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The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, Barr. Sharafadeen Alli, has declared that local government only exist on paper under Governor Seyi Makinde led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration in the state.
Alli, a former Chief of Staff and Secretary to Oyo State Government, stated this while featuring on guest platform organised by the Correspondents’ chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State council.
The former chairman, Ibadan North Local Government, maintained that it is a known fact that local government is dead in the state, because they cannot execute any project on their own without the consent of the state governor.
“It is a known fact that local government administration is dead in Oyo state. This has been admitted by the governor. He gave them N10 million and he said that they did not do anything with it.
“We have local governments during Lam Adesina, Chief Rashidi Ladoja, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala and even Abiola Ajimobi and it has not been like this. Local governments are just existing by number, they do not have any 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 primary healthcare.
“People are now taking malaria to UCH. Something that should be treated at the primary healthcare centres, because local governments are not functioning.
“The local governments cannot do anything, as far as I am concerned, there is no local government in Oyo State, they are just existing on paper,” he said.
On why he want to represent Oyo South in the national assembly, the former SSG said he is in the race to attract more federal presence to the senatorial district, promising to support local government autonomy when elected.
“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, I live with our people and I know what they need,” he said.