THE Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has described the agitations for the creation of additional states in the country as an attempt to balkanize the existing states.
Presenting the position of the state government on Friday, at a one-day public hearing on the proposed amendment of the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly, organised by the state legislature, the governor noted the huge cost of the administration of new states.
Fashola said instead of demanding for additional states, people should ask for additional local governments to enhance development at the grassroots and bring government closer to them.
According to him, the agitations from sections of the country for additional states were borne out of perceived marginalisation, but this could be addressed with the creation of additional local governments.
On the call for the devolution of power, the governor said this became imperative as the present constitution gives more power to the government at the centre.
Education, primary health care, power and creation of local governments should be the constitutional responsibilities of states, he said.
On the question of the role of traditional rulers in the constitution, Fashola argued that their appointments and terms of office are regulated by traditions which, he said, were peculiar to each town or village and as such, their roles could not be regulated by the constitution.
He queried: “Why are we trying to centralize the traditional institution? It is contrary to the devolution of power that we are agitating for.”
