By ‘Tunde Ogunmola
A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Olayinka Kazeem ‘Esho’, has called attention to the non-replacement of a Councillor who died two years ago thereby making his seat vacant.
Kazeem made this assertion recently while making a contribution during the plenary session at the Lagos State House of Assembly on the Local Government Administration Bill, 2024, titled, “A Bill for a Law to Provide for Local Governments’ System, Establishment and Administration and to Consolidate all Laws of Local Government Administration and for Connected Purposes.”
According to the first-term lawmaker who represents Mushin Constituency 2, the deceased Councillor, Muritalah Oyeniyi, was a representative of his Ward, Ward D, in the legislative arm of Mushin LG, stressing that his death two years ago has left the councillorship seat of the Ward vacant with no signs of replacement in sight.
In his words on the floor of the House, Hon. Kazeem said; “Currently, my Ward in Mushin Local Government is not having a Councillor, because the Councillor passed away two years into his tenure and no replacement by any means yet, because there is no provision for replacement by the law to take care of such occurrences.”
The Local Government Administration Bill 2024 has been passed for second reading and Hon. Olayinka Kazeem’s concern further underscores the importance and necessity of the bill which seeks to strengthen government administration at the grassroots.
Since his inauguration as a member of the 10th Assembly in June 2023, Hon. Olayinka Kazeem, a.k.a Yinka Esho, has contributed brilliantly to the process of lawmaking in the Lagos State House of Assembly. He has also scored high in the areas of oversight functions and constituency matters.
The new Local Government bill being examined by the House of Assembly is expected to deepen grassroots governance in the state when signed into law.
