Ogun Assembly passes bill on creation of 37 LCDAs

The Ogun House of Assembly, on Thursday, passed the Local Government Amendment Law 2016, to allow the state governments create 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

The passage of the bill titled: “The Local Government Amendment Law (Creation and Transitional Provisions) Amendment Law, 2016”, was sequel to the report of the committee of the House presented by Deputy Speaker, Mr Olakunle Oluomo.

Mr. Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun State Governor

The Deputy Speaker moved for the adoption of the report at plenary in Abeokuta and was seconded by Mr Adebowale Ojuri.

Oluomo said that referendum was conducted in five out of the 37 proposed LCDAs, adding that the House had also conducted a three day stakeholders’ forum where memorandums were submitted and treated fairly by the House.

He said that after a thorough scrutiny of the referendum report, the committee recommended that the name of the 20 existing Local Government Council areas in the state be maintained with their respective headquarters.

“The 37 LCDAs which are listed in the schedule to the law are inchoate until such a time as the National Assembly shall pass an Act to make consequential provisions with respect to the names of the LCDAs.

“Section 2(1) and (11) of the States : “The Local Government Areas, for the time being, listed in part 1 of schedule of 1 of 1999 constitution and in the schedule of the Amendment Law remain valid and in existence.

“That all other local government areas listed in schedule 11 of the Amendment Law shall, for the time being, operate as Local Council Development Areas, the funding of which shall be borne by state government,” he said.

Mr Adeyinka Mafe, the Majority Leader, moved the motion for the third reading of the bill while it was seconded by Mr Oyenuga Olufowobi.

The Clerk of the House, Mr Muyiwa Adenopo, read the bill for the third time, while the Speaker, Mr Suraj Adekunbi, ordered that the clean copy of the bill be forwarded to Gov. Ibikunle Amosun for his assent.

It will be recalled that the State Governor had on March 10 sent an Executive Bill to the House, seeking to restructure the existing 20 local government councils and create additional 37 LCDAs.