GOVERNOR Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State yesterday described Local Government Council Development Areas (LCDAs) as true harbinger of socio- economic development of the masses under democratic governance.

But Ahmed said that the creation of the LCDAs must be mooted by the people and its implementation devoid of any political colouration towards making the creation justifiable.

Besides, the governor in Ilorin while inaugurating a 14 member LCDAs panel for the State, noted that the development areas would serve as alternative to creation of new Local Government Areas (LGAs) which according to him were constitutionally more cumbersome to create than the LCDAs.

According to him, "since the creation of Kwara State over four and a half decades ago, the 1976 Local Government reforms remain a watershed in Local Government Administration in the State in particular and the nation as a whole. Since then, the system has undergone several transformations resulting in the present 16 Local Government Areas structure in the state.

"However, as presently constituted, the Local Government structure remains largely inadequate considering our population, land mass and other demographic features. For instance, Asa, Moro and Ifelodun Local Government Councils, created by the 1976 reforms have retained their structure to date, while several other local government councils have been created out of the others."