Lagos Assembly sets date for public hearing on LG bill

By Sodiq Adelakun

The Lagos State House of Assembly has scheduled a second public hearing to review the controversial Local Government Administration Bill.

This decision follows widespread criticism and concerns regarding potential threats to local government autonomy.

At a recent session led by Speaker Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, the assembly acknowledged the need for further dialogue after a previous public hearing saw poor attendance due to adverse weather conditions.

The Speaker emphasised, “We are not scrapping the LCDAs. Rather, what we are trying to do is to look at the recent Supreme Court judgment regarding local governments’ joint accounts and ensure that the LCDAs are not shortchanged.”

The assembly has also invited the State Attorney-General, Lawal Pedro, to provide clarity on the Supreme Court’s recent ruling concerning financial autonomy for local governments.

Chairman of the Committee on Local Government, Hon. Sanni Okanlawon, highlighted the necessity of stakeholder engagement, stating, “Many of the stakeholders invited to the previous event could not make it, and it is essential that we hear from all voices.”

Hon. Ladi Ajomale echoed these sentiments, urging for enhanced collaboration with the National Assembly to advocate for the formal recognition of LCDAs as substantive local governments.

“A lot of people are saying they do not understand what is going on, and maybe the government is trying to wipe some people out of the local government system,” he noted.

Hon. Desmond Elliot further emphasized the importance of recognizing Lagos’s unique status, arguing, “Anambra state has 21 local governments and it is nowhere close to what Lagos has in terms of resources, economic importance, and dividends of democracy.”