By Bilesanmi Abayomi
The Lagos State House of Assembly has taken a significant step toward restructuring local governance by supporting a provision that allows the elected chairmen of the state’s 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) to appoint mayors in the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) under their jurisdiction. This development is subject to confirmation by the assembly.
The Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, confirmed this at the second public hearing of the Local Government Administration Bill 2024, held in Ikeja. The bill, titled “A Law to Provide for Local Governments’ System, Establishment and Administration and to Consolidate all Laws on Local Government Administration,” aims to streamline local governance and ensure effective service delivery.
A key aspect of the bill, according to Obasa, is the funding provision for LCDAs, which mandates that they be financed by the LGAs under which they operate. This provision stems from a recent Supreme Court judgment granting autonomy to the 774 constitutionally recognized local governments in Nigeria, which the assembly is obliged to implement.
Obasa also highlighted that while the LCDAs were established by a 2003 law, they remain LCDAs until a constitutional amendment formally recognizes them as full-fledged LGAs. Nevertheless, the LCDAs will continue to perform duties assigned to them by state law and executive directives.
The bill also seeks to prioritize the payment of salaries and allowances for LCDA employees by placing such payments on a first-line charge to prevent delays and ensure smooth operations.
Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government, Okanlawon Sanni, emphasized that the bill is intended to provide a legal framework that ensures effective grassroots governance. He added that input from the public hearing would be considered in the final recommendations to the House.