By Mumini AbdulKareem
The Kwara House of Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill to resist the executive arm of government from dissolving elected council chairmen in the 16 local government areas of the state before the expiration of their tenure.
The bill for a law to amend the Kwara State Local Government (Amendment) law no. 3 of 2006, was sponsored by Kamal Fagbemi (PDP Oke-Ogun) after members expressed satisfaction with all its clauses.
Before the third reading and passage of the bill, the lawmakers in their contributions described as unconstitutional the dissolution of democratically elected councils in some states.
The bill when assented to by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed will make dissolution of elected council executives unconstitutional by any executive arm of government in power.
The Deputy Speaker, Mathew Okedare, who presided over the Tuesday’s Sitting, directed the Clerk of the House, Hajia Halimat Kperogi, to prepare a clean copy of the bill for Governor’s assent.
Okedare said that the third tier of government was strategic to accelerated socio – economic transformation at the grassroots of the state.
Speaking during the consideration of the general principles of the amendment Bill, Barrister Fagbemi had while urging his colleagues to ensure the passage of the bill, said the amendment became imperative in view of the fact that the principal law was in consistent with the provision of the 1999 constitution.
The lawmaker further averred that Section 7 of the 1999 constitution guarantees that Local Government shall be governed democratically, stressing that provision of section 18 of the State Local Government law no3 of 2006 was not in tandem with the provision of the nation’s constitution.
The legislator equally disclosed that the Supreme Court judgement in respect of dissolution of Local Government Councils by Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, was illegal and unconstitutional, pointing out that the decision of the apex court according to 1999 constitution, shall be enforced in any part of the federation by all authorities, persons and by Court of subordinate jurisdiction.
Members representing Essa/Shawo/Igboidun, Kaiama/Kemanji/Wajibe, Oloru Malete/Ipaiye, Edu, Ekiti, Share/Oke-Ode, Irepodun and Patigi Constituencies, Hons Hassan Oyeleke, Ahmed Ibn Mohammed, Adebayo Mohammed, Aliyu Ishiaku Adams,Felicia Ebun Owolabi, Jimoh Akanni Abdul Rahman, Mathew Babaoye and Shuaib Abdul Kadir had in their contributions,said the current arrangement making Local Government Councils appendage of the state governments was against the wish of the founding fathers, aiming to make Local Government administration, a third tier of government to fast track grassroots development in the country.
The last local government election was held in the state on 17 Nov 2017 where all the 16 councils were won by the then All Progressives Congress (APC).
The 16 elected councils chairmen who are expected to spend three years in office decamped to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) before the 2019 general elections.
