Lagos Assembly Berates PDP Over Comment On House Activities

The Lagos State House of Assembly has slammed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State for condemning the House over the latter’s suspension of allocation to the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas in the State following issues raised by some members of the House.

The House had last week suspended the allocation to the third tier of government in the State pending the outcome of an investigation into the allocation through the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) and the PDP had condemned the action.

However, speaking through the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, Segun Olulade, the House emphasised that the State legislature reserved the prerogative, as guaranteed by the constitution, to exercise its legitimate oversight functions on the management of the federal allocation and internal revenue accruing to both the State Government and the Local Government Councils.

According to him, “the temporary suspension of the federal allocation to the Local Government Councils and Development Areas was in good faith and in the best interest of Lagosians who elected us as their representatives.”

Olulade asked the PDP to wake up from its “Fools’ Paradise”, adding that the issuance of ultimatum for public hearing on the issue as proposed by the PDP is frivolous, laughable and absolutely uncalled for, given the fact that an ad-hoc Committee of the House had been empanelled to look into the situation and report back to the House very soon.

Olulade reminded the PDP that the State legislature had the right to legislate on the fiscal policy and the revenue generation drive of Lagos State including the collection of tenement rates, signage, markets, motor parks among others, describing the PDP’s claim that the Local Government Councils had been incapacitated as not only baseless but smacks of an intent to create confusion and incite the Local Councils against the State Government.

He reiterated that the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) was determined to ensure world-standard best practises of public probity, accountability and transparency in the State.

Olulade urged the PDP to halt its destructive, fault-finding mission and engage in more constructive criticism while urging the PDP to stop issuing empty threats of mass protest to the State Government.