The Lagos State Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Abdullahi Olowa, has said it is within the purview of local government authorities to rename a street or revoke an existing street name if not renewed.

In a recent interview with The PUNCH, Olowa, who is also the Chairman of the Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area, said the recent renaming of streets in the Bariga Local Council Development Area was within the constitutional mandate of the council.

His comments come amid a recent controversy surrounding the renaming of streets and bus stops in the Bariga area of Lagos by the local council authorities.

“Street naming is within the purview of local governments. It’s a constitutional mandate. So what Bariga has done is in line with the constitution. And as a matter of fact, street names, when approved, must be renewed from time to time. If you do not renew your street names, the LG has every reason to want to revoke and rename the street.

“So in this instance, I don’t have the full details of why that was done by Bariga, but of course, if a street name exists and there is no approval from the local government, the local government has the right to revoke because all street names must be approved by the local government,” he said.

The recent renaming of “Charly Boy Bus Stop” to “Olamide Baddo Bus Stop” in Bariga triggered reactions, with human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), describing the action as “illegal” and an abuse of power.

In August, residents of Ilaje Road in the Bariga LCDA also protested its renaming to “King Sunny Ade Road,” insisting the original name reflected their history.

The PUNCH reports that the protesters argued that the council’s decision undermined their people’s cultural and historical heritage and severed their emotional ties to it. (PUNCH)