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A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Mr Olukayode Ehinlanwo, has called for the review of the law establishing the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC).
Ehinlanwo, who is the PDP Candidate for Ilaje Constituency 1 seat in the Ondo State House of Assembly, made the call in a statement in Akure on Sunday.
He said that a review of the OSOPADEC law would ensure better use of the 13 per cent derivation fund in the mandate area.
He also said that the non-location of the OSOPADEC headquarters in its mandate area had alienated the commission from the people it was established to serve.
“Citing OSOPADEC headquarters in the mandate area will not only change the geographical outlook of the area, but will facilitate the socio-economic cohesion development in the area.
“I want to state here that the legislation that gave birth to OSOPADEC is obsolete and can no longer sustain a modern day intervention body, hence the need to drastically purge and review the existing OSOPADEC law for a better oil producing mandate area.
“The people also want a drastic review of the employment quota of the commission to reflect an appreciable 75 per cent allocation for the mandate area, while the rest make-do with the remaining 25 per cent.
“Because for OSOPADEC to work, it must be owned by the people whose suffering it was created to ameliorate,” he said.
Ehinlanwo promised that if elected as member representing Ilaje Constituency 1, he would vigorously pursue the popular agenda of reviewing the OSOPADEC law for the relocation of the commission’s headquarters to the mandate area.
“I will also pursue the 75 per cent employment quota in the commission for indigenes of the mandate area. This is sacrosanct,” he said. (NAN)