Sunday Okobi
A pro-democracy movement on the local government autonomy in Lagos State, Civil Society for Total Democracy (CSTD), has alleged that the state government is trying to undermine the autonomy of the local government granted the third tier government by the Supreme Court.
The group stated that since the Supreme Court judgement that returned exclusive power to the local government authorities, “the Lagos State Government, especially the state House of Assembly has been restive about the autonomy.”
The group, at a press conferencein Lagos yesterday stated that “aside from the fact the LCDAs are now illegal, the siphoning of the allocations to the LGs are now blocked.
“This has seriously unsettled the state government. And as it is, there are several steps being taken to undermine the Supreme Court judgement on local government autonomy, as well as keeping the impunity of depriving Nigerians of the democracy of local politics and economy.” At the press conference addressed by its Coordinator, Opeyemi Benjamin Ogunlami, CSTD stated that: “We have been following activities of the Mudashiru Obasa-led House of Assembly, and we have officially condemned and opposed the attempts at stifling the local government autonomy and its practicality.
“We reject every attempt by the Lagos State House of Assembly to impose undemocratic tendencies on the local governments. The Supreme Court judgement must not be thwarted, and every effort at doing so will be met with serious resistance.”
Flanked by other members of the group, including its leader, Ekundayo Shoyeye, Ogunlami stated that the group is keenly watching the situations at Alimosho Local Government Area, “and we want to say that the Lagos State House of Assembly does not have any constitutional rights to suspend the LGA chairman.
According to the Justice Garba Lawal-led Supreme Court judgement of July 11, 2024, the local government area has been granted full ‘administrative and financial Autonomy’. This means that the Lagos State House of Assembly is illegally interfering into the affairs of the Alimosho LGA. It is only the Assembly of Councillors that has the rights to suspend the Alimosho LGA chairman.”
The pro-democracy movements which expressed outright disdain for corruption in government, added: “We urge the Lagos State House of Assembly to publicise evidences of corruption as it alleged against the Alimosho Local Government Area chairman. We are interested in these allegations, and our members in Alimosho are ready to take up the chairman, who, of course, has not been in tandem with political ideals in terms of real pro-people governance.”
However, the group also called on the relevant anti-corruption agencies like the ICPC and EFCC to look into the allegations and counter-allegations by both the Lagos State House of Assembly, and the Alimosho Local Government Area chairman.
“The people of Lagos State deserve to know and see evidences of the several corrupt activities of the chairman as alleged by the Obasa-led House of Assembly.
“This is why we call on the Lagos State House of Assembly to fulfill its responsibility to the public by exposing the evidence of corruption as it has alleged against the chairman.
“Finally, we all must bandy together to defend democratic ideals and advantages of the July 11 Supreme Court judgement asserting the autonomy of the local government,” Ogunlami stated.
