KEY POINTS
- Lagos speaker denies plans to scrap LCDAs amid review.
- Reforms aim to strengthen local governance and ensure fair collaboration.
- Second public hearing scheduled to address public concerns.
Mudashiru Obasa, the speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, has denied rumors that the state intends to do away with its Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), asserting that current reforms are intended to reinforce rather than abolish LCDAs.
The clarification comes as worries over a draft bill pertaining to the management of local governments are rising.
Legislative reforms misunderstood
The Assembly had introduced a bill last Thursday aimed at enhancing the local government system by creating Area Administrative Councils, sparking public speculation that the 37 existing LCDAs could be dissolved.
However, Speaker Obasa emphasized on Monday that the reforms are intended to ensure fair collaboration between parent local governments and LCDAs, especially in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling on financial autonomy for local councils.
“We are not scrapping the LCDAs,” Obasa assured, stressing that the objective is to ensure better cooperation and prevent the LCDAs from being marginalized.
According to Punch, he added that the Assembly had scheduled a second public hearing on the bill due to the level of interest and concerns raised.
Strengthening local government administration
Drawing comparisons with other states, Obasa also responded to calls for the National Assembly to formally recognize the LCDAs.
He noted that Kano, for example, has 44 recognized local governments, and that Lagos could be able to achieve comparable recognition for its LCDAs through a reform of the revenue-sharing mechanism.
The first public hearing was poorly attended, most likely because of bad weather, according to Sanni Okanlawon, the chair of the Local Government Committee. To get additional feedback from interested parties, the Assembly has authorized a second hearing.
Support for reforms across political lines
Desmond Elliot and other lawmakers expressed their support for the revisions and called for improved coordination with the National Assembly.
In order to satisfy the state’s increasing needs, Elliot argued that the LCDAs must be officially recognized as local governments, highlighting the significance of Lagos’ size and economic importance.
Another politician, Ladi Ajomale, voiced concern that the public would interpret the revisions as an effort to weaken local administration, emphasizing that the intention is to enhance rather than diminish the function of LCDAs.
