Osun HOA passes bills to strengthen LG autonomy
By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo
The Osun State House of Assembly has passed two bills into law aimed at bolstering local government autonomy.
According to a statement by Olamide Tiamiyu, the Chief Press Secretary to the Honourable Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, the bills—the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (Amendment 1) Bill, 2024, and the Osun State Local Government Areas (Creation & Administration) (Amendment 7) Bill, 2024—were approved on Tuesday to align with a recent Supreme Court ruling that upholds local government independence.
The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission Bill is set to regulate the State’s electoral body, empowering it to conduct elections across the 30 officially recognized Local Government Areas. The bill also authorizes elected local government chairmen to appoint chief administrators for the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) and six area councils within their jurisdictions.
In addition, the Local Government Creation and Administration Bill grants elected local government chairmen the authority to make appointments that will enable them to effectively carry out their duties. The appointed chief administrators will work closely with the chairmen and report directly to them.
The passage of these bills, according to the statement, marks a significant step in enhancing autonomy and decision-making power for local governments in Osun State. The bills will now be presented to the State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, for assent.
The statement also noted that this legislative move is in line with the recent Supreme Court judgment, which reinforced constitutional provisions for local government autonomy, granting them greater financial and administrative independence from state governments.
