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Enioluwa Adeniyi
Guest
The Lagos State House of Assembly is set to replace the existing 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) with newly designated Administrative Areas.
This development stems from discussions held during a public hearing for the proposed “Bill for a Law to Provide for the Local Government System, Establishment and Administration, and to Consolidate All Laws on Local Government Administration.”
The 37 LCDAs were originally created by President Bola Tinubu during his tenure as governor of Lagos State in 2003. The proposed bill aims to enhance governance and accountability within the state.
During the hearing, Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, represented by his deputy, Mojisola Meranda, emphasized that the bill is a significant step towards improving local governance.
He stated, “This bill has passed the preliminary stages, and the house is hereby subjecting it to public appraisal in our transparent convention.
“At this stage, we gather public observations and thoughts to reflect on them in the next stage of the bill.”
Obasa elaborated that the legislation would enable local governments (LGs) to operate effectively, adhering to the rule of law and the principle of separation of powers.
He highlighted that the bill outlines the specific functions of the chairman, vice-chairman, legislative council, and other local government officials.
Furthermore, the proposed legislation emphasizes the establishment of 37 area administrative councils, in addition to the 20 original local governments as recognized by the 1999 Constitution.
These new councils will be overseen by area administrative secretaries appointed with the approval of the House.
The bill comes in the wake of a July 11 Supreme Court ruling that granted financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 LGAs and stipulated that only democratically elected councils could access federal funds. ‘
According to the bill, the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) will conduct elections for the 20 local government councils as mandated by the Constitution.
Additionally, the bill states that each council will have designated headquarters while assuming the responsibilities of the former LCDAs. Funding for the councils will come from the LGs they operate under, and they will have the authority to delegate functions to their administrative bodies.
The proposed legislation also grants the governor the power to suspend any chairman, vice-chairman, or political appointee, with the possibility of reinstatement following notification to the assembly.
If passed, the bill will repeal the Local Government Administration Law of 2015 and its 2016 amendment.
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