Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has endorsed four-year tenure for Local Government chairmen and other elected council representatives.

The governor signed into law the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) Amendment law, Local Government Administration Amendment law and the Local Government Election Tribunal Second Amendment law on Thursday at the State House, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, paving way for four-year tenure for council chairmen and others.

The State House of Assembly had recently approved the four-year tenure for council chairmen and other representatives. The governor’s signing it into law on Thursday formally endorsed the approval.

The four-year tenure is under the Local Government Administration Amendment law.

While signing the three bills into law, Ambode said the purpose of the Local Government Administration law is to provide for local government system, establishment and to regulate administration of local authorities and other connected purposes.

“One of the major highlights of this amendment is the increase of the tenure of the Chairman and the Counselors from three years to four years commencing from the date of taking oath of office,” he said.

The governor added that the essence of law in every society was the regulation of human conduct, saying that upon his assumption of office, his administration identified the need to improve on laws that impacted on people’s lives, “particularly that are relevant to us at the local government level which is unarguably the most critical level of governance in the state. It is in this vein, that these laws have been amended to meet current realities.

“The LASIEC amendment law seeks to create the commission to regulate election matters. The need to amend the law arose as a result of current trend in the political space to prevent a laccuna in certain instances.

“Some of the highlights of the amendment include the empowering of the Commission to review the de-alienation of wards in each Local government of the state at intervals of every 10 years and division of each Local government into not less than 10 wards and not more than 20 wards,” he said.

He said that section two of the amendment replaced section 5 of the principal, saying that “A new section 62 created by the amendment provides that the Vice Chairman elected with the Chairman would be sworn in as Chairman in the event of the death of an elected Chairman before been sworn in.

“The amendment to the law has also been proactive as Section 64 now provides that incumbent Chairman who wins a re-run election will have a period spent in office prior to the re-run. Local government Election Tribunal second Amendment law, the highlights of this amendment is to empower the tribunal to allow the time for doing any act or taking any proceedings or such terms as the justice of the case may require, provided that the enlargement of time shall not be granted to extend the life span of the petition beyond 45 days.

“Therefore, more time will now be available for consideration of election petitions,” he said, while commending the Lagos State House of Assembly for the speedy consideration and passage of the laws.

The governor urged residents to see the passage of the laws as a further institutionalisation of the rule of law in the state and commitment of his administration to local government reforms, as the local government system was crucial to grassroots development, sayng that the new laws were clear demonstration of a new golden era where the local government system would experience renaissance to create prosperity and good governance for the people.

“By the assent of these bills into law, LASIEC Is empowered to commence necessary administrative processes that will translate to the composition of the local government structure,” he said

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/05/ambode-endorses-4-year-term-for-lg.html

Ok

Does he have the constitutional backing to do that? Just asking for a friend sha

g

Ok

Local govt is the most useless form of govt in Nigeria... The aim and purpose of its establishment have been defeated.... It's now a means of settlings party members especially in my own part of Lagos...I sincerely wish it can be scraped...

nice move

camachima:
Does he have the constitutional backing to do that? Just asking for a friend sha

yes, he does. lga election and other matters are under the state government jurisprudence.

hmm

Make local govt independent simple

the main idea is to allow for more time to enable the creation and execution of projects to benefit the common man who is closest to this level of governance. ... ( the ideal )


( naija motive ) it means enuf time to ch*p money.

The term is long IMO

It's a good step in the right direction but LG autonomy is the ultimate thumps up Ambode

Nonsense!!!

The local government wey no dey do anytin abi which one.. 99% of people in my local govt. dont know our local govt. Chairman... and Ambode is here trying to extend d salary payment to people doin notin to four years.. somtin wey dem suppose scrap..
Local government kor,international government ni
Mtcheew

camachima:
Does he have the constitutional backing to do that? Just asking for a friend sha

I dont think he does! Local government has it's own 1976 and 1999 constitution
But the issue of state and local government joint account as constituted in the 1999 constitution is making local government to depend solely on state government so i think he is using the opportunity to flex his power

Now let start buckling up for the Election

A

Only in Lagos.

gud

AM HUNGRY OOOOOOO

olatunji21:
Local govt is the most useless form of govt in Nigeria... The aim and purpose of its establishment have been defeated.... It's now a means of settlings party members especially in my own part of Lagos...I sincerely wish it can be scraped...

God bless u

bettercreature:
I dont think he does! Local government has it's own 1976 and 1999 constitution
But the issue of state and local government joint account as constituted in the 1999 constitution is making local government to depend solely on state government so i think he is using the opportunity to flex his power

LOL. Why do you think he doesn't?

Why is it SIEC that conducts local government elections and not I NEC, except in the FCT?

Why did the Lagos State Government proceed to create 32 LCDA in addition to 20 LGAs if they do not have the power?

Why do state governors suspend LG chairmen and vice if they do not have the power to legislate for them?



I can ask many more questions.

Bottomline is, local government administration and legislation is fully under the state governments until such time when the 1999 Constitution is amended to give them autonomy.

olatunji21:
Local govt is the most useless form of govt in Nigeria... The aim and purpose of its establishment have been defeated.... It's now a means of settlings party members especially in my own part of Lagos...I sincerely wish it can be scraped...

then what will replace it.do you even know it's purpose

HarkymTheOracle:
Nonsense!!!

The local government wey no dey do anytin abi which one.. 99% of people in my local govt. dont know our local govt. Chairman... and Ambode is here trying to extend d salary payment to people doin notin to four years.. somtin wey dem suppose scrap..
Local government kor,international government ni
Mtcheew

whose fault con be dat. ppl just want rewards of democracy without making any sacrifice. e easy