12th July, 2011
Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly during plenary on Monday afternoon ratified the appointment of Mr. Taofik Tijani as Commissioner for Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, a new ministry that is being set up by Governor Babatunde Fashola to deal with the power challenges of the people of the state.
The approval of Tijani’s appointment followed a letter forwarded to the House by Governor Fashola informing the members of the ratification of his appointment. He was earlier appointed Special Adviser to the Governor on Mineral Resources
Governor Fashola, in the letter, said the Office of Special Adviser, Mineral Resources, has been upgraded to a full Ministry to be known and called Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and that he wished to elevate Mr. Tijani, who was sworn into that office to the status of a Commissioner.
He said: “These changes are necessary to better serve our people in terms of provision of public infrastructure and also to respond to their energy and power needs and position of the state to play a more active role in the oil and gas sector.â€
The House therefore ratified the upgrading of the ministry and the appointment of the commissioner.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Justice Fatai Adeyinka (retired) has appeared before the House.
He told the lawmakers about the commission’s preparedness for the election into local government councils in the state.
Justice Adeyinka had been summoned before the House by the members after raising concern that nothing had shown the readiness of the commission to conduct the election which could hold early November.
Justice Adeyinka, who was in the company of principal officers of the commission, said he and his officers are fully prepared for the election as they still had enough time to process materials and register candidates.
According to him, after the publication of election guideline, the commission would call all the stakeholders to look at the guidelines of the election.
“We are prepared to conduct election into the Local Government Councils and Local Government Development Areas. The election guideline will soon be published.
“We have 90 days before the date of the election which means from today (Monday), we have 101 days before the election proper,†he said while calling on the members of the House to assist in mobilising the people of the state like they did during the last general elections.
Responding, Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji promised the Commission that the House would assist in any form.
“The House has confidence in you and your team. We believe you will do the necessary things based on the laws of the land,†he said.
— Eromosele Ebhomele