4th August, 2023
By Adekunle Williams
The Lagos State House of Assembly has passed a resolution to express their displeasure over the exclusion of party loyalists in the commissioner-nominees list submitted by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for screening and confirmation.
The House also expressed their disappointment with the exclusion of nominees from local government areas in the list.
The House made the resolution sequel to a ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’ moved Mr Moshood Abiodun (Ikorodu II) at a plenary presided by the Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa.
The House, however urged Gov. Sanwo-Olu to attach local government areas to each of the commissioner-nominee.
Abiodun told his colleagues that in spite his contribution to the success of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last election, Ikorodu got one slot in the list.
Reacting, the Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Mr Ademola Kasunmu, lamented the absence of a nominee from his Ikeja constituency.
Also, Mr Nureni Akinsanya (Mushin I), noted that the list did not come with the local government areas of the nominees, arguing that the party had technocrats who were not considered.
His position was supported by Mr. Kehinde Joseph (Alimosho II) and Mr Temitope Adewale (Ifako-Ijaiye I) who both urged that the governor to reconsider the nominations.
Reacting to the matter, Mr Femi Saheed (Kosofe I) said as a former secretary of the APC in Lagos, he was aware that the party had technocrats who could be nominated.
Obasa pleaded with his colleagues who expressed dissatisfaction with the list and urging the governor to attach nominees’ local government areas to the list.
The speaker, however, informed the lawmakers to understand that all local government areas in the state cannot produce a commissioner.
He said: “I want to remind our colleagues that the governor has the prerogative to nominate those to work with him.
“While it is the duty of the lawmakers to screen the nominees and confirm them if they meet needed requirements.
“The House has already also set up a committee chaired by the Chief Whip, Mr Fatai Mojeed, to screen the nominees and report back to the House in few days.”
The speaker thereafter directed the Clerk of the House, Mr Olalekan Onafeko, to write the governor requesting for the nominees’ local government areas.