The recent inspection tour of projects executed by local governments and local council development areas by the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee Local Government and Community Affiars has revealed that some councils in the state have not been performing well, reports The Gazelle News.com.
The inspection tour, second in the series, took the committee members led by their chairman, Honourable Abdul Sobur Olayiwola Olawale to many councils in the Lagos West, Lagos East and Lagos Central Senatorial Districts.
Projects were inspected in the following councils: Mushin LG, Odiolowo/Ojuwoye LCDA, Ojo LG, Iba LCDA, Otto-Awori LCDA, Badagry LG, Badagry West LCDA and Olorunda LCDA all in Lagos West Senatorial District.
Also visited were: Surulere LG, Coker-Aguda LCDA, Itire-Ikate LCDA, Lagos Island LG, Lagos Island East LCDA, Eti Osa LG, Eti Osa East LCDA, Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA and Iru Victoria LCDA in Lagos East Senatorial District.
The Committee members also visited Ikorodu LG, Ikorodu North LCDA, Igbogbo Baiyeku LCDA and Ijede LCDA.
After the end of the exercise, the committee members were clearly not happy with the performance of Hon (Princess) Ramota Racheal Oseni-Adeyeri at Iba LCDA.
The Committee Chairman, Hon Abdul Sobur Olawale lambasted the Iba LCDA boss for non-performance. “We’re not impressed with what we saw at Iba. It appears government money is not judiciously spent in this council,” he lamented.
The lawmakers also condemned the council bosses of Ikorodu Local Government, Ikorodu West LCDA and Igbogbo/ Baiyeku LCDA for poor performance.
Hon Olawale noted that “There is enough funds from the Federal and State governments into the local governments but they lack creative ways of generating funds”.
He maintained that there are a lot of commercial ventures around the communitiee which the councils can tap into to improve on their Internally Generating Revenue (IGRs), tasking them to fashion out creative ways of generating funds to help the Councils develop in terms of infrastructure.
In his submission, Hon. Kehinde Joseph said lack of funds is not the problem with the non-performing councils. “What have they been using their little allocations to do? Most of them are yet to pay severance payment to political office holders who have completed their tenure.
“Their level of allocation does not commensurate with what they have done; looking at what we have been seeing on ground while on this inspection, most of them became chairmen over three years ago and nothing much to show for it.
“If they are saying they do not have enough funds, are they judiciously spending the ones they have collected?
Other members on the inspection tour are: Hon Rasheed Makinde, Hon. Nureni Akinsanya, Hon. Olawale Age Sulaimon, Hon. Kehinde Joseph and Hon. Olawale Olayiwola Abdul Sobur.
