Lagos Lawmakers Invite Attorney-General Over Supreme Court Judgement On LGs

AgegePulse Magazine

...Commend Police for successful operation against kidnappers

... Applaud First Lady Remi Tinubu for encouraging gardens

Lagos Speaker, Obasa

The Lagos State House of Assembly has invited the Attorney-General of the State, Mr. Lawal Pedro, to appear before it to explain the Supreme Court judgement on local governments in the country.

The lawmakers said there was a need for better understanding of the decision of the apex court in relation to some provisions in the Constitution of the country.

A seven-man panel of the Supreme Court had declared on Thursday that the 774 local government councils in the country should receive their funds directly from the Federal Government as well as manage such funds themselves being a tier of government.

The court further declared that allocations to local government councils run by caretaker committees were illegal.

Ruling after a voice vote by lawmakers at plenary on Thursday, the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, ruled: "There is a need for us to seek clarification and understanding of this judgement. It will be good to invite the Attorney-General to brief us and give his understanding so that we do not run foul of the judgement." 

Meanwhile, the Lagos State House of Assembly has resolved to write a letter of commendation to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over the successful operation by men of the force that led to the elimination of nine kidnappers in the state recently.

A letter of commendation is also to be sent to the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Adegoke Mustapha Fayoade, for the efforts of the policemen which led to the fruitful operation.

Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, who presided over the plenary, said the police and men of the force who took part in the operation needed to be commended.

Dr. Obasa agreed with members of the House that letters be sent to Egbetokun and Fayoade further charging them not to relent in keeping the State safe for residents.

He stressed the need for stakeholders to fast-track considerations for the creation of state police to support the federal police system.

The Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Noheem Adams, had earlier recalled how the police launched the operation against some kidnappers in the Ladipo area of the state and eliminated nine of them.

According to him, there has been calm in the area since the operation was carried out.

Noheem added that the Ikorodu area of the state which hitherto had issues of kidnapping now enjoys relative peace.

In another development, the House of Assembly has applauded the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for seeking to encourage subsistence agriculture.

The Speaker said it was a beautiful idea to encourage Nigerians to have gardens in their houses arguing that this would help to create food sufficiency.

He recalled that schools had farms in the past adding that current situations call for a return to that period.

Lagos Speaker Obasa Reiterates No Crisis In Lagos Assembly

AgegePulse Magazine

Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashir Ajayi Obasa on Monday 16, 2020 has reiterated his earlier statement that there is no crisis or whatsoever at the assembly.

Obasa made the statement at their plenary session where a vote of confidence was passed on him by the 35 lawmakers present at the session.

“There is no crisis in the Lagos House of Assembly. We have 30 something members sitting here at the plenary today. If there’s crisis, we won’t have these numbers sitting here.

“We don’t have crisis. The fact that one or two people sat somewhere to write rubbish doesn’t mean we have one.

“We had a sitting on Monday, Tuesday and parliamentary on Thursday and another sitting today. So where is the crisis? There is no crisis in this house and there won’t be crisis. We took decision in the interest of Lagos and Lagosians and if there’s need to take such decision again, we would,” he said.

Lagos Assembly orders immediate return of PSP, disowns Visionscape

The Lagos State House of Assembly has ordered the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state to call on the Private Sector Partnership (PSP) operators in their areas to go back to refuse packing job with immediate effect.

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, who gave this directive on Thursday on behalf of the lawmakers during plenary also ordered the Clerk of the House, Mr. Azeez Sanni to invite the Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti to appear before the House on the matter next week.

This followed an Urgent Matter of Public Importance raised by Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti-Osa Constituency 1) on heaps of refuse scattered all over the state.

Speaker Mudasiru Obasa emphasised that the Lagos State Government does not know about Visionscape.

Obasa stated that there are three arms of government including legislative, executive and judiciary and that the state government ought to have consulted the House on Visionscape before they started operation.

“We insist that we don’t know anything about Visionscape because we were not consulted before they started work.

“We once wrote the Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Akinyemi Ashade not to pay Visionscape again and he would return any money he paid to them after our instruction to the coffers of the state government. We will go to that when the time comes but we have to do the needful now.

“We are calling on the 20 local governments and 37 LCDAs in the state to have meetings with the PSP operators to go back to work and they should start paying them and make the residents to start paying the operators. We have to avoid epidemics and be proactive,” he said.

The Speaker also warned those stopping people from dumping refuse at the dumpsites to desist from doing so, adding that he saw a lot of refuse trucks in a bad state and that some of them have been abandoned.

He insisted that the House ought to have approved the new refuse disposal policy of the state governnent before Visionscape started work.

“We are inviting the Commissioner for the Environment to come and report to us within one week. The Clerk should write all the local councils in the state to do the needful and the Commissioner for the Environment should work on this and report to us in a week,” he said.

Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu had said that there were several heaps of refuse on Lagos roads, adding that they were not like before “because some PSP are now working and the state government has bought some trucks.”

