The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lagos State House of Assembly

  • Lagos Assembly approves dismissal of LASTMA official

    Lagos Assembly approves dismissal of LASTMA official

    Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday approved the dismissal of a Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, LASTMA, officer, Mr. Onipede Olusegun from Lagos State Civil Service over alleged extortion.

    Onipede had submitted a petition titled “Dismissal from civil service” seeking reversal on the judgment of the LASTMA Authority to the House.

    In the petition, he stated he was on a patrol around Ojota axis when vehicles were parked indiscriminately at the bus-stop which resulted to traffic build-up and he instructed the driver of the vehicle in the front to move in order to ease traffic but the driver refused vehemently.

    Onipede further stated that he snapped the vehicle with his phone as a result of his refusal and the conductor held his hand and pleaded with him to delete the pictures, in the process of holding his hand while pleading that a passersby took the photograph and shared same on the social media which the LASTMA Authority came across and allege him of extortion from a bus conductor.

    He also stated that all attempts to explain what transpired between him and the bus conductor to LASTMA Authority was rebuffed. He stressed that he couldn’t have done anything that will jeopardize the operational guidelines of the Agency to enrich his pockets.

    In response to the petition, Chairman Committee on Establishment, Training, Pension and Public Service, Hon. Dayo Famakinwa invited necessary stakeholders to investigate the matter and reached a conclusion to adopt the position of the Civil Service Commission to the effect that Mr. Onipede Vincent Olusegun be dismissed from the service of LASTMA over alleged extortion.

    Contributing, Hon. Omotayo Oduntan stated that the fear of LASTMA is the beginning of traffic wisdom in Lagos State but now there are many bad ones among them who have become allies of Danfo drivers thereby extorting money from them. “I could recall one LASTMA officer tried to extort money from a Danfo driver but pleaded for forgiveness after I accosted him. I think it’s nemesis that caught up with the man in question and it will serve as a deterrent to other LASTMA officials who indulge in such disgusting behaviour”, she said.

  • Budget padding: Dogara, others should step down – lawmaker

    Budget padding: Dogara, others should step down – lawmaker

    The Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara as well as other principal officers of the House implicated in the budget padding scandal in the House have been advised to step down for proper investigation into the matter.

    Reacting to the issue, a lawmaker in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Moshood Oshun, who said that he could not reach any conclusion on the matter until the whole thing is made clearer, added that the matter should be handled with caution.

    “If we are saying that the Speaker should step down, other people that were accused with him should step down. I am not a member of the Federal House of Representatives, but if he steps down, what happens after that, will he be allowed to go back to the seat if he is innocent.

    “Many people were complaining, when President Muhammadu Buhari delayed in signing the 2016 budget, but if what is happening now is substantiated, that means he was right,” he said.

    Oshun stressed that one of the primary functions of the legislature is to approve budget by looking at the economy of the country and the available fund, adding that the legislators  need to know what the people want.

    The lawmaker said that it is not enough to say one wants to build a hospital, when what the people need is a school, saying that a legislative house has the right to either reduce the budget, leave it as it is or increase it depending on what they feel the people need.

    Oshun, who is representing Lagos Mainland 2 in the Assembly, said that there has been allegations and counter allegations over the issue, but that the people still need to wait to see the end of the matter.

    “Dogara said it did not happen and the former chairman of the appropriation committee, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin said that it was padded after it had been approved by the House. So, the whole thing has to be investigated.

    “Inviting the EFCC and ICPC to investigate the matter would reduce the power of the House because the House has the right to regulate itself.

    “The legislators have the right to reduce or increase the budget once they feel it is good for the benefit of the people.

    “If the House feels that a project, like a hospital is needed in Lagos Mainland for instance, we would approve it regardless of the contractor that would handle it. Where I have problem is when something is added after the budget has been passed by the House,” he said.

    The lawmaker explained that if the budget is debated on the floor of the House and members agreed, then there should be no problem about its content.

    He emphasised that it was not wrong for the House to have a team to discuss with the executive to work on the budget for the purpose of the people, for the interest of Nigerians.

    He said: “We don’t have to fight because we belong to different arms of government. What we should be interested in is to do things that would benefit the people. As legislators, we are representing the people.”

