Fashola Blames INEC for Inability to Conduct Election into LGs

Fifty-seven (57) of them were sworn in. Among them are Segun Jubril (Isolo), Fausat Hassan (Ojokoro); Moshood Abiola (Onigbongbo); Wasiu Adeshina (Ikorodu); Bayo Adebisi (Ikorodu North); Princess Aduni Oyefusi (Ikorodu West); Muyiwa Adesoya (Imota); Taiwo Orenuga (Igbogbo-Baiyeku); Toyosi Olusi (Lagos Island); Omotosho Lukman (Lagos Island East); Jide Bello (Mushin); and Rasak Ajala (Odi-Olowo).

Others are Sikiru Lawal (Ojo); Abiodun Oresanya (Somolu); Oyoke Yahaya (Iba); Alabi David (Bariga); Olajobi Dauda (Oshodi); Tajudeen Alabi (Ejigbo); Dele Hussain (Surulere); David Famuyiwa (Agbado Oke Odo); Ahmed Seriki (Epe); and Ajibola Ojodu (Amuwo Odofin).

Council Managers have been in charge of the councils since October 2014, when tenure of elected chairmen expired following refusal of Fashola to hold election to elect new ones.

Speaking at the event, Fashola attributed delay in appointment of the secretaries to inability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to complete the process of compiling voters’ register on schedule, which made it difficult for the state to conduct election at the local government level.

“While it is true that it is the State Independent Electoral Commission that has the responsibility for conducting this election, what may not be obvious to the public is that the register used for the election, are those compiled by INEC, because compilation of voters registration is a federal responsibility that is carried out through INEC and by the time the tenure of the last local government chairmen and elected councilors expired, all of us are aware that INEC was still conducting update of voters registration and that record is still yet to be complete.

“This has made it difficult to issue election notices, but I have found it necessary to continue the delivery of service at the local government level and this is why I have decided to inaugurate the executive secretaries, who will serve in a transitional capacity to the end of March, hoping that by then all will have been sorted out with the voters register, and then we go to the elections to elect officers into all levels in the local government structure”.

The governor however clarified that the appointment of the Executive Secretaries was not an electoral process, but the application of his prerogative as provided by the constitution to prevent the incidence of vacuum in the grassroots governance.

“This is a prerogative of the exercise of my discretion in order to ensure that services are not held back at the grassroots level.

“I have seen the enthusiasm of our people that they want to serve, I have seen their agitation, their excitement because it means clearly that we are all concerned about our nation, this is what the momentum of change is all about. But the truth is that this is my prerogative to appoint who I please in consultation with people who live in those local governments. So, it’s nothing to quarrel about, it’s a transitional arrangement”.

Fashola said that unlike the past where sole administrators were appointed, the Executive Secretaries will be working with four others, expected to serve as Advisory Council in each of the councils.

To the new appointees, Fashola charged them to focus on delivering qualitative service to the people at the grassroots within the period they will be in charge.