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” aims to establish democratically elected Local Governments in Lagos.
Key Provisions of the Bill:
According to The Guardian, the bill coincides with the recent Supreme Court ruling granting financial autonomy to local governments across Nigeria, requiring democratically elected local government bodies to access federal funds.
However, stakeholders like the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabir Shotobi, and Senator Musiliu Obanikoro have expressed concerns about the potential impact on grassroots development and the lack of publicity surrounding the public hearing.
Bisi Afolabi, a legal practitioner who spoke with TimesNow.com.ng posited that the Nigerian constitution did not recognise the LCDAs and that the state did not have the power to create local governments in the state.
He said:
Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, sees the bill as a significant step in optimizing local governance, addressing tenure and separation of powers within LGAs for greater accountability.
The House Committee on Local Government Administration Chairman, Hon. Sanni Okanlawon, emphasizes that the public hearing aims to gather feedback for refining the bill before its passage into law.
TimesNow.com.ng earlier reported that Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos state, has been seen eating roadside roasted plantains, also known as Boli.
Sanwo-Olu’s action happened at the Grand Finale of the 2024 World Food Day Celebration in Ikeja, the state capital.
The governor’s action has started generating reactions from Nigerians, and some were of the view that the governor was doing that for a third term, but it is obvious that Sanwo-Olu would not be contesting again based on the constitution’s position.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
