Fear of dissolution grips Lagos LG chairmen

There are fear and anxiety among the 57 local council chairmen in Lagos over alleged impending dissolution by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Daily Trust gathered.

Though the immediate past governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, in 2016 passed a law extending the tenure of the chairmen from three years to four, there are fears among the council chairmen on if the new four-year tenure would be allowed to commence.

The Local Government Administration Law 2016 endorsed four-year tenure for chairmen and other elected council representatives.

In July 2017, the state Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) conducted election into the 20 local governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state while the newly elected council bosses were sworn-in on July 25.

Three years after, speculations are rife within the political circles in the state over move to dissolve the councils.

This, it was gathered, has heightened fears in the present occupants of the 57 councils.

Some of the council officials who spoke with Daily Trust confirmed the apprehension, saying while their tenure was to run for four years, they were unsure if they would be in the office till 2021.

Contacted, the chairperson of Conference 57 (Association of the LG Chairmen), Hon. (Mrs) Omolola Essien, simply said, “There is nothing like that.”

Also speaking, spokesman of the assembly, Hon. Tunde Buraimoh, said as far as the house was concerned, based on the 2016 Law passed by the House, the council chairmen would enjoy a four-year tenure.