LAGOS—Lagos state chapter of the Alliance for Democracy on Sunday called on the National Assembly to give effect to last week judgement of the Supreme Court on creation of local councils by listing the councils created by the Lagos State House of Assembly to save the state from avoidable political tension.
The party in a statement signed by its publicity secretary Toyin Caxton-Martins urge the National Assembly to stand up for equity and Justice for each and every component unit of the federation, noting that acceding to the agitation of Lagos indigenes for more 37 councils would redress the maintenance of 20 Local Governments in Lagos. It added that old Kano which has less population than Lagos and today comprises Kano and Jigawa states, has 71 councils, Jigawa has 26 councils and present Kano has 45 councils.
The party also said it was making the appeal in the light of section 4 (2) of the Constitution. The section reads: "The National Assembly shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Federation."
It said Lagos State needs a lot of funds to maintain and expand infrastructures subjected to severe pressure by migrants from rural areas and business firms hence the need to create more councils to absorb this pressure and fund them adequately to discharge their responsibilities.
The party also called on the National Assembly to consider the agitation for more Local Governments as a result of the wind of democracy blowing through the country and the desire of many communities for grassroot governance.
"Our people want to exercise control over the resources generated by the community by being involved in how critical decisions concerning the usage of public funds are used." the statement said.
Calling on the National Assembly as a revered institution that supports probity and accountability to engrave it’’s name in history as the foremost legislative institution to respond to the critical needs of the citizens of the nation’’s commercial capital, the AD urged lawmakers to come together on the basis of patriotism and equity and justice and ensure that the new councils are listed.
It noted that, the Supreme Court has already settled the controversial issues in the matter by declaring that the law setting up the 57 new councils is valid and refused the application of the defendants to nullify the march 27 elections into the councils based on the law.
The Lagos AD recalled that following the valid passage of th Lagos State government law No. 5 of 2002, the request for the listing of the councils was made by the government to the defunct National Assembly.