  • CDHR protests ban on street trading to Lagos Assembly

    CDHR protests ban on street trading to Lagos Assembly

    The Committee for Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) Thursday protested to the Lagos State House of Assembly calling for urgent review of the law on street trading which put a fine of N90,000 or six months imprisonment on both the seller or buyer who contravenes the law.

    The Lagos state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode recently in a live broadcast directed total enforcement of ‘Street Trading Law and Illegal Market Law, 2003 after an incident between Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI)’s officer and a trader that led to the death of the latter.

    In a petition which was addressed to the Speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa and signed by its chairman and secretary, Alex Omotehinse and Kushimo Olumuyiwa respectively, CDHR said there was need for immediate review of the law by a way of showing concerns for the masses.

    The protesters explained that many market men and women in the state have been subjected to hardship as a result of exorbitant rate for which renovated shops were sold.

    The statement read in part, “It is also important to state that the industrious market men and women’s shops in various markets across Lagos state were taken away from them by the Lagos state government under the disguise of market renovation only to contract such markets to their cronies who are building\property developers,” the group alleged.

    The group declared that, “The CDHR, Lagos Branch urged the Governor of Lagos State and the legislative body (House of Assembly) to be pro-masses and reflect on the economic pains and challenges of the good people of this country who have been very patient and tolerant with the federal government policies that tend to reshape Nigeria with the promises of better tomorrow and for now makes life unbearable for the common man in the country.”

    Also speaking, another member of the group, Barrister Samuel Adeola said the law on street trading in the state contravenes the constitution, saying to that effect the citizens have no other option than to disobey the law.

    According to him, section 5(a) of the street trading law is not in conformity with the constitution which stipulates that it is duty of government to provide security and welfare for its citizens.

    While addressing the group, Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade who spoke on behalf of the Speaker, Obasa, commended the protesters for being peaceful and taking appropriate step to seek for the amendment of the law.

    Agunbiade however cautioned the protesters to always be careful not to let bad eggs among them who might have ulterior motive to perpetrate evils.

    According to the Majority Leader “when you have a crowd like this, some people came with premeditated minds to foment trouble while others came with genuine reason.

    “As a legal practitioner, no matter how draconian a law is, until it is reversed, it remains a law until a court of law of competent jurisdiction declares it null and void. Nowhere in the world do we have perfect law, that is why we have mechanism for amending the law,” he said.

    Agunbiade promised that members of the House would look into CDHR’s grievances, adding that the process through which the law came into effect would also be applied if there was need to amend it.

  • Ambode approves dissolution of caretaker committees of LGs/LCDAs

    Ambode approves dissolution of caretaker committees of LGs/LCDAs

    Following the resolution of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday relieving the Executive Secretaries of the 57 Local Governments Councils and Local Council Development Areas in the State of their responsibilities, the State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode has approved the immediate dissolution of the Caretaker Committees.

    In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Tunji Bello, the Governor also directed the Executive Secretaries to hand over the reins of administration to the Head of Administration in each of the Council Areas.

    Thursday’s dissolution of the Caretaker committees is preparatory to the holding of elections into the 57 Council Areas by the State Government and ensuring that the necessary machineries are put in place preparatory to the elections.

    The State House of Assembly had also on April 22 this year passed into law a bill recommending a four year tenure for elected Local Government helmsmen instead of the three years tenure that hitherto obtained.

    It would be recalled that the Caretaker Committees which was headed by Executive Secretaries were inaugurated by former Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola on January 5, 2015.

  • Lagos Assembly appoints acting Clerk

    Lagos Assembly appoints acting Clerk

    The Lagos State House of Assembly has appointed Mr. Sanni Azeez as the acting Clerk of the House.

    This was announced by the Speaker of the House, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa at plenary Monday.

    This followed the pre-retirement leave embarked upon by the immediate past Clerk of the House, Mr. Olusegun Abiru, who would be retiring in August, 2016, when he would clock the mandatory retirement age of 60 in the Lagos State civil service.

    Prior to his appointment, Mr. Sanni was the Director of Finance and Administration of the Assembly.

  • Obasa: Lagos Assembly to introduce lobby law

    Obasa: Lagos Assembly to introduce lobby law

    Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has disclosed the intention of the House to introduce a Lobby Law aimed at legalising lobbying to influence government policies.

    Obasa stated this at the awards night organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) to reward corporate organisations which have excelled in different sectors of the economy in the country. The event took place at the Shell Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan Lagos.

    According to the Speaker, the legislature is essential to providing conducive environment for business to thrive because, “without reasonable and enduring law with human face coupled with policy regulations subjected to the approval of the parliament, there cannot be an enabling and viable investment climate”.

    Obasa stated further that there is the need for corporate investors to collaborate with the parliament, which is saddled with the task of providing the laws for creating conducive environment for investors to operate.

    “Furthermore, to make things easy, the Lagos State House of Assembly is also contemplating introducing a Lobby Law where investors can engage professional lobbyists and engage in the profession of lobbyism to influence government policies,” he said.

    The speaker commended LCCI for initiating the awards which he noted will continue to create healthy rivalry among corporate organisations in the country. He also urged individuals and corporate bodies to support the LCCI initiative saying “it is a means of recognising, promoting and celebrating private and public institutions in the country for best business practices, growth through innovations, business sustainability and positive impact on the people and the society”.

    Speaking earlier, the President of LCCI, Dr. (Mrs.) Nike Akande, stated that the awards night was instituted by the organisation to reward excellent practices in business. “The awards are also meant to encourage winners not to rest on their oars as well as gear up others to emulate the award winners and put in place conducive business practices for the general benefit of the people,” Akande, a former Minster in Nigeria, said.

    Also speaking, the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. (Mrs.) Idiat Oluranti Adebule, commended LCCI for putting up a grand and successful outing.

    He also congratulated the various winners urging them not to relent in putting in place good business practices for the general benefit of the people.

    Twenty corporate organisations won awards in different categories at the event chaired by former presidential aspirant, Chief Phillip Asiodu.

    Among award recipients are: Skye Bank, Bank of Industry, DSTV, Startimes, Verdic Lifecare Hospital, Nestle, Olam, Unilever, May and Baker, Alpha Morgan Capital Managers, Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) and Mainone Cable among others.

  • Lawmaker advocates capital punishment for looters

    Deputy Whip of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Hon. Omotayo Oduntan has said the death sentence for kidnappers should also be extended to public office holders who embezzled money to serve as a deterrent to others

    Oduntan made the call during a chat with Assembly correspondents in a programmed tagged, ‘Time out with the press’ organised by correspondents for lawmakers in the House at the Assembly complex Thursday.

    According to her, if capital punishment is introduced for public officers who dip their fingers in the national till it will reduce embezzlement.

    The lawmaker who represents Alimosho 2 also advised that such public officials who embezzled the type of humongous sums of money that is being reeled out on a daily basis by newspapers needs to be taken to psychiatrist hospital to have their brains examined to see if they are normal.

    She said, accumulation of such huge sum of money and property that will last up to their fifth generation would only make their children wayward and unserious “because they have so much money to play around with and at the end of the day the children end up not being useful to themselves, their parents, anybody and the society at large.”

    On death sentence for kidnappers, she said she is in support of the death sentence as prescribed by the National Assembly members.

    She however advised the Federal Government to provide more jobs for Nigerians as joblessness is partly responsible for the increase in cases of kidnapping.

    “Joblessness is partly responsible for the spate of kidnapping; by the time somebody graduates from school and stays at home jobless for three to ten years, they take to kidnapping to survive.

    “If more jobs are provided kidnapping will be on the decrease, because joblessness is part of the reason why people take to kidnapping after waiting for three to ten years without job, they resort to kidnapping,” she said.

  • Lagos lawmakers mourn ex-Mushin LG chairman

    Lawmakers at the Lagos State House of Assembly have described the death of the immediate past chairman of Mushin Local Government, Hon. Tunde Adepitan as a sad loss.

    It will be recalled that Adepitan died on Wednesday 20th April, 2016 after battling with heart-related disease.

    The matter was raised by Hon. Olawale Olayiwola, who is representing Mushin Constituency 2, who stated that Adepitan died suddenly at age 55 and that he was a great member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who did his best for the people.

    “He was a teacher before he joined politics. We should write a condolence letter to his family, pay a visit to them and observe a minute silence on his behalf,” he said.

    In granting the requests, the Speaker of the House, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa stated that Adepitan was a gentleman, who served as the Chairman of Mushin Local Government for six years.

    “No one can stop death, when it is time for anybody to go. We pray God to forgive his sins and grant him eternal rest. We will observe a minute silence on his behalf, write a condolence letter to his family, and send the letter through the representatives of Mushin Area,” he said.

    The representative of Mushin Constituency 1, Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuosho said that she was moved by the innocence of a six-year old daughter of the deceased, who was oblivious of her father’s death with the way she was playing and singing, when she and others paid a condolence visit to the family.

    She stated that residents of Mushin area have refused to be consoled after Adepitan’s death was announced as she said that he was a man of the people, who decided to pursue personal business having served the people meritoriously before death took him away.

    Also, Hon. Rotimi Olowo, who said that Adepitan was his neighbour in Alfred Estate in Ojota, Lagos before his death, described him as a man of peace, who could not hurt a fly.

    Olowo thanked the Speaker of the House, the Deputy Speaker and other principal officers of the House for standing by the deceased, when he was sick before death eventually took him away, adding that he would be sorely missed.

  • LG chairmen to enjoy four years tenure

    LG chairmen to enjoy four years tenure

    Lagos State House of Assembly is set to amend the local government administration law to make the tenure of the office of council chairmen four-years instead of three as it is currently.

     

    The proposed amendment is sponsored by the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa and the sections to be affected by the amendment include sections 27 (1), 24 (a) and an inclusion of 12 (1).

     

    In the motion which was moved on the floor of the House during plenary yesterday, the Chairman, House Committee on Local Government Administration, Hon.Kazeem Alimi explained that the tenures of council chairmen and councilors would be adjusted to be in line with other representatives at the state level.

     

    According to him, the proposed amendment would also take charge of the power of the state Assembly to enforce removal or suspension of any erring council chairman upon a petition from the concerned councillors.

     

    Alimi also disclosed that the law would make categorical statements that any chairman who had served for two terms would not be eligible to contest any election as the head of local administration.

     

    In his contribution, the Majority Leader, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade maintained that the Nigeria constitution gives state Assembly the power to create local government, adding that for such creation to be effective the House should also have the power to sanction any chairman if found wanting.

     

    While stressing the need for the amendment, Hon. Bisi Yusuff (Alimosho 1) commended the courage of the Speaker for coming up with the new Bill, saying “previous efforts aimed at amending the law had proved abortive.”

     

    Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuoso (Mushin 2) stated that after the creation of councils, it is crucial for us to monitor the activities of the council bosses, saying “failure to carry out proper investigation and pass resolution that must be obeyed, will be counter-productive.”

     

    However, the Deputy Majority Leader, Wahab Jimoh cautioned his colleagues over proposed section that empowers the House to remove or suspend defaulting council chairmen.

     

    Jimoh argued that the House should not make councillors handicapped, saying the legislative arm at the third tier of government is also paramount.

     

    While supporting Jimoh’s position, another member, Hon. Ibrahim Layode (Badagry 1) said “section 24 (a) needs better explanation so that we don’t harmstrung the legislature at the local level.”

     

    The Speaker however explained that there was need to allow the resolution of the House to be enforceable. He explained further that there was no provision that takes over the power of the councillors in the proposed amendments.

     

    Obasa recalled that “we had passed resolutions on two or three council chairmen for them to be removed in the past but the Governor did not comply. With this new amendment, we as a House, can go ahead with the removal.”

  • Lagos Assembly to Ambode: stop hawking by underage children

    Lagos Assembly to Ambode: stop hawking by underage children

    Lagos State House of Assembly has called on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to direct the concerned  agencies to stop uncontrolled and unchecked street hawking by under-aged children on the streets.

     

    The motion, which became the resolution of the House was moved by Hon. Sola Giwa (Lagos Mainland 2) during plenary yesterday.

     

    Giwa stated that illegal hawking not only brings physical and body harm to these children, but that it leads to psychological trauma and that it paints Lagos in a bad picture to the outside world.

     

    The lawmaker also spoke about the total failure of proper parenting by certain custodians of these children, and failure of the state to do the needful by applying punitive measures to the defaulting parents in protection of the right of children as contained and provided for in section 15 of the child right law (2007) of Lagos State.

     

    He pointed out that the law states that “Every child, who is in need of special protection measures has the right to measure what is appropriate to his physical, social, economic, emotