By Bilesanmi Abayomi
Nearly five months after elected officials assumed office, Lagos State has yet to constitute cabinet members across its 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 36 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), raising concerns about governance efficiency and administrative gaps.
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The prolonged delay has sparked debates over accountability, statutory compliance, and effective local administration. Experts warn that running councils without a full complement of Supervisory Councillors, Secretaries to Local Government (SLG), and Special Advisers could compromise oversight and proper use of public funds.
Governance expert, Ganiyu Olamiji Oyebanjo (GOCO), speaking with KosofePost, described the situation as a constitutional lapse, attributing responsibility to the Lagos State Executive Governor for the delayed appointments. He noted that local government chairmen and LCDA chairpersons are not at fault, “The chairmen and chairpersons of the various local governments and LCDAs have no issues with this. It’s simply a constitutional lacuna of the Executive Governor of Lagos State, who suspended the appointments. We cannot hold the local governments and the LCDAs to ransom. Are we saying the local governments and the LCDAs should remain stagnant because the governor refused to do what he should do? No. The Executive Governor of Lagos State needs to address this as soon as possible.”
Residents across the state have echoed similar concerns, urging the Lagos State Government (LASG) to expedite the process and restore full administrative functionality at the grassroots level.
Observers warn that the prolonged absence of cabinet members may hinder development projects, weaken internal checks and balances, and reduce government responsiveness in communities. Stakeholders are now looking to the state government for swift action to ensure statutory compliance and effective local governance.