Posted by The Punch on
The prolonged schism between the Lagos State Government and Federal Government ended on Thursday with the former announcing the scrapping of the 37 newly created Local Government Areas in the state.
The prolonged schism between the Lagos State Government and Federal Government ended on Thursday with the former announcing the scrapping of the 37 newly created Local Government Areas in the state.
And to ensure that its desire to bring governance to the grass roots was not thwarted, the Bola Tinubu-led administration designated the former councils as development areas.
Already, a bill seeking to legalise the decisions has been passed by the state House of Assembly. Tinubu is expected to sign the bill, which also re-establishes the former 20 councils into law on Friday (today).
Since the councils were created, the Federal Government has refused to release the state's N34billion statutory allocations in the last 15 months.
The Presidency responded swiftly, saying the reversal by Lagos State was commendable.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Dele Alake, told journalists at a news conference in Alausa that the decision was taken after members of the Prince Bola Ajibola Committee visited Tinubu on Tuesday.
Tinubu set up the Ajibola committee to seek a political solution to the face-off that snowballed into the Federal Government's decision to withhold the allocations of the state's councils.
Alake expressed the hope that the action would expedite the release of the seized funds.
He said, 'The new bill amends Section 1 of the creation of New Local Government Areas Amendment Law 2004 which gave the 57 local governments equal status and access to fund from the federation account.
'So, pending the consequential act of the National Assembly referred to in Section 2 of this law, (1), the local government areas for the time being, listed in part 1 of the 1999 constitution, that is the 20, are being re- established. This bill now re-establishes the old 20 as they were and as they still are.
'All other local government areas referred to in section 1 to the amendment law, that is the new 37, shall in the meantime, shall in the meantime, operate as Local Council Development Areas, the funding of which shall be borne by the state government."
The commissioner said that President Olusegun Obasanjo gave the Ajibola Committee the nod to seek a settlement to the face-off after two months of 'shuttle diplomacy.''
He explained that after a conference of the stakeholders of Lagos State, which considered the Ajibola Committee report, another committee was set up to work out a compromise with the Ajibola panel.
Both parties, according to him, agreed that the outcome of their deliberations must not undermine the judgment of the Supreme Court, the Federal High Court, Abuja and the Federal High Court, Lagos, on the powers of states to create new council areas.
Alake however added that the latest action by the state did not jeopardise the elections held into the hitherto 57 councils and positions of their chairmen.
He also stated that the state was not compelled to take the action because it had successfully funded the 57 councils in the last 15 months.
While the news conference by Alake was ongoing, members of the state House of Assembly who reconvened at about 1:20 pm from their recess, deliberated on the bill.
Though members of the public were denied access to the gallery, proceedings, according to competent sources, commenced at about 1:20pm when the Speaker, Mr. Jokotola Pelumi, introduced the bill titled, 'Local Government Amendment Bill" to the whole house.
After series of debates, the Majority Leader, Mr. Babajide Omoworare, reportedly moved for the adoption of the bill. The Deputy Whip, Mrs. Funmilayo Tejuoso-Smith, seconded him.
Reacting, The Presidency said the state government deserved commendation for having the courage to revert to 20 councils.
The Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, told our correspondents in a telephone interview that the development was in consonance with the judgment of the Supreme Court.
He said, 'The decision by the Lagos State Government to revert is a victory for the whole of Nigeria, democracy and the rule of law. I do not think there is any victor or vanquished in this matter. I think all of us have gained from it.
'We also have to commend the courage of the Lagos State Government for doing the right thing and lining up with the rest of Nigeria."
When contacted, the Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, was non-committal choosing instead to answer our reporters' questions with a terse 'thank you, we will wait and see."
The PUNCH, Friday, July 29, 2005