LGs Autonomy: Lagos Assembly seeks Attorney-General’s brief for clarity on Supreme Court judgement

The Lagos State House of Assembly has invited the Attorney-General of the State, Mr. Lawal Pedro, to appear before it to explain the Supreme Court judgement on local governments in the country.

The lawmakers said there was a need for better understanding of the decision of the apex court in relation to some provisions in the Constitution of the country.

A seven-man panel of the Supreme Court had declared on Thursday that the 774 local government councils in the country should receive their funds directly from the Federal Government as well as manage such funds themselves being a tier of government.

The court further declared that allocations to local government councils run by caretaker committees were illegal.

Ruling after a voice vote by lawmakers at plenary on Thursday, the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, ruled: “There is a need for us to seek clarification and understanding of this judgement. It will be good to invite the Attorney-General to brief us and give his understanding so that we do not run foul of the judgement.”

Meanwhile, the Lagos State House of Assembly has resolved to write a letter of commendation to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over the successful operation by men of the force that led to the elimination of nine kidnappers in the state recently.

A letter of commendation is also to be sent to the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Adegoke Mustapha Fayoade, for the efforts of the policemen which led to the fruitful operation.

Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, who presided over the plenary, said the police and men of the force who took part in the operation needed to be commended.

Obasa agreed with members of the House that letters be sent to Egbetokun and Fayoade further charging them not to relent in keeping the State safe for residents.

He stressed the need for stakeholders to fast-track considerations for the creation of state police to support the federal police system.

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The Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Noheem Adams, had earlier recalled how the police launched the operation against some kidnappers in the Ladipo area of the state and eliminated nine of them.

According to him, there has been calm in the area since the operation was carried out.

Noheem added that the Ikorodu area of the state which hitherto had issues of kidnapping now enjoys relative peace.

In another development, the House of Assembly has applauded the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for seeking to encourage subsistence agriculture.

The Speaker said it was a beautiful idea to encourage Nigerians to have gardens in their houses arguing that this would help to create food sufficiency.

He recalled that schools had farms in the past adding that current situations call for a return to that period.