Posted by Kemi Obasola on
The Lagos State Government, on Tuesday, said it was pursuing a political solution to its protracted dispute with the Federal Government on the creation of new local government areas.
The Lagos State Government, on Tuesday, said it was pursuing a political solution to its protracted dispute with the Federal Government on the creation of new local government areas.
Consequently, the State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, raised a 14-member committee to consider proposals tabled by a panel of South-West leaders at the just-concluded National Political Reform Conference, headed by a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Bola Ajibola.
Although the details of the proposals by the Ajibola committee were not disclosed, inside sources hinted that the committee recommended a return to the old 20-council structure, while the 37 new councils should be designated as administrative centres.
The Federal Government had since April 2004 withheld the funds accruable to Lagos State councils from the Federation Account, insisting that the new councils should be dismantled.
In raising the 14-member committee on Tuesday, Tinubu said, 'Politics is a game of compromise. Without compromise, we would have no progress. We know the capabilities of the elders who have interceded and we intend to give them the benefit of the doubt."
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, the panel was raised following contributions from a broad section of stakeholders who advised that the state should not concede the victory won at the courts.
Tinubu said the state government had not taken any definite position on the proposal by the Ajibola committee and had decided to confer with a cross-section of the people, because the situation required careful handling.
The state committee comprised two members from the Alliance for Democracy, five local government council chairmen, five traditional rulers and two AD elders.
It held its maiden meeting at the conference hall of the Round House, the Office of the Governor.
The government's statement said they were expected to seek clarifications from the Ajibola committee on grey areas in its report, discuss the contents of a proposed draft bill, and report back to an enlarged house of stakeholders on Thursday before a definite position would be taken by the state government.
Speaking at the forum, Ajibola said, 'I have no vested interest in the local government allocation funds. I am only fighting for its release so that the people will not be denied their money; because if the money is not released, the people would have suffered in vain."
He stressed that relevant documents, including the Federal Constitution, draft law and the judgment of the Supreme Court had been taken into cognisance in the struggle for the release of the funds.
According to him, everything discussed with President Olusegun Obasanjo had always been in line with these documents. He added that much precious time had been expended to ensure that the present situation was helped.
Ajibola explained that the delegation had been putting in proposals for the past two months, trying as mediators to see what would be acceptable to both parties.
He added that the consent of one party had been secured; therefore a solution was in sight. But the dream and vision of the mediators would only be achieved when the second party, that is the Lagos State Government, agreed to the terms of truce.
The PUNCH, Wednesday, July 27, 2005