Ojokoro Local Council Development Area Secretariat
Overview
Ojokoro Local Council Development Area was carved out of the old Ifako Ijaiye Local Government of Lagos State, one of the existing 774 Local Governments across the nation by the Creation of Local Governments Law of Lagos State 2003 which increased the number of the Local Governments in the State to 57 by the additional 37 to the existing 20.
It was to be later rechristened “Local Council Development Area (LCDA)” following the conclusion of the protracted and exhaustive dispute and litigation that greeted the opposition of the Federal Government under the then President Olusegun Obasanjo which insisted that it would only settle for something lower than or not different from the National Assembly approved and constitutionally listed existing 774 Local Governments in the Country.
The newly created 37 Local Governments by the revolutionary and exceptionally visionary Lagos State Government under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the then Governor had to revert to Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs)of their mother Local Governments. Asiwaju was of the strong belief, and rightly so, that Governments would be brought closer to the people with its resources and developments more fairly distributed among them with additional Local Governments. In doing this, the State Government had first conducted a statewide referendum to feel the pulse of the people. The result had proved tremendously successful and reflective of the people’s yearnings. Apparently, they had long been pining for it.
In particular , Ojokoro Local Council Development Area was the culmination or outcome of years of relentless agitations and unremitting clamour for its creation by the people of the area in general and notable personalities in particular who took a step further by their years of advocacy and social activities aimed at drawing the attention of Lagos State to that highly compelling need of bringing Government closer to them as the starting point of all development efforts by submitting memoranda and appeal letter to the State Government. The creation of the Council was a dream come true.
However, in practice, besides this difference in nomenclature, there is nothing the Local Governments have by way of administrative power that Ojokoro does not boast of just like others in the same fold. It, therefore, scarcely differs from the Local Governments in any material particular. Its jurisdiction over its territorial space is to the exclusion of all others, including its mother Local Government. It has its own Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary to the Local Government, The Legislative Arm or House with its principal officers like the Leader of the House, Deputy Leader, Majority Leader and the Chief Whip. Its different areas of operation are headed by the Supervisors and Special Advisers. In all this, there is no difference at all from what obtains in the Constitutional Local Governments.
Thus, Ojokoro came into being as a Local Council with full powers of a full-fledged Local Government covering between AbuleEgba in Lagos State through Ijaiye, Kola, Alakuko and others to Ajegunle community bordering Ogun State by the old Toll Gate.
COMPOSITION AND MAJOR SETTLEMENTS.
Ojokoro Local Council Development Area comprises the following as its major Streets and notable areas. They are about forty- five in number. They are:
POLITICAL STRUCTURE:
The Council is made up of seven political wards and named as follows:
1, New Oko Oba/Panada — Ward A
2, Oko-Oba/ OkeEgbiri ——Ward- B
3, AbuleEgba/ Ilupeju —— Ward C
4, Ijaiye/ Gbinrinmi————Ward D
5, Ijaiye/ Ojokoro—————Ward E
6, Alagbado/Alakuko——-Ward F
7, Amje/AjegunleIlo——-Ward G.
There are seven (7) elected Councilors representing the seven political wards. Together they form the Legislative Arm of the Council. It is headed by the Leader. With him as officers of the House are the Deputy Leader, Majority Leader and the Chief Whip.
Their functions are principally to make Bye Laws for the good governance of the Local Council Development Area, to appropriate monies towards the execution of Government activities and projects and to oversight the execution of the projects for which monies have been appropriated.
THE EXECUTIVE ARM:
This comprises the Chairman who heads it and under whom all other members operate and run their offices. Those others are the Vice Chairman who was elected under a joint ticket with the Executive Chairman himself. There is the Secretary to the Local Government and the Supervisors who are appointed by the Chairman from their political Party members. There is a Supervisor assigned to each Department/Unit to supervise activities. The Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary to the Local Government and all the Supervisors and Special Advisers together constitute the Executive Council of the Local Government. It is the highest body of the Council.
The Executive Committee formulates strategic policies for the Management Staff to execute in line with the Procurement plan of the Council as determined or laid down by the Executive Committee.
For convenience and proper guidance, three management staff are also members of the Executive Council or Committee. They are the Council Manager, the Council Treasurer and the Legal Officer.
ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE:
Ojokoro Local Council Development Area like all others in Lagos State carries out its constitutional and statutory functions through Ten Departments, Six Units and three Area Offices all of which are under the overall supervision of the Council Manager through whom instructions flow between them and the Executive Chairman of the Council.
The Departments And Units
1. The Human Resource Office headed by the Human Resource Officer,
2. Finance and Accounts Department headed by the Council Treasurer,
3. Agriculture and Social Services Department,
4. Works and Infrastructure Department headed by the Council Engineer,
5. Education and Library Services Department headed by the Education Officer,
6. Planning, Budget, Research and Statistics Department headed by the Budget Officer,
7. Primary Healthcare Department headed by the most senior Medical Doctor in it’s fold more commonly known as the Medical Officer for Health ( MOH),
8. Environmental Health Services Department headed by the Environmental Health Officer,
9. Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Department (WAPA) headed by the most senior officer in the fold.
10. Internal Audit Unit,
11. The Legal Unit,
12. The Public Affairs Unit,
13. Procurement Unit,
14. Information and Communication Technology Unit
15. Tourism Unit
The Units and Departments all headed by the Council Manager forms the Management team. They execute the plans as set out by the Executive Committee are.
Head of Council
