State House of Assembly.
This came as more communities protested the plan to merge them with others in new LGDAs.

The incoming governor, Ayo Fayose and his Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have continued to oppose the planned creation of 18 new LGDAs at the twilight of Fayemi’s administration.
PDP through its Ekiti State chairman, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, last week dragged the administration to court, praying the court to stop the state government from further action on new LGDAs, contending that it was against the provisions of 1999 constitution.

However, reading the executive bill from  Fayemi to his colleagues at the floor of the House, the Speaker Adewale Omirin, notified members of  the bill sent to the House by the governor.
Moving the motion for the business of the day ,the Deputy Majority Leader, Hon Ayodeji Odu  urged his colleagues  to consider the passage of the bill.

Other bills considered by the lawmakers  passed the first reading included the bill seeking the protection for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS.
Meanwhile, four  communities have protested plans to merge them with other communities as part of new LGDAs creation.
The communities are Osi, Ire, Ikoro and Erinmope.

The Osi community for example, is protesting its merger with Ifaki to make up Osi Isokan LGDA.
Residents argued that the monarch of Osi Ekiti is a first class monarch, saying they would never be under Ifaki Ekiti, whose monarch was said to be a second class ruler.