Fashola Signs State Technical, Vocational Institutions Board, Boundary Committee Bills

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Jul 13, 2009 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Monday signed into law the State’s Technical and Vocational Institutions Board and the State’s Boundary Committee bills saying that while the first bill will help to protect the local economy, the second will help the Government to deal with boundary disputes in the State.

While the first bill titled ‘A Bill to Establish the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Institutions’ Board will be headed by a seasoned Educationist, the second bill titled, “A Bill to Establish Lagos State Boundary Committee”, will be headed by the Deputy Governor.

In his remarks before assenting to the bills, Governor Fashola said contrary to the notion that there is no constitutional responsibility for deputy governors, the management of the state boundary committee is a constitutional responsibility vested on all deputy governors in all the states of the Federation.

According to the Governor, “The bill will help us set a road-map in implementing the responsibilities bestowed in the high office”, adding that the law will also help the Government deal with boundary disputes between the Local Governments and the Local Council Development Areas of the State.

“It will also help us set up relationship and interaction between other boundary committees in other states for the purpose of addressing boundary issues and resolving them in an amicable manner instead of with violence”, the Governor said, describing it as a bill so well-timed in its delivery.

On the bill establishing the State’s Technical and Vocational Institutions Board, Governor Fashola, who described it as timely, declared, “It is common knowledge today that immigrants from the West Coast of the Continent are taking jobs that rightfully belong to our people in terms of vocational and technical skills like masonry, and even automobile engineering,, to mention but a few”.

“In this period of massive regeneration in building and construction, this law helps to do so many things. It helps to protect our local economy, build up the inner capacity and skills that are necessary to ensure that Lagosians and Nigerians enjoy the benefits of the economic opportunities that our budget implementations offer”, he said.

According to him, “The law will also enable us reach out to the regulatory body at the Federal level which sets the curriculum, examination, certification and the development of students in technical education”, adding, “It gives us the courage to also tap into the very many existing offers for international partnership which I have already received”.

Thanking the Speaker and members of the State House of Assembly for a job well done, Governor Fashola said the law will also enable the Government to create more jobs for young people, more opportunities for self-dependence and self-determination while also enabling those who have become self-dependent to become employers of labour.

Earlier, while introducing the bills, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political and Legislative Matters, Hon. AbdulLateef AbdulHakeem, said the Vocational and Technical Institutions Board bill has become necessary in the face of rapid technical changes and challenges that the State faces, especially in the field of Education.

He said members of the State’s Boundary Committee would also include representatives from the State’s ministries adding that there will be sub-committees in the various Local Government Areas of the State.

“Their concern is to implement the policy of the State Government with respect to boundaries and boundary disputes, define, delineate and delimit various areas of dispute generally, whether intra or inter-local Government dispute or intra or inter-community dispute’, he said.

Also present at the occasion were the Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah Adebisi Sosan, the Secretary to the State Government, Princess Adenrele Adeniran- Ogunsanya, Head of Service Alhaji Yakub Balogun, among other members of the State Executive Council and top government functionaries.