He said: “Some refuse are taken to Epe and Ikorodu but it is a bit far now as 300 instead of 800 trucks now dispose refuse.

“We used to dump the refuse in Olusosun, but the place was gutted by fire. We can give the place to private companies.

“The sanitary land fill in Epe is not being utilised and the transfer loading stations too are not working effectively and the turn around time of packing the refuse is not being utilised.

“It is not all the PSP operators that are working.May be we can recall the PSP Operators and reopen Olusosun and the land fill sites should be operated properly.”

The Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade from Ikorodu Constituency 1 revealed that heaps of refuse are worse in his area, and that for the state to have good sanitation, a law on environmental sanitation was passed in Lagos State, but that it seemed it was not properly done after that.

“The refuse on the road and on the streets are hazardous to the people. Flies from the refuse mix with the food people are eating.

“One day, Olusosun would not be able to accommodate refuse any longer. It would be better if we can change our policy on refuse disposal.

“I will suggest that we should challenge those in the Ministry of Health and those in the Ministry of the Environment.

“We can invite the people in the Ministry of the Environment to know their challenges. This has become an eyesore in Lagos State. We should invite the people in charge,” he said.

Also speaking, Hon. Bisi Yusuff from Alimosho Constituency 1 revealed that eight people died in Igando, where they dump refuse in his area.

Yusuff stressed that Visionscape does not know the job, and that they did not even allow PSP operators to help the people.

“There are big rats on the roads now and they could even make a vehicle to stumble.

“We should look at it critically. They are not picking any refuse in the state. It is an important matter that should be handled urgently,” he said.

In his comment, Hon. Abiodun Tobun from Epe Constitueny 1 stated that Lagos State is dirty and that only God would help the state.

He stated that Epe is not benefitting from the system and that their water has been contaminated and that all their roads are now bad.

“There is no industrial estate in Epe, but they have in other places. “They cannot bring refuse dump to Epe, they can relocate it if that is what we are benefiting. We want better things in Epe such as industries and other things,” he said.

Hon. Noheem Adams from Eti Osa Constituency 1 said that there are refuse in many places in his area.

He stated that in the days of PSP, people knew when they would pack their refuse outside. We should invite both the commissioner and LAWMA officials as well as the local government. We should be able to do our best because we need the people’s vote now.

This was corroborated by other lawmakers such as Hon. Oluyinka Ogundimu from Agege Constituency 2, Hon. Saka Solaja (Ikorodu Constituency 2), the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni (Lagos Island 1), the Chief Whip, Hon. Rotimi Abiru (Shomolu 1) and Hon. Abdulsobur Olayiwola (Mushin Constituency

The Essence Of Politics Is To Give Back To Society - Ambode

…Urges Lawmakers Not To Be Clogs In The Wheel of Progress

 AgegePulse Magazine

Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Friday evening urged lawmakers across the country to eschew all acts that can constitute clogs in the wheel of progress based on party differences, saying the whole essence of politics is to serve the people and give back to the society.



Speaking while declaring open the Second Quarterly General Meeting of Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures in Nigeria held at Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja, Governor Ambode said politicians across party lines must be constantly reminded that the essence of politics which is also enshrined in the Constitution is the protection of lives and property and welfare of the people.

 

He said it was gratifying that in the wake of movement of people across political parties in recent times, speakers of the 36 State Houses of Assembly in the country were in Lagos to discuss issues of national importance, just as he expressed optimism that the lawmakers would come up with further measures to deepen democracy and advance the welfare of the citizenry.



According to the Governor, “As politicians, we must ensure that the electorate continues to believe and trust in the principles of equity and the rule of law. No arm of government must be a clog in the wheel of progress on the basis of partisan differences and that was why I said that it is very significant that irrespective of our party lines, irrespective of what has happened, we are still here to find a common-ground to discuss national issues that relate to autonomy, that relate to State Police and that is the message that we have been sending in the last three and half years.



“The whole essence of us being called politicians is to be able to give service to our people. When we do the road, bridge or the hospital, it does not ask whether you are PDP or APC neither does it ask whether you are Ibo, Hausa or Yoruba before you can climb on the Third Mainland Bridge.



“So, the whole essence is to ensure that we give back to our people and like I would always say and always agree, there are only two reasons why we are in this business of politics which are also enshrined in the Constitution – protection of lives and property and welfare of our people and so no matter what strategy or path or geographical landscape we use, what is important is that we should be able to achieve those two objectives and I believe strongly that this conference and meeting will focus on those objectives and ensure that we are able to arrive at something very lucrative to our people,” he said.



He said no arm of government can exist without the other, and as such, there must be collaboration and mutual understanding across party lines for effective governance to take place.



“Legislature is vital to the sustenance of democracy. Its stability, equity and economic prosperity through the effective performance of legislative duties and oversight functions cannot be overemphasized.



