LCDA GOVERNMENT; PANACEA TO GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT, CONSOLIDATE -Comrade Faruk Olaotan Shitta
Local Government being the third tier of Government is the closest to the people, hence consolidating on the Local Council Development Areas will in more ways fast track rapid development desired at the grassroots & make governance participatory.
The LCDAs had played pivotal role in the grassroots development, a case study is the NYCN structure that was extended to LCDA which then enabled more capable hands to come on board to display their sterling leadership qualities, took the organization and her impactful/youthful activities very much closer and beneficial to the people thereby increasing her membership drive.
It also contributed to the growth in the revenue generated by previous Government by placing it to 2nd to 3rd in position.
It has also serve as job creation opportunities as many people were engaged in the process as staffs, consultants and politically elected officials/appointees were not left behind while the political will can not be under emphasized, more significantly the socio-economical development at the grassroots.
Funds generated by the LCDAs are enough and capable of offsetting their operations if giving more powers and political will to exercise more functions, it will also in some ways contribute to the promotion of welfare and other socio-economic benefits to the people at the grassroots.
Rome was not built in a day as some may be looking at immediate developmental benefits of the just concluded 3years used by previous government, however, some LCDA surpass beyond expectations by giving dividend of Democracy to the people but governance is continuum, so also development is a gradual process which requires consistent and persistent efforts towards actualization.
The much celebrated LCDA Government introduced by Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his time as Executive Governor of Lagos State in 2003 is today in her 16th years of consistent, persistent and uninterrupted operations by successive Governments despite changes in occupiers of the Government and today it can boast of tremendous giant strides in every sector of the state thereby contributing to her increased GDP and still waxing stronger.
LCDA Government will in no way impose additional burden on an already challenged Local Government Council, rather would expose such LG inadequacies if not implemented.
Imagine, IFO LG which is one of the biggest in the state in terms of population with much IGR and larger voters turn up with less development but can be corrected through LCDA structures where every areas develop on their pace at the detriment of none.
Direct allocation can be understandably shared amongst the LG and LCDAs in particular area without any fuss, Lagos as a case study.
My charge to the Government is to set-up committee to look into the agitations or challenges of the LCDAs and suggests plausible solutions on it’s sustainability and not scraping.
Beheading is never antidote to headache, scraping LCDA structure will never heed any positive result but compounded.
