Tuesday, February 9, 2010 20:14

The Federal Government opposes the state’s creation of councils. Photo: SUNDAY ADEDEJI

Lagos will create more councils, says commissioner

BY JIDE JEGEDE

November 23, 2009 02:37AM

Despite the unresolved controversy between the Lagos State and the federal government on the legality of the 37 Local Council Development areas in the state, the state government is planning to create more.

Rotimi Agunloye, the state’s Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters,

said this in Ibadan shortly after he was honoured with a merit award, together with five others by the Ibadan branch of the Ijebu-Jesa Social Club (IJSC). He maintained that the state is considering an increase in the number of the development areas to bring governance closer to the people and make more impact in their lives.

The dispute over the 37 development areas predate the President Umaru Yar’Adua’s government which, after a Supreme Court ruling on the matter, released to the state the monthly allocations that the Obasanjo government had withheld.

He defended the creation of the 37 local council development areas in addition to the existing 20 local governments in the state, saying “the local administrations are working beautifully”. He added that “Lagos State deserves even more local governments.”

He said, “What we are looking forward to is 100 local councils. The current 57 Councils are working beautifully. For instance, all the 57 Councils in Lagos State jointly donated a total of 114 security vehicles to the Police in the state recently. And they are doing a lot more towards the upliftment of their various council areas and the welfare of the citizenry. There lies the beauty of effective local government administration.”

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Reader Comments (6)

Posted by Akin Ibidapo on Nov 23 2009

MANY OF OUR SO CALLED LEADERS ARE VERY RECKLESS IN DECISION MAKING. WHAT WOULD LAGOS STATE DO WITH 100 COUNCILS WHEN SOME OF US FEEL THE PRESENT 24 ARE EVEN TOO MANY. WHEN WE SPEND ALL THE FUND GENERATED ON MAINTAINING THE COUNCIL STAFF AND THE SO CALLED ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES ( CHAIRMEN AND CO ) WHICH FUND WOULD BE USED FOR THE MAINTAINACE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR AREAS? IN SOME LAGOS COUNCILS, ILLETERATE COUNCILLORS AND GIVEN BARND NEW CARS WHILE SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS PRINCIPALS RIDE OKADA.... IS THIS FAIR? I RESPECT FASHOLA FAR MORE THAN TINUBU BUT HE MUST DISENTANGLED HIMSELF FROM THE SILLY AND UNECONOMIC POLICY OF UNNECESSARY PROLIFERATING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

Posted by TATA on Nov 23 2009

when trouble sleep yanga go wake am...

Posted by Benny A. on Nov 23 2009

If you understood the way mega-cities are run, you will appreciate that the closer local governments are to the grassroots, the more effective governance and the delivery of social services are, the more people will recognise who is who in governance and hold them to account. I am always for less big government and more grassroots government. The efffective Local Government is the only hope for Nigeria.

Posted by Chris Inyang on Nov 23 2009

More local government, more development for the people.

Posted by Afolabi on Nov 23 2009

Akin Ibidapo has displayed ignorance of Development Economics. Mere calling employment opportunity created by creation of more local council a wastage shows that he does not know how modern day government works. Corruption on the part of public holders should be separated from this issue. The only governance problem in Nigeria today is the concentration of power in the centre (Federal Govt.). If we decide to practice true fiscal federalism, Nigeria will witness tremendous growth in terms of poverty eradication, provision of infrastructural facilities, good education system, to mention but a few.

Posted by jibs on Nov 24 2009

Afolabi, i totally agree with your submission, and i support the creation of more councils. But BRF should clear the issues generated by the last council creation exercise before he goes to create more council. Let him not be as lawless as the useless lot in the center (PDP)