Lagos council chairmen, under the banner of Conference 57, have called on the Lagos State House of Assembly to rethink its proposal to replace Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) with Area Administrative Councils as outlined in the proposed Local Government Administration Bill.

Mr. Rasaq Ajala, General-Secretary of Conference 57 and Executive Chairman of Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA, made the appeal during an interview on the sidelines of a public hearing organized by the Assembly in Ikeja on Friday.

The Assembly had, during a public hearing on October 17, considered replacing the state’s 37 LCDAs with Area Administrative Councils. Ajala, however, urged the Assembly to maintain the current structure, stressing the importance of ensuring that the 37 LCDAs are eventually listed in the constitution rather than being replaced.

He emphasized that Lagos State’s current grassroots development, enjoyed by the people, is largely due to the additional 37 LCDAs. He further referenced the historical legal backing for the creation of the LCDAs, noting that the Supreme Court had upheld their legitimacy when the matter was brought before the court during President Bola Tinubu’s tenure as governor.

Ajala stated, "The position of Conference 57 is clear. The creation of the 37 LCDAs is a product of the Constitution, and we believe that the Assembly should allow it to stay." He also reiterated that the creation of the LCDAs was legal, constitutional, and instrumental in driving development at the grassroots level.

Conference 57 lauded the Assembly's efforts in keeping Lagos State at the forefront of development and urged them to maintain the current structure until the LCDAs are constitutionally recognized.