14th December, 2017
The Lagos State House of Assembly Ad hoc Committee on Housing on Thursday warned that it might evoke its powers on the Managing Director of the Lagos State Building Investment Company Plc, Mrs Folashade Folivi.
The Chairman of the Committee, Mr Olanrewaju Layode threatened to evoke section 129 of the Nigerian Constitution which gives the legislature the power to subpoena anyone who disregards it.
Layode spoke against the backdrop of the failure of Folivi to appear before the committee investigating various petitions trailing the demolition of structures across Low-Cost Housing Estates in the state.
According to him, the section 128 of the Nigerian Constitution empowers the House to investigate any matter that affects any individual or group.
The chairman said that the managing director had earlier failed to show up when the committee carried out on-the-spot assessment of issues raised in various petitions before the House.
“The House mandated us to investigate the demolition of some structures in the estates across the state by LBIC. The House is acting on petitions received against LBIC and we have been working on it.
“This is the second time the LBIC boss failed to show up, I hope she would not do that again. She has issues and she did not show up for the meeting we called; this is so bad.
“We can invoke our authority on her or order that she should be arrested if she does not show up, but I pray it does not get to that. She still has a duty to obey us because we appropriate money for her agency.
“We allocated N2 billion to the agency this year alone from tax payers’ money. Even in the last budget reordering, we allocated money to her agency. We know what to do at the right time,’’ Layode said.
He said that other stakeholders from the Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Lagos State Development and Property Corporation, Lagos State Mortgage Board were at the meeting.
According to him, the meeting was organised to allow LBIC come up with its own side of the story to resolve some issues, as the committee found out conflicting allegations in its investigation.
Abiodun Tobun, a member of the committee who also frowned at the absence of the LBIC representative, said that the essence of governance is the people, which the House represented.
Tobun said: “What we intend to do is to mediate and resolve the situation. The MD of LBIC must be here to defend herself and why she has taken some actions, since she is not on her own but serving the people of Lagos.
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“As the representatives of the people, we should intervene by investigating what is going on with a view to resolving the problems.
“The House is saddled with the responsibility to investigate issues that will come across, and by way of resolution, advise the governor, which informed setting up an adhoc committee to investigate estates.’’
He said that LBIC had been slowing down the investigation, as the meeting of stakeholders slated for Tuesday had to be shifted again because the MD failed to appear before it.
According to him, the petition before the House relates to encroachment, illegal buildings springing up in areas meant for recreation centres and demolition by LBIC among others.
Folivi sent a letter for rescheduling of the meeting with the adhoc committee, saying it clashed with some engagements.
In her remark, Mrs Adebimpe Akinsola, the Special Adviser to Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode on Housing, appealed to the committee to give the LBIC boss another opportunity.
The House had on Nov. 21 summoned Folivi for ignoring one of its committees.
She appeared on Nov. 23, explaining that she did not disregard the House.
The House, thereafter, set up the adhoc committee on housing, after concluding that the MD failed to provide appropriate answers during her appearance over the demolition exercise.