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Sections News Editorial/Opinion Cover Choice Arts & Life Business Politics Sports   Subscription Form Click here       Daily Independent Online.         * Monday, July 05, 2004. No going back on 57 councils, Lagos insists By Lekan Sanni, Correspondent, Lagos Contrary to speculations that Lagos State would revert to the old 20 -council structure, the state government said at the weekend that only an unfavourable Supreme Court verdict could make it change its stand on the issue. The  Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Rauf Aregbesola, who spoke on the issue said, “Only a mad man will think that Lagos State will revert to the old local government.” According to him, Lagos was justified in creating 37 new councils to make a total of 57 because some states that were created along with Lagos in 1967 have had additional states created out of them in addition to more councils. From the North West, which was created in 1967, Aregbesola said have come Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and Niger States, while Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti and Oyo States have been created out of the Western State. The commissioner also said Yobe State’s population was just a little over that of the old Alimosho local government and yet, the state has 16 councils, all of them drawing fund from the federation account. He said Lagos State, although has a small land, has the highest population in the country. The commissioner said new councils were needed to spread development to all the nooks and crannies of the state, noting that in the old Alimosho, it was almost impossible to take adequate care of areas like Ayobo, Alagbado, Ipaja and the environs from Ikotun, the council headquarters. He dispelled the rumour that the state government was already considering scrapping the councils due to the seizure of their funds from the federation account. The state, he said, was waiting for the pronouncement of the Supreme Court on the issue. There has been widespread speculation lately that the state government would reverse to the 20 council structure to please the Federal Government. Both the opposition People’s Democratic  Party (PDP) and the Akinfenwa faction of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the state have been insisting on the state government reversing the creation of additional 37 new councils, which they described as unconstitutional. Any attempt by the state to reverse itself on the issue, especially when the case is still in court, according to a source will have a serious political backlash on the administration.       Copyright� 2002. All Rights Reserved Independent Newspapers Limited Block5, Plot 7D, Wempco Road, Ogba, P.M.B. 21777, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. www.dailyindependentng.com e-mail: [email protected]

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