Kunle Adelabu
-Former Dep, Gov. Ogunleye demands for recognition of LCDAs as Council Areas
Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbass, PhD., Speaker, 10th National Assembly, has assured the traditional institution in the country that the lawmakers will grant them constitutional powers in their efforts to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Speaker gave the assurance following the open request made by the Vice Chairman, Lagos State Council of Obas & Chiefs and the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, His Royal Majesty, Oba kabir Adewale Shotobi, Adegorushen V, at the commissioning of an 80 – bed hospital facilitated by Hon Babajimi Benson, in Imota Local Council Development Area (LCDAs), Ikorodu Division area of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, on Tuesday.
In the vein, the former Deputy Governor of Lagos State and chieftain of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, appealed to the Speaker, for the recognition of the 37 LCDAs in the state, as full – fledged councils
“On the issue of the non – inclusion of the traditional rulers in the Constitution, it may please the Kabiyesi to know that the present House of Representatives has done what has never been done before and that is to create a standing committee which is having representation from the 36 states and Abuja, for the very first time in the history of Nigeria”, the Speaker said.
“And, that standing committee is a committee on traditional institutions. It may equally please Kabiyesi to know that we even convened a meeting of the traditional rulers in the National Assembly a few months ago, where we categorically indicated that one of the areas of core focus in the 10th National Assembly, will be getting a role for our traditional institutions this time around.
“So, you are talking to the right person, Kabiyesi. We are already on track and I assure that by the time we complete the constitutional amendment processes, you would be proud of this House, because we will do the needful, Insha Allah”, Mr Speaker assured the Ayangbure.
Speaking earlier, Oba Shotobi charged the Speaker to look into the demand of the traditional institution in the country, that they should be granted constitutional powers, an issue which has been on for a while.
The royal father said that President Tinubu referred him to the National Assembly for action when the matter was tabled before at a session in Lagos, during the President’s visit for the yuletide season.
“I will be coming to visit you in Abuja and some of the things that I want to mention to you have been mentioned to Mr President when we hosted him a few days ago, and in his wisdom, he referred me to the National Assembly. He said that it is a constitutional matter that only the National Assembly can handle”, the royal father said.
“I know that I will have the opportunity to discuss it with you and today, I am discussing it with you in the open. We the Obas, among whom you have seen an Accountant that first spoke and who is also a former Councilor. You are meeting me today and I am an engineer and there are lawyers and engineers among we Obas.
“What have we done that all the Obas have been deprived from taking part in the governance of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The President said that it is a constitutional matter, what is constitutional matter? Who made the constitution to remove us? Where is it written in the constitution that the functions of Obas should be removed in the governance of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?”, Oba Shotobi queried.
The Ayangbure further charged the Speaker on the need to consider the request by the traditional institution and act on it, stating that:
“it is not in the law and they can never tell us that it is a constitutional matter. I want to rest on you since I have spoken openly to you today on the need to consider traditional rulers, and I am not speaking only for the Obas in the Southwest alone but all the traditional rulers in Nigeria, and I have had the opportunity of mentioning it to you”, Oba Shotobi said.
“I will say it to our ancestors that I have mentioned it to you and I want your response today and if you don’t respond, I know that you are a Chieftaincy holder of Zazzau, I will come to your domain to demand for it again”.
In his own request, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye appealed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the full recognition of the 37 LCDAs in the state as Local Government Areas, to bring governance closer to the grassroots in the state with over 20million population.
“I want to join my colleague to ask for favours to improve what has to be improved. But one request that I want to make, I was the Lagos State Chairman for Alliance for Democracy when Sen. Mamora was the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. We made a request for our 37 LCDAs to be made local governments so that we will have 57 Local Governments”, Prince Ogunleye said.
“I followed Sen. Mamora to Abuja, as the Chairman of the party, where we submitted all the documents that we thought were necessary. Lagos State comprises of about 20milion and we deserve even more than 57 local governments.
“The then Chief Judge of Nigeria, when we went to the court, said that a baby has been born but it is vis inchoate. Inchoate is an English word, but we cannot kill a baby that we have given birth to. So, my appeal is that through you and the Senate, you should consider a law that allows the state to cater for their local governments if the federal government through the legislature will not give us the opportunity to have the desired number of local governments that we want.
“I am appealing to Mr Speaker to assist us in recognizing the 37 LCDAs as full local governments”, the political leader said.
