Fayemi Sends Bills On Judiciary Funds Management, Creation Of 19 LCDAS To Assembly

Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, on Tuesday, forwarded two
bills to the State House of Assembly for legislative consideration
and possible passage into law.

The Bills are: The Ekiti State Judiciary (Funds Management)
Bill, 2021 and the Creation of Local Government Bill, 2021.

The Judiciary (Funds Management) Bill is a bill for a law to
provide for the management of funds of the Ekiti State Judiciary
and the repeal of the Ekiti State Fiscal Autonomy for the Judicial
Arm of Government Law, No 8 of 2008 and for other related
matters.

The state government proposed this bill in furtherance of the
Memorandum of Action on the Implementation of the Financial
Autonomy for the State Judiciary, which was jointly signed, by the
Nigeria Governors Forum and the National Judicial Council among
others on 20 May, 2021.

In broad terms, the purpose of this bill is to grant Ekiti State
Judiciary the power to manage its capital and recurrent expenditure
in accordance with the provision of Sections 6(5)(a)-(I), 81(3),
121(3) and Item 21(e) of the Third Schedule of the Constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and other
relevant laws.

The Bill further affirms the severally stated commitment of the
Fayemi administration to an independent judiciary that is
professional, effective, and responsive to the needs of all users
including where appropriate, the provision of informal dispute
resolution mechanisms.

The Creation of Local Government Bill, 2021, is a bill for a law
to provide for the creation of new local government areas in Ekiti
State and for other related matters.

The bill seeks to create nineteen (19) new local government
areas in addition to the existing 16 local government areas in the
state as specified in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

These newly proposed local government areas are inchoate and
shall operate for the time being as Local Council Development Areas
(LCDAs) until such a time as the National Assembly shall pass an
act recognising them under section 8(5) of the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

The new 19 LCDAs in alphabetical order are : Ado Central LCDA,
Ado North LCDA, Ado West LCDA, Ajoni LCDA, Araromi LCDA, Ekameta
LCDA, Ekiti South East LCDA, Ero LCDA, Gbonyin LCDA, Ifedara LCDA,
Ifeloju LCDA, Ifesowopo
LCDA, Igbara-Odo/Ogotun LCDA, Ikere West LCDA, Ikole West LCDA,
Irede LCDA, Irewolede LCDA, Isokan LCDA and Okemesi/Ido-Ile
LCDA.

The Creation of Local Government Bill, 2021 is the culmination
of a process of consultative and inclusive engagement of various
communities in the 16 Local Government Areas of the state.

It will be recalled that on the 16th of November, 2020, the
Governor formally inaugurated the Committee on the Creation of
Local Council Development Areas in the state.

The Committee consulted extensively over a five-month period and
submitted a comprehensive report that took into consideration
several issues including population of each of the proposed LCDA,
availability of personnel, physical structure of proposed
headquarters and broadly economic viability of the proposed
LCDAs.

In addition, there were several inter-ministerial meetings
within the framework of a white paper committee that met to review
the report and made recommendations on institutional arrangements
for the effective functioning of the proposed LCDAs especially in
view of the economic situation facing the country of which Ekiti
State is no exception.

The State Executive Council further deliberated extensively on
the proposals and resolved that the creation of the new LCDAs is in
response to the agitations of the communities affected and that
continuing the efficient management of state resources by the
Fayemi administration will ensure that the LCDAs are appropriately
funded. By the provisions of the bill, the governor shall have the
power to appoint persons to administer the affairs of the LCDAs
until such a time when a democratically elected authority is put in
place.

Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, on Tuesday, forwarded two
bills to the State House of Assembly for legislative consideration
and possible passage into law.

The Bills are: The Ekiti State Judiciary (Funds Management)
Bill, 2021 and the Creation of Local Government Bill, 2021.

The Judiciary (Funds Management) Bill is a bill for a law to
provide for the management of funds of the Ekiti State Judiciary
and the repeal of the Ekiti State Fiscal Autonomy for the Judicial
Arm of Government Law, No 8 of 2008 and for other related
matters.

The state government proposed this bill in furtherance of the
Memorandum of Action on the Implementation of the Financial
Autonomy for the State Judiciary, which was jointly signed, by the
Nigeria Governors Forum and the National Judicial Council among
others on 20 May, 2021.

In broad terms, the purpose of this bill is to grant Ekiti State
Judiciary the power to manage its capital and recurrent expenditure
in accordance with the provision of Sections 6(5)(a)-(I), 81(3),
121(3) and Item 21(e) of the Third Schedule of the Constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and other
relevant laws.

The Bill further affirms the severally stated commitment of the
Fayemi administration to an independent judiciary that is
professional, effective, and responsive to the needs of all users
including where appropriate, the provision of informal dispute
resolution mechanisms.

The Creation of Local Government Bill, 2021, is a bill for a law
to provide for the creation of new local government areas in Ekiti
State and for other related matters.

The bill seeks to create nineteen (19) new local government
areas in addition to the existing 16 local government areas in the
state as specified in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

These newly proposed local government areas are inchoate and
shall operate for the time being as Local Council Development Areas
(LCDAs) until such a time as the National Assembly shall pass an
act recognising them under section 8(5) of the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

The new 19 LCDAs in alphabetical order are : Ado Central LCDA,
Ado North LCDA, Ado West LCDA, Ajoni LCDA, Araromi LCDA, Ekameta
LCDA, Ekiti South East LCDA, Ero LCDA, Gbonyin LCDA, Ifedara LCDA,
Ifeloju LCDA, Ifesowopo
LCDA, Igbara-Odo/Ogotun LCDA, Ikere West LCDA, Ikole West LCDA,
Irede LCDA, Irewolede LCDA, Isokan LCDA and Okemesi/Ido-Ile
LCDA.

The Creation of Local Government Bill, 2021 is the culmination
of a process of consultative and inclusive engagement of various
communities in the 16 Local Government Areas of the state.

It will be recalled that on the 16th of November, 2020, the
Governor formally inaugurated the Committee on the Creation of
Local Council Development Areas in the state.

The Committee consulted extensively over a five-month period and
submitted a comprehensive report that took into consideration
several issues including population of each of the proposed LCDA,
availability of personnel, physical structure of proposed
headquarters and broadly economic viability of the proposed
LCDAs.

In addition, there were several inter-ministerial meetings
within the framework of a white paper committee that met to review
the report and made recommendations on institutional arrangements
for the effective functioning of the proposed LCDAs especially in
view of the economic situation facing the country of which Ekiti
State is no exception.

The State Executive Council further deliberated extensively on
the proposals and resolved that the creation of the new LCDAs is in
response to the agitations of the communities affected and that
continuing the efficient management of state resources by the
Fayemi administration will ensure that the LCDAs are appropriately
funded. By the provisions of the bill, the governor shall have the
power to appoint persons to administer the affairs of the LCDAs
until such a time when a democratically elected authority is put in
place.