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Tag: Lagos Assembly

  • Lagos Assembly condemns Sanusi’s suspension

    Lagos Assembly condemns Sanusi’s suspension

    The spokesperson for the Lagos State House of Assembly and Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security and Publicity, Hon Segun Olulade, has joined other Nigerians to condemn the suspension of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

    Olulade, in a press statement, said Sanusi’s suspension is a clear indication that the government of President Jonathan is confused and misguided. “The government of President Jonathan is confused and perpetually being misguided over matters of public importance.

    “What Mr. President is doing is to tactically remove Sanusi Lamido to cover up for various allegations of missing fund in the petroleum sector, which has not been adequately defended by the NNPC and the petroleum ministry. Mr. President is apparently promoting corrupt practices and ready to underpin any movement against corrupt practices in Nigeria”, he said.

    Olulade, however, called on Nigerians to reject Mr. President’s action vehemently in order to strengthen the fight against corruption for the betterment of the country. The lawmaker argued that Jonathan’s action is unconstitutional as Governor of Central Bank cannot be suspended particularly at a time when he has enormous facts on financial misappropriation in the petroleum sector. According to him, if office of the President continues to promote impunity and shroud corrupt public servants, the country’s hope of getting to the promise land is bleak.

  • Smoking law: BATN lauds Lagos Assembly

    British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) and sundry stakeholders have commended the Lagos state House of Assembly over the recent passage into Law of the Lagos State Public Place Smoking Bill.

    In a statement made available to the Nation, the stakeholders praised new Law for accommodating the views of all stakeholders whilst also maintaining its responsibility to protect the citizens of Lagos State from the effects of second hand smoking.

    The Public Place Smoking Law which was passed by the Lagos State House Assembly on Monday the 20th of January 2014 has been sent to the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola for assent.

    Addressing the new Law, the Head of Regulatory Affairs of British American Tobacco, Mr. Sola Dosunmu, welcomed the passage of this Law saying it seeks to protect the non-smoking public from tobacco smoke and also guarantees the adult cigarette smokers’ right to continue to enjoy the smoking of a legal product in private places, open places and in other designated smoking areas in Hotels, Bars, Nightclubs and tertiary institutions.

    Speaking further he said, “We have studied the Law and we particularly like the fact that it is not excessive or discriminatory. It is balanced and respects choices.”

    He also praised the Lagos State House of Assembly for taking on board the views of the owners of Hotels, Bar, Lounges and Café owners who advocated for the inclusion of designated smoking areas in the Law.

    He lauded the introduction of 6 months grace period for these owners to implement any changes envisaged under the new Law as to do otherwise would have crippled their businesses even though he was of the view that a 12 months grace period was more realistic and in tune with international standards.

    Speaking further, Dosunmu debunked the insinuation that the Tobacco industry was opposed to the passage of the Law, rather he reiterated that the Tobacco industry has always advocated for the passage of balanced, evidenced led and workable Laws.  This he opined, the Lagos State House of Assembly has to a large extent achieved by the passage of this Law.

    The Law stipulates the penalties for smoking in a “no-smoking area” at N10, 000 fine or imprisonment for a term not less than one month and not exceeding three months or both.

    Bill. The Law also stipulates the penalty for non-compliance by owner/occupier of a “no-smoking area” at N100, 000 or 6 month imprisonment or other non-custodial punishments that the judge may deem fit.

    The Law allows for owners of Hotels, Bars, Night club and Tertiary institutions to demarcate at least 10 per cent of their premises as a Smoking Area for their adult customers who chose to smoke.

    The Law allows for Smoking in open places such as on the street, roads and highways as well as in private homes and residences.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Lagos Assembly approves N489.6b for 2014 fiscal year

    THE Lagos State House of Assembly at plenary yesterday approved N489.690 billion for this year’s fiscal year.

    The amount is 3.43 per cent lower than last year’s budget. Of the amount, N234.665 billion is for recurrent while N255.025 billion is for capital expenditure.

    The Assembly, presided over by Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji, passed the budget, following the consideration of the report of its Appropriation Committee headed by Mudashiru Obasa.

    The committee read a sector-by-sector breakdown of the budget.

    The committee reduced allocations to some ministries, agencies and departments (MDAs) and increased others, based their needs.

    Education got N51.378 billion; Health, N22.07 billion; Works and Infrastructure, N100.12 billion and Environment, N25.67 billion.

    Others are: Agriculture and Cooperative, N23.21 billion; Transportation, N29.13 billion; Information and Strategy, N28.73 billion; Judiciary, N31.28 billion; Commerce and Industry, N7.98 billion; Women Affairs, Poverty Alleviation, N1.36 billion and House of Assembly, N11.8 billion.

    Following the passage, Ikuforiji directed that the Clerk Ganiyu Abiru, communicate the outcome without delay Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) for his assent.

  • Lagos Assembly urges cancellation of poll

    Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday at plenary urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel last Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State “due to glaring irregularities.”

    It said a new poll should be held.

    The issue was raised by Ipoola Omisore (Ifako-Ijaye 1) under matters of urgent public importance.

    According to the lawmaker, the election was conducted “under an atmosphere of chaos and a lot of irregularities with the sitting governor and INEC acting out an already prepared script.

    “It also witnessed non-accreditation, missing names in the voter register, observers were disallowed from visiting polling stations, a national official of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is under house arrest.

    “One wonders what INEC will do in 2015 if they can’t conduct election in one state. We should let Nigerians know that our democracy is under threat, with money playing a major role and power of incumbency grossly abused.”

  • Lagos Assembly to ASUU: End strike in honour of Iyayi

    The Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday appealed to university lecturers to end their strike in honour of their late colleague, Dr. Festus Iyayi.

