LCDA'S NOT SCRAPPED, TO BE CONSTITUTIONALLY LISTED - LAGOS ASSEMBLY

 

The Lagos State House of Assembly has invited the Attorney-General of the state, Lawal Pedro, to provide an interpretation of the recent Supreme Court judgment on financial autonomy for local governments.

The lawmakers have also resolved to hold a second public hearing on a bill aimed at reviewing the Local Government Administration Law of the state.

_These resolutions were made during a sitting on Monday, presided over by Speaker Mudashiru Obasa. According to Speaker Obasa, the proposed review of the Local Government Administration law is intended to strengthen, not scrap, the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs)._

“I agree on the need for us to schedule a second allotted day for the public hearing,” the Speaker said, addressing concerns from constituents. “We are not scrapping the LCDAs. What we are trying to do is examine the recent Supreme Court judgment concerning the Lagos and local governments’ joint account and ensure a system where both parent local governments and the LCDAs can work together without the LCDAs being short-changed.

Obasa further emphasized the need for formal recognition of the LCDAs by the National Assembly. He cited examples such as Kano State, which has 44 local governments, and Jigawa, a state created from Kano, which has 27.

He also suggested a review of the revenue-sharing formula by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), to better reflect the contribution of larger states like Lagos.

During the session, Chairman of the Committee on Local Government, Hon. Sanni Okanlawon, reported that many stakeholders had been unable to attend the earlier public hearing due to inclement weather and requested the approval of a second hearing date. This request was supported by Hon. Ladi Ajomale, who noted that confusion among the public had led to concerns about the potential elimination of certain local government entities.

Ajomale called for stronger collaboration with the National Assembly to make the case for officially listing the LCDAs as substantive local governments. Echoing this, Hon. Desmond Elliot argued that due to Lagos’ population size and economic importance, it is vital that the LCDAs be formally recognized.

“Anambra State has 21 local governments, yet it is nowhere near Lagos in terms of resources, economic significance, and delivery of democratic dividends,” Elliot said, stressing the need for further action on the issue.