Lagos Assembly Plans Public Hearing to Review Local Government Law

The Lagos State House of Assembly has announced its intention to hold another public hearing to review the Local Government Administration law. The decision was made during a session led by Speaker Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa on Monday.

The Assembly also summoned the State’s Attorney-General, Lawal Pedro, to provide clarification on a recent Supreme Court ruling regarding financial autonomy for local governments. This move signals the Assembly’s commitment to ensuring that the law is aligned with the court’s directives.

Speaker Obasa emphasized that the proposed review is not intended to dismantle the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), but rather to strengthen their role and functionality. “We are not scrapping the LCDAs. Rather, what we are trying to do is to look at the recent Supreme Court judgment in terms of Lagos and local governments’ joint account and find a way where the parent local governments and the LCDAs work together without the LCDAs being shortchanged,” he explained.

Acknowledging the need for further consultation, Obasa announced plans for a second public hearing, noting that he had received numerous inquiries regarding the future of the LCDAs. He also highlighted the importance of collaborating with the National Assembly to formally recognize the LCDAs as local government entities.

Drawing a comparison with Kano State, which has 44 local governments, Obasa suggested reviewing the revenue allocation formula with the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission. He pointed out that Kano was divided into two states, with Jigawa now having 27 local governments, making a case for Lagos to push for the formal listing of its LCDAs.

The Chairman of the Committee on Local Government, Hon. Sanni Okanlawon, presented a report from the initial public hearing, noting that many stakeholders could not attend due to inclement weather. He requested approval for a second hearing date to allow broader participation and engagement.

Supporting the proposal, Hon. Ladi Ajomale addressed public concerns, stating that there was confusion among residents who feared the government might be planning to abolish the LCDAs. “A lot of people are saying they do not understand what is going on and maybe the government is trying to remove some people from the local government system,” he said. Ajomale called for increased collaboration with the National Assembly to help secure formal recognition for the LCDAs.

Hon. Desmond Elliot added that Lagos, given its size, population, and economic significance, must push for formal recognition of the LCDAs, noting the disparity with Anambra State, which has only 21 local governments despite having fewer resources and economic influence compared to Lagos. “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,” he stated.