APC chieftain calls for creation of more local governments for Lagos

…Insists on true federalism
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Lanre Razak, has made a case for the creation of more local government areas, (LGAs), in Lagos State, considering the state’s teeming population.

Chief Razak made this known in an interview on the sidelines of the Lagos State Town Hall meeting between the governor and constituents of Lagos East Senatorial District.

The APC chieftain expressed dismay over the inability of Lagos State to have more than 20 LGAs in its 50 years of creation, saying that the time had come for the Federal Government to hands-off issues pertaining to local government in the spirit of true federalism.

On the ongoing restructuring debate, Chief Razak cautioned against any divisive tendency, but maintained that there must be devolution of powers to strengthen the states.

“Nigeria has got to a level whereby we need to be very careful when talking about restructuring.

I don’t believe we should cancel all the states that we have already created, but I believe we should have devolution of powers and reduce the level of funds being put at the disposal of the Federal Government.

More money should be put in the hands of the states to cater for the needs of the people,” he stressed.

He added that federating states in Nigeria should be having a fair share of resources in their territories.

In his words: “Let each state be strong enough and have a fair share of the resources being found in their domain. Look at Lagos State for instance; Lagos is responsible for about 70 percent of the total VAT being generated in the country.

There must be a give-back system to sustain that state. If Lagos is given a special grant, it will be able to meet most of its needs.”

The Balogun of Epe also commended the developmental efforts of the Lagos State government, saying that the evidence had attested to the progressive ideology of the APC-led government, both at the state and at the federal level.