The De Renaissance Patriots, a socio-cultural organization for Lagos State indigenes, has raised concerns about a proposed bill in the Lagos State House of Assembly seeking to amend the state’s Local Government Administration Law.
In a letter dated October 22, 2024, addressed to the Speaker, Mudashiru Ajaiyi Obasa, the foundation argued that local governments cannot achieve full autonomy without the restoration of their constitutionally assigned revenue sources.
At an emergency meeting held on October 18, 2024, the Patriots reviewed the bill and criticized its provisions, including the replacement of the state’s 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) with 37 Area Administrative Councils, which would be headed by gubernatorially appointed secretaries.
The Patriots expressed concerns that this structure still undermines local government autonomy, despite the reversal to a 20-local government framework.
Signed by notable members like Professor Iliyas Adele Jinadu and Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, the letter highlighted 22 points of observation, citing constitutional provisions and a recent Supreme Court judgment (AG FEDERATION VS AG ABIA STATE AND OTHERS) that supports local government autonomy.
The group’s primary contention was the continued encroachment on local government revenues, which, they argued, should include tenement rates, market charges, and motor park tolls, all currently managed by the state government.
The Patriots also called for clarity on other legislative matters, such as specifying a two-thirds majority requirement for passing bye-laws at the local government level.
The group advocated for a more constitutionally aligned law that genuinely supports local government independence in Lagos State.
