A bill seeking for law to provide for local governments’ system, establishment and administration to consolidate all laws of local government in Lagos State has scaled through the second reading in the state house of assembly.
The bill was one of the highlights of Monday’s plenary presided over by the diligently hardworking Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, as seen in a post circulating on social media.
The bill is coming on the heels of Supreme Court judgment granting fiscal autonomy to local government areas in the country.
The Lagos bill sought to make amendment to repeal the Establishment and Administration Law of 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs 2016 as amended.
It was observed that the aim of this bill is to foster effectiveness in local government administration in the state.
The major changes to the existing law are:
1. LCDAs are now to be funded by the Lagos State Government upon the signing of the new amendments into law by Mr. Governor.
2. LGAs can delegate duties to the LCDAs that fall within their territories.
3. Council Chairmen are now allowed to appoint Chiefs of Staff.
4. Sitting Council Chairmen are now barred from taking oaths of office 3 times. For emphasis, if for any reason a sitting Chairman is removed from office before the termination of his/her term, and the Vice Chairman is sworn in to succeed him, the succeeding Chairman will only be legally allowed to run for office as Chairman once.
5. If a Chairman-elect dies before being sworn in or is found wanting for any reason, the Vice Chairman-elect will automatically inherit the Certificate of Return.
Theliberationnews authoritatively reports that when the bill eventually becomes law, it will be another pioneer legislative innovation from the stable of the Lagos State House of Assembly. A model that other states will be scrambling to emulate.
