Why Lagos State LCDAs are denied full autonomy”

By Ezurike Ugochukwu and Ambrose Nnaji

The Lagos State House of Assembly since the creation of additional 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), in 2003 has not stopped drawing to the attention of the federal government, the obvious injustice and neglect inherent in non-recognition of these councils as full-fledged, Local Government Areas (LGA).

Addressing his constituents at the Ejigbo LCDA secretariat during the just concluded Constituency Stakeholders’ Meeting held simultaneously in all the constituencies of the state recently, Hon Jude Idimogu representing Oshodi/Isolo II constituency said the house will never relent on the demand to recognize these 37 LCDAs.

Idimogu addressing his constituents at Ejigbo during the Stakholders’ meeting

Responding to concerns expressed by the constituents, that since the creation of local governments in Nigeria, Lagos state has not increased from 20 LGAs even as many other states created along with the state have had theirs increased or newer states carved out.

The forum frowned at this injustice, recalling that, Kano state created along with Lagos presently has 44 LGAs. Besides, Jigawa which was carved out of Kano has 27, and in all 77 LGAs from the two states.
Hon Kehinde Bamigbetan, a former executive chairman of Ejigbo LCDA, said the step taken by the state government in 2003 to crate the LCDAs was to use the opportunity to pick more funds to address the numerous problems that were on the underbelly; to engage the unemployed youths in the state. He expressed the concern that up till now Lagos uses funds of 20 LGAs to take care of 37 LCDAs.

Bamigbetan

Bamigbetan popularly called, K.O.K said: “It is a very gross injustice in the federal system, other states have more funds appropriated to them through the more LGAs they have”.

He noted that the National Assembly was the only organ given the responsibility to list councils and make them LGA, therefore urged the House to use this opportunity to re-initiate the conversation of the LCDAs to full-fledged LGA.

“I urge our representatives to make strong presentation to the House on this issue so that the Ejigbo LCDA would be a recognized LGA,” he said.

Further speaking on challenges of the constituency, a former Chairman, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Ejigbo, Elder Amos Olasubomi, however called for the siting of a police station near the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depot in Ejigbo, Lagos state. This, he said would boost security around the area.

Akintunde

Akinyele Akintunde, Coordinator National Youths Council appealed to the law maker to use his office also as the chairman on wealth creation to empower the youths in the area adding that many of the youths are now jobless due to the global pandemic.

Idimogu at the interaction recalled that the state House of assembly has been on this LCDAs recognition for national statutory rights as well as for special status from the federal government. He however promised that the House would do more to ensure the matter gains convincing attention from the federal government.

Idimogu also recalled that Senator Mrs Oluremi Tinubu along with other national legislatures from the state have never relented in asking for special status for the state considering the fact that the state was once the Federal Capital, and still remains the commercial nerve Centre of the nation, noted there was a lot of pressure on the state especially given its growing population.

Sen. Tinubu

“our state has continued to cry from the days of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the federal level, then we attributed it to our opposition status, Today, even with our belonging to the mainstream politics, the clamour remains unattended to, nothing has changed, this I think is very unfair.

“We will continue to discuss it in the House and continue to appeal to the conscience of our party at the national level for them to see reasons to at least attend to the call considering the population here.

“We will keep on agitating and appealing to the conscience of our leaders, party leaders, and our president, Senate President, House of Representatives and the appropriate authorities,”Idimogu reassured.

The House member who could not infer the reason why the federal government had refused to yield to the request believed that the House had all the apparatus to make the difference. He however believed that before the end of the present dispensation there would be a change.

Idimogu promised the youths that he has never, and will never take their issues for granted said he has always devoted special dates for his interaction with the youths. On the concern for police station at NNPC Ejigbo, he promised to take the matter to the appropriate agency.

Not unmindful of the theme of this year’s stakeholders’ meeting: “Post Covid-19 Pandemic: The Challenges and Prospects”, Idimogu urged Lagosians to continuously abide by the rules of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), including wearing of their face mask, washing of hands and the use of sanitizers, in order not to allow the pandemic to resurge in the state. While advising the people not to assume the global disease is yet over, he stressed the need for everyone to be on the guide.

He recalled that when the first case of the Corona Virus was detected in the state, the House in its collaborative efforts to stem the tide of the pandemic and bring a new lease of life to Lagosians, invited the Commissioner for Health, alongside the Chairmen and other officials of the LGAs/LCDAs to brief the assembly on the efforts made so far to combat the pandemic in the state

According to him, the House approved the sum of N20billion Covid-19 Intervention Fund aimed at containing and managing the spread of the virus in the state as well as mitigate its effect on Lagosians. Idimogu said that the legislative support coupled with individual palliative efforts of Honourable Members in their various constituencies has had great impact on the successes recorded so far in the fight to effectively contain the ravaging disease.

To ascertain the level of preparedness of academic institutions in the state before the government officially reopened schools in line with guidelines on Covid-19 protocols, the assembly he said mandated its relevant committees to embark on fact-finding assignment to different schools.

While the government is taking steps to bring life back to normal, Idimogu urged every citizen to obey all regulations guiding the containment of Covid-19 in the state in order to free our society of the pandemic which is limiting opportunities in many areas of the economy.

He said the economic headwind generated by the Covid-19 pandemic also necessitated the approval of the House for the reordering of the 2021 budget to provide necessary support for business owners, the vulnerable members of the society and improvement in healthcare facilities.

On EndSars protests, Idimogu said the Speaker of the House, Hon. (Dr.) Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa addressed the protesters and immediately convened emergency session to consider their demands.

According to him, the House passed a resolution calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Inspector-General of Police to proscribe the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and establish a new outfit which would be more efficient with code of conduct and rules of engagement clearly spelt out.

Idimogu said the House called on the Commissioner of Police Lagos state to protect the protesters and ensure that they were not molested as well as to stop unwarranted molestation of the youths by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

He told the participants at the well-attended annual meeting that he was to give and get feedback from the people. Inputs given by the people of the constituencies would be passed to the executive to be included in the coming 2021 budget, he stated.

According to him, secretaries from the state House of Assembly would take note of the outcome of the meeting including the demands made by the constituency. They will collate their report, we will follow up jointly, and a summary of all the needs will be tabled and presented for deliberation for onwards presentation to the executive to be included in the 2021 budget, Idimogu said.

Mrs Johnson at the event at Ejigbo

The meeting was attended by the wife of the Honourable Member representing Oshodi/Isolo II at the House of Representative, Funke Johnson, party stalwarts, youth organizations, market women, legislatures from the Ejigbo and Isolo LCDAs, indigenes of the area and stakeholders.