“There is no arm of government that can exist without another. So, it is very clear in our mind that there is need for collaboration, mutual respect and understanding across party lines for effective governance to take place,” Governor Ambode said.



While commending all the Houses of Assembly for the role they have been playing to ensure good governance and deepen democracy in the country, the Governor also congratulated them on the newly assented law granting financial autonomy to the Legislature and also the Judiciary, saying the development would further guarantee the independence of the two arms of government in line with the principle of separation of powers.



He said before the new law was passed, the Lagos Assembly had been enjoying financial autonomy, which according to him, had also been responsible for the high-capacity delivery of services by his administration since inception, adding: “As you move round our State in the course of this meeting, you will appreciate the modest achievements we have recorded as a result of the harmonious relationship that exists between the executive and the legislature in Lagos State.”   



Speaking earlier while leading his colleagues on a courtesy visit to the Governor, Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa said they were at Lagos House to inform the Governor of the fact that 36 Speakers across Nigeria were in Lagos to deliberate on key issues of national development including financial autonomy and State Police.



Obasa specifically thanked the Governor for his huge support which made the hosting of the meeting possible, as well as the harmonious atmosphere for Executive-Legislative relationship in the State.



Also, Chairman of the Conference and Speaker of Kebbi State House of Assembly, Mr Ismaila Kamba commended Governor Ambode for the massive infrastructural development across the State, saying the name of the Governor had been written in gold in the history of governance in Lagos.



“Anywhere you are in this country, you know the effort the Governor is making in building bridges, building roads and enhancing security. We are aware the Governor has further bought hardware of security so that this centre of excellence will continue to live and answer its name as the centre of excellence,” Kamba said.

 

Lagos Speaker Obasa, Ogundimu, Other Lawmakers Call On Gov. Ambode To Restrict Trailer's Movement

AgegePulse Magazine

Following the recent petrol tanker accident that claimed lives and property along Otedola Estate in Berger area on Thursday 28th June,  2018, the Leader of the House, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade called for a review of issues surrounding movement of trailers in the state.

The Motion was moved by 14 members of the House.

The House urged the Governor to direct the State Commissioner for Transportation, Hon. Dipo Lawanson to ensure that long vehicles do not ply the roads in the state until 9pm.

"The House observed that the fire incident around Otedola Estate on Thursday  28, June led to avoidable deaths of several people and destroyed many properties.

"We noticed that the incident was caused by recklessness on the part of the driver, overspeeding, drinking of alcohol amongst others.  It is also observed that many of the drivers do not have drivers license  and many of the vehicles are not road worthy," he said.

While commending the Lagos State Government for the rapid response to the incident, the movers of the motion urged the state government to sanction any long vehicle owner that does not obtain necessary papers and ensure road worthiness of their vehicles.

Agunbiade stated that it was worrisome that long vehicles are parked on Ikorodu Road indiscriminately considering the consequences.

The House used the opportunity to call on the state's Governor to direct the Commissioner for Transportion to provide regulations for the types of vehicles that would ply Lagos roads based on their year of purchase.

Agunbiade added that the state government should direct all owners of long vehicles to go for insurance policies, provide places to park the vehicles and ensure that they follow the regulations of the state government.

"We also want to call on Governor Ambode to direct the Chief Justice of the state, Justice Olufunmilayo Oke to set up mobile courts to handle cases involving long vehicles.

"The House calls on the Minister of Power, Works and Housing to repair the roads in the state and provide weigh bridges for the vehicles," he said.

The Motion was, however, supported by Hon. Abiodun Tobun.

Contributing to the matter, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa suggested that the state Commissioner for Transport should meet with the insurance companies so that the policies would be done properly.

"The state government should have a discussion with the insurance companies  so that the policies would be original and not fake.

"Our traffic law should be reviewed to reduce loss of lives on our roads. If the Otedola Estate incident had happened at night, the casualty would have been minimal," he stated.

Also speaking on the matter,  Hon. Yinka Ogundimu said that the state government should call on the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Edgal Imohinmi to be up and doing to ensure that the vehicle owners obtain insurance policies.

He said that the policies should be regulated by the police so that the efforts of the government would not be wasted.

The motion was also supported by Hon. Bisi Yusuf, who said that a similar incident was averted in Alimosho Area on Wednesday, adding that the matter should be taken seriously.

The Speaker of the House subsequently directed the Clerk of the House, Mr. Azeez Sanni to write to the government on the matter.

Meanwhile, the House has set up a committee to review the mid-year expenditure of the Ministries, Parastatals and Agencies (MDAs) in the state.

The Committee is to be headed by Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu, while members include Hon. Abiodun Tobun, Hon. Yinka Ogundimu, Hon. Jude Idimogu, Hon. Bisi Yusuf, Hon. Moshood Oshun, Hon. Nurudeen Saka-Solaja and Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuosho.

The committee was directed to submit its report within two weeks and a half.