National Assembly urged to create more councils for Lagos

National Assembly urged to create more councils for Lagos

National Assembly has been urged to create more local governments for Lagos State, to meet its current population, social, economic and environmental challenges.

The Red Chamber is also advised to enact laws granting the state a special status for being the country’s commercial city and economic melting pot.

Renowned socio-political activist and critic, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, made the demands in a statement in Lagos.

The activist recalled that in 1976 when the military government created states and local governments, Lagos and Kano states had 20 councils each.

“Later, Kano State councils increased to 44, while Lagos councils remained at 20. When the Abacha government carved out Jigawa State out of Kano State, Jigawa got 27 local governments, while Kano was still having 44 councils.

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“It is an injustice for Lagos State to remain with only 20 local governments till today, despite its gigantic social, security and economic problems,” Onitiri said.

He recalled that when the then Governor of Lagos State, now Nigeria’s  President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, created 37 additional councils in 1999, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, then President, seized Lagos State federal allocations for two years.

He said Lagos State through the then Attorney-General, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, sued the Federal Government, and the state government won the case against Federal Government at the Supreme Court.

He regretted that till now, National Assembly has not done the needful to enact a law to accommodate the 37 local governments created by Lagos State Government.