Kunle Adelabu
About 224 Community Development Associations (CDAs) in Ikorodu Local Government will elect new officers between today, Saturday, December 14 and tomorrow, Sunday, December 15,2019, after several years of uncertainties over the tenures of the last executive councils which were recently dissolved across the state.
The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Local Government & Community Affairs (MLGCA), had directed that elections into CDAs and Community Development Committees (CDCs) must be held between 11th – 17th December and 18th – 20th December, 2019, respectively.
The Permanent Secretary, MLGCA, Dr Taiwo O. Salaam, via a circular to Local Government Chairmen across the state dated 4th December, 2019, had directed that all Community Development Committees (CDCs) and Community Development Associations (CDAs) should be dissolved on December 10.
Also dissolved was the executive body of the Lagos State Community Development Advisory Council.
The recently dissolved CDAs and CDCs executive councils spent about six years in office instead of two years as stipulated by law that established the associations.
There are 4, 252 CDAs that are registered and recognized by the state government and about 5000 others are not known to the Ministry of Local Government & Communities Affairs (MLGCA) but only operate at the local council level.
According to the directive, election results are expected to be submitted to the Ministry between 19th and 20th, while the election into the Lagos State Community Development Advisory Council (LSCDAC) has been scheduled to hold on December 23rd, 2019.
According to the directive, “Elections and inauguration of same (new CDA and CDC executive councils) is expected to take place immediately.
“Your LGs/LCDAs is to conclude and forward all elections result on or before 20th December 2019 to the office of the Permanent Secretary so as to allow for State Advsory Council Election.
“Kindly adhere strictly to the date for submission of all CDAs and CDC elections results to the Ministry. It is important that all CDAs must fulfil necessary conditions before the election takes place i.e. payment of state dues for the last three (3) years”, the circular from the Permanent Secretary stated.
The circular also directed that the council must take cognizance of Article 6, section 6.6 of the CDA constitution which states that, “Elected officers shall hold office for the period of two (2) years and may be re-elected provided that no Officer shall serve in the same Office for more than two (2) consecutive terms”.
Meanwhile, CDAs elections in Ikorodu North LCDA had commenced since December 11 across the council.
Valedictory Service for the outgoing executive councils is slated for the Christmas eve (December 24) while inauguration of new LSCDAC executives comes up on December 30.
