By Innocent Anaba

LAGOS-Lagos chapter of African Renaissance Party, ARP, Monday, appealed to the National Assembly to urgently accord the 37 local council development areas in the state full status of local governments.

The party also called for the proscription of states’ independent electoral commissions, arguing that their work could be done by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC state offices.

State Chairman of ARP, Chief Udoka Udeogaranya, in a statement, said the party, which had finished its nomination process with Lagos State Electoral Commission, LASIEC, and one of the political parties that will participate in the October 22 local council election, said the amendment will reduce the cost of governance.

He said: “If we must achieve lower cost of governance by reduction of bigger government, then state’s electoral commissions, which often tilt 100 per cent towards their governor’s dictate, thereby giving other political parties no chance to win even councilorship slots, have no reason to exist when INEC state offices can do the job even better.”

On the 37 LCDAs , he said: “It was glaring that Lagos had witnessed tremendous growth of new towns, particularly on the satellite areas due to high inflow of people from other states.

“It would be delightsome ratifying the 37 LCDAs in Lagos State with full status of local government, but leaving Lagos State with 20 LGAs with a presumable population of 20 million people, is a curse to the act of good governance.”