    The House made the appeal in a statement issued in Lagos.

    The statement was signed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security and Publicity, Mr. Segun Olulade.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Iyayi, a former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), died on Wednesday in a road accident on the Okene-Lokoja Road.

    He was on his way to Kano for a National Executive Council meeting of ASUU scheduled for Thursday.

    ASUU has since postponed the meeting due to the tragic event.

    “Since Iyayi was on a mission to end the strike, the union should consider ending the strike in honour of the late comrade,” the House said.

    It appealed to drivers to avoid recklessness to reduce road accidents, regretting that accidents on the Okene-Lokoja Road had claimed many lives.

    The legislature expressed sympathy with the deceased’s family and the academic community.

    NAN reports that ASUU embarked on an indefinite strike on July 1 to protest Federal Government’s non-implementation of an agreement it entered into with the union in 2009.

     

  • Lagos Assembly bids farewell to first speaker

    LAGOS State House of Assembly on Friday held a special parliamentary session in honour of the first Speaker of the House, Olumuyiwa Oshinowo, who died last month.

    In his remarks, the Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, described Oshinowo as the trailblazer of the first assembly, adding, “Rt. Hon. Olumuyiwa Oshinowo was a pacesetter and a legislator par excellence. He was a legislative pioneer, a sagaciously intelligent lawmaker, a man who staked his claim even when democracy was not our culture and the youngest and first speaker ever produced by this assembly.

    Dignitaries present at the special session included a former governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, and his wife, Abimbola; former Speaker of the House, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora; interim Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; former Lagos Chief Judge of Lagos, Justice Inumidun Akande, and members of the state executive council.

     

  • Lagos Assembly to investigate unpaid benefits

    The Lagos State House of Assembly has mandated the Deputy Speaker, Kolawole Taiwo, to probe a petition on unpaid severance benefits written by former council political aides.

    The former aides said their severance benefits had not been paid since 2008.

    Chairman of the House Committee on Local Governments Moshood Oshun told members that the committee sometime ago reported its findings on the unpaid severance benefits, which spanned from 1999 to 2008.

    Oshun urged the House to allow a formal presentation of the report, so that it could deliberate on it.

    Mr. Abiodun Tobun (Epe I) urged his colleagues to intervene, saying some of the ex-aides were dead and some hospitalised.

    The Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, said the House would verify the petitioners’ claims that the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ademorin Kuye, wanted a law that would back the payment.

    Ikuforiji said a probe would ascertain what was delaying the payment.

  • Lagos Assembly confirms new Finance commissioner

    Lagos State House of Assembly has confirmed Mr. Ayodeji Gbeleyi as new Commissioner for Finance in the state.

    He was confirmed during Friday’s emergency plenary presided over by Majority Leader, Hon. Ajibayo Adeyeye, after a brief question and answer session with the lawmakers on the floor of the House.

    Governor Babatunde Fashola had in a letter, read on the floor of the Assembly, requested for the confirmation of Gbeleyi whom he nominated to replace Tokunbo Abiru, who resigned as commissioner for finance for new appointment on the board of the First Bank of Nigeria Plc.

    After a brief question and answer session, Gbeleyi, who had appeared before the House for the same purpose when he was nominated as Special Adviser at the commencement of Governor Fashola’s second term was asked to take a bow and leave.

    Gbeleyi, until his new appointment, was the Director General of the State’s office of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) before he was later appointed Special Adviser to the governor on PPP.

     

     

  • Lagos Assembly holds public hearing on FoI bill

    he Lagos State House of Assembly will today hold a public hearing on the Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill at the Lateef Jakande Auditorium of the Assembly Complex in Alausa, Ikeja.

    The Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security and Publicity, Mr. Segun Olulade, urged the public to attend the hearing and express their opinions on the bill.

    He said the bill was borne out of the need to domesticate the FoI Act, which was created by the National Assembly two years ago.

    Olulade said the law would give the public access to official information and strengthen communication between the government and the governed.

    He assured the public that their submitted memoranda would form part of the House’s resolutions on the bill.

  • Lagos Assembly condemns single term proposal

    The Lagos State House of Assembly has criticised the six-year single term proposed for the President, his vice, governors and their deputies.

    It described it as diversionary and unwelcome in a nascent democracy.

    Speaking in his office at the Assembly Complex at the weekend, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security and Publicity, Segun Olulade, said Nigeria’s democracy is not ripe for such a proposal.

    He said if the proposal was allowed, it would encourage non-performance.

    Olulade said: “The beauty of democracy is that it gives room for periodic assessment of the quality of service given by elected public office holders through the electoral system.

    “At the end of a four-year tenure, the people reserve the political power to either return a public office holder or replace him with someone they feel can perform better.

    “Only a four-year renewable tenure system can motivate elected public office holders to perform effectively, based on the mind-set that the electorate could compensate them with another chance through the ballot. “But in a situation that allows for a six-year single term, some public office holders may end up looting the public treasury with impunity.

    “Even in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US), which are the models of our democratic experiment, their constitutions allow for the renewal of tenure of office.

    “Nigeria is a democracy in transition and a developing economy. It should give public office holders an opportunity to imbibe the democratic culture and garner experience over a considerable period of time.

    “Visionary presidents and governors should have the benefit of time to implement far-reaching policies that can improve the living conditions of the people.

    “It is laughable and ridiculous that the presidency is trying to celebrate the proposal, having seen the hand writing on the wall that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would become the ruling party in 2015.”

    He urged Nigerians to air their views on the proposed six-year single term and dissuade the Federal Government from adopting it.