4th June, 2011
Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji of the Lagos state House of Assembly has been declared has been returned to lead the House in the seventh Assembly which began today with the swearing in of the 40 members of the House.
With this, Ikuforiji would be the Speaker for the next four years all other things being equal.
The Speaker was nominated by the outgoing Chief Whip of the House, Razak Balogun at the inauguration of the seventh Assembly this morning. He was supported and seconded by another lawmaker, Wahab Alawiye-King.
Ikuforiji was thereafter declared by the clerk of the House, Taiwo Olatunji, after seeking the consent of the other members of the House.
The House also chose the former Majority Leader and major contender for the position of the Speaker, Taiwo Kolawole, as the Deputy Speaker after he was nominated by a lawmaker representing Mainland Constituency 1, Olanrewaju Oshun and seconded by Saka Fafunmi, another lawmaker representing Ifako/Ijaiye Constituency 2 at the House.
Kolawole is the oldest having been a lawmaker at the House since 1999. He is also seen to have wealth of experience that could assist the continued growth of the House in the next Assembly.
The oath taking of the members was witnessed by the Governor of the state, Babatunde Fashola, the Deputy Governor, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, wives of the lawmakers and loyalists of the Action Congress of Nigeria.
In his inaugural speech, Ikuforiji described the event as another day in the history of the state. He also thanked his colleagues for their support through the years.
He said he had been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the House and appealed to his colleagues for support throughout the next four years.
“We will and we must get forward by representing the people of the state adequately,” he told the crowd that came to witness the event.
The Speaker thanked the people of the state for believing in the government of the state adding that the House would support them. “We will not let you down,” he concluded.
As at the time of filing this report, the event was still on-going.
By Eromosele Ebhomele
