The House of Representatives has passed a bill through a second reading seeking to recognise the 37 Development Area Councils of Lagos State as full-fledged Local Government Areas.
If this proposal scales the legislative hurdle, the total number of Local Government Areas in the State will rise to 57 and the total number in the country to 811.
The private member bill was jointly sponsored by the member representing Ikeja Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Abiodun Faleke and 21 others.
The bill seeks to alter the Constitution to “Allow for the accommodation of the 37 Development Area Councils of Lagos State to operate as full-fledged Local Government Areas, to bring the total of 57 numbers of Local Government Areas in Lagos State and that of the Federation to eight hundred and eleven (811) numbers.”
Clause 3 of the proposed bill also seeks to alter the First Schedule – Section 3, Part 1, Item 24 (Lagos State Local Government Areas) “State – Lagos Capital City – Ikeja, Agege, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Alimosho, Amuwo-Odofin, Apapa, Badagary, Epe, Eti-Osa, Ibeju-Lekki, Ifako-Ajaye, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Kosofe, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Mushin, Ojo, Oshodi-lsolo, Shomolu, Surulere.
The lawmakers proposed in Clause 4 the alteration of the First Schedule – Section 3, Part 1, Item 24 (Lagos State Local Government Areas), “State – Lagos Capital City – Ikeja; Agege, Orile-Agege, Ajeromi, Ifelodun, Alimosho, Agbado, Oke-Odo, Ayobo-Ipaja, Egbe-Idimu, Igando-Ikotun, Mosan-Okunola, Amuwo-Odofin, Oriade, Apapa, Apapa-Iganmu, Badagary, Badagary West, Olorunda, Epe, Eredo, Kosi-Ejinrin, Eti-Osa East, Eu-Osa West, Iru Victoria Island, Ikoyi-Obalande, Ibeju, Lekki, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ojokoro, Ikeja, Ojodu, Onigbongbon, Ikorodu, Ikorodu North, Ikorodu West, Imota, Ijede, Igbogbo-Baiyeku, Kosofe, Ikosi-Isheri, Agboyi-Ketu, Lagos Island West, Lagos Island East, Lagos Mainland, Yaba, Mushin, Odi-Olowo, Ojo, Oto Awori, Iba, Shomolu, Bariga, Oshodi, Ejigbo, Isolo, Surulere, Coker Aguda, Itire-Ikate.”
As provided in the explanatory memorandum, the bill seeks to convert the 37 Development Area Councils of Lagos State to operate as full-fledged Local Government Areas captured in the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999.