As the second phase of the inspection exercise on projects executed by Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs in Lagos commenced, the House Committee on Local Government Administration and Community Affairs visited Mushin Local Government, Odi Olowo LCDA, Lagos Mainland Local Government, Yaba Local Government, Iba LCDA, Ojo. Local Government and Oto Awori LCDA, Badagry Local Government, Badagry West LCDA, Olorunda LCDA, Surulere Local Government, Itire Ikate LCDA, Coker Aguda LCDA, Lagos Island Local Government, Lagos Island East LCDA, Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA, Ikorodu West Local Government, Ikorodu Central LCDA, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, Ijede LCDA, Ikorodu North LCDA.
Hon. Olayiwola Olawale Abdul Sobur; Chairman of the Committee expressed satisfaction over protests executed by the council bosses. “They have performed relatively well but I must say I am not impressed with what I saw at Iba LCDA. It appears government money is not judiciously spent here at Iba LCDA” he lamented.
Hon. Olawale Age Sulaiman in his submission noted that the council bosses have tried to meet the yearnings of the people in various councils and charged the them to do more. “We are comfortable with what we have been seeing on ground”. He added that the exercise was to find out and also ensure there is a cordial relationship between the Executive and the Legislative arms at the councils.
While on tour to the Ikorodu axis of the State, The House Committee rejected the claim by the council bosses of Ikorodu Local Government, Ikorodu West LCDA and Igbogbo/ Baiyeku LCDA for poor performance due to low allocations allocated to their councils.
He made this known during the Committee’s ongoing inspection tour to LG’s and LCDAs to have a first hand knowledge of how the councils expended what is allocated to them. He noted that “There is enough funds from the Federal and State governments into the local governments and that the problem of the Councils were lack of creative ways of generating funds”.
He maintained that there are a lot of commercial ventures around the community which the councils can tap into to improve on their Internally Generating Revenue (IGRs), tasking them to fashion out creative ways of generating funds to help the Councils develop in terms of infrastructure.
In his submission, Hon. Kehinde Joseph said lack of funds is not the problem with the Councils. “What have they been using their little allocations to do? Most of them are yet to pay severance payment to political office holders before end of their tenure”.
“Their level of allocation does not commensurate with what they have done; looking at what we have been seeing on ground while on this inspection, most of them became chairmen over three years ago and nothing much to show for it.”
“If they are saying they do not have enough funds, are they judiciously spending the ones they have collected?” He added
Other Members on the inspection tour are; Hon Rasheed Makinde, Hon. Nureni Akinsanya, Hon. Olawale Age Sulaimon, Hon. Kehinde Joseph and Hon. Olawale Olayiwola Abdul Sobur.
