ADC Aspirant Decries Ekiti’s Indebtedness, Calls For LG Autonomy

A candidate of the African Democratic Congress party (ADC) for the June 18 governorship poll in Ekiti State, Dr. Wole Oluyede, has indicated support for local government autonomy.

Oluyede said it would take concerted and ingenious efforts for Ekiti to stand afloat economically, with over N88 billion in debt, N37.8 billion indebtedness on retirees’ gratuity and arrears of workers’ salaries.

The medical doctor spoke in Ikere- Ekiti, on Thursday, during an interactive session with journalists.

Lamenting the opposition given to local government autonomy, Oluyede said: “Why are local governments not autonomous? If the government is local, then development will be local.

Oluyede said the state may find it a herculean task to develop if it continues to rely solely on federal allocations to drive development.

“As I was told, the state had borrowed up to N88 billion. We have 2.3 million well educated persons having nothing to do. If all Ekiti is to share from the N2.3 billion monthly allocation, then it amounts to N1,100 per month and N35 per day. This is extreme poverty and there is no plan on how to get out of this.

“Our politicians are no longer talking about how to improve our IGR. Our election is now see and buy. Until we gain the insight and believe that we are poor, we are not going to solve our problem”.

Speaking about why he parted ways with the All Progressives Congress and defected to ADC, Oluyede explained, “I left their ranks because they were not solving the problems they were supposed to solve. We have a serious problem in this country and until we reason well, they will remain there.

“The way they pick candidates for elections is totally corrupt, inept and uncaring. When you see a set of people who make decisions based on self, then it becomes challenging.

“I am not desperate to be governor but our people must make a choice. We have plans in ADC, but I looked for plans in other parties, I have not seen any”.