Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have expressed their dissatisfaction over the commissioner nominees list transmitted to the House last Friday by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The lawmakers, who spoke during plenary on Thursday, said the list did not reflect their expectations and those of their constituencies.
The Clerk of the Assembly, Mr. Olalekan Onafeko, who read the letter of the governor accompanying the list of nominees, read out the names of the 39 nominees as sent by the governor to the House.
Reacting to the governor’s letter, the lawmakers lamented the exclusion of some local governments and constituencies from the list.
While some urged the governor to take another look at the list, others urged that the nominees’ local government areas should be attached to the list.
Raising a ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’, the lawmaker representing Ikorodu II constituency, Aro Abiodun, told his colleagues that despite contributing to the success of the All Progressives Congress in the last election, Ikorodu got one slot in the list.
The Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Ademola Kasunmu, lamented the absence of any nominee from Ikeja.
His colleague, Nureni Akinsanya from Mushin, noted that the list did not come with the local government areas of the nominees. He also pointed out that the APC had technocrats who were not considered in the nomination.
His position was supported by Kehinde Joseph (Alimosho II), who noted that loyalists and party members deserved to be nominated as much as technocrats.
Joesph added that those who sacrificed their ambitions for the party or lost during the last election could also be nominated as commissioners and special advisers as they could still serve the people in other capacities.
Reacting to the matter, Femi Saheed said, as a former secretary of the APC in Lagos, he was aware that the party had technocrats who could be nominated.
“The House must thoroughly look at the nominees to make sure they are worthy of the nomination,” Saheed added.
While the Deputy Chief Whip, David Setonji, lamented that Badagry was not represented in the nomination, Ladi Ajomale observed that the list was heavily one-sided in terms of religious consideration.
Setonji added, “It seems like we have not learned our lesson. In one of the wards in my constituency, it was hard (during the election), but in the end, we proved ourselves, and here is the list, and not a single name from my LGA (was included).”
Adewale Temitope in his submission noted that Ifako Ijaye LGA which, according to him, delivered in the last election to the success of the governorship did not get a nomination in the list.
However, the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, implored his colleagues to see reasons with the governor over his choice of individuals in the list.
Obasa asked them to understand that all local government areas in the state could not produce two commissioners each.
He noted, “The law gives room for the governor to decide who he wants to choose; the House also has the power to deliberate on his decisions.”
The Speaker, however, agreed that the list of nominees needed to include the LGAs they come from for the benefit of the state and the general public.
He directed the Clerk of the House, Onafeko, to write to the governor requesting the nominees’ local government areas.
The House also set up a committee chaired by the Chief Whip, Fatai Mojeed, to screen the nominees and report back.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
