Civil Society for Total Democracy (CSTD), a pro-democracy movement in Lagos State, has kicked against alleged attempts by the Lagos State House of Assembly to undermine local government autonomy in the state.
Addressing a press conference in Lagos at the weekend, the group warned that the Supreme Court judgement on local government autonomy must not be thwarted, stressing that any attempt will be met with stiff resistance.
Speaking on behalf of the group, the convener, Opeyemi Ogunlami, said the CSTD endorsed the local government autonomy and called on the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Lagos to rise and defend the Supreme Court judgement.
The group also called on the people of Alimosho to rise and take charge of both the politics and finances of its local government.
The CSTD noted that “enough is enough of those days when the local government is a tool of fund swindling and money laundering by the state government and such cabals who deprive the people of democratic participation at the local levels.
“The Supreme Court judgement is a victory for the people to assert governance from below, and this must never be arm-twisted by any forces, whether it is the state government or the state House of Assembly.”
The group called on Lagos State people to start preparing to vote in new parties that truly understand and are committed to political participation and democracy at the grassroots, stressing that the ruling party in Lagos had become a haven for tyrants, thugs, land grabbers, and other anti-people elements.
It added: “The CSTD is one of the only gatherings of revolutionary parties and groups that truly believe in the ideals of governance from below.
“We are the only formation where you can find groups that believe that governance must be responsible to all the people, from streets to towns, and to all levels.
“We stand against any attempts to stifle the local governments administratively and financially.
“We also stand for administrative and financial transparency at the local councils, thereby asking for more popular participation by Alimosho and Lagos State people in general in the activities and affairs of the local councils.
“We all must rally together to defend the democratic ideals and the advantages in the July 11th Supreme Court judgement asserting the autonomy of the local governments.
“We are watching the situation at Alimosho Local Government, and we want to say that the Lagos State House of Assembly does not have any constitutional rights to suspend the chairman.
“According to the Justice Garba Lawal-led Supreme Court judgement of July 11, 2024, the local government has been granted full ‘administrative and financial autonomy.’.
“This means that the Lagos State House of Assembly is acting illegally in interfering in the affairs of the Alimosho Local Government. It is only the Assembly of Councillors that has the right to suspend the Alimosho Chairman.
“Meanwhile, as a group of pro-democracy movements that are outrightly against corruption in government, we urge the Lagos State House of Assembly to make public evidence of corruption as it alleged against the Alimosho Local Government chairman.
“We are interested in these allegations, and our members in Alimosho are ready to take up the LG Chairman. This is why we call on the Lagos State House of Assembly to fulfil its responsibility to the public by exposing the evidence of corruption as it has alleged against the Alimosho Local Government chairman.”
The group also called on relevant anti-corruption agencies like the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offence Commission (ICPC) to look into the allegations and counter-allegations by both the Lagos State House of Assembly and the Alimosho Local Government Chairman.
It added that the people of Lagos deserve to see evidence of the several corrupt activities of the Alimosho Local Government Chairman as alleged by the Obasa-led House of Assembly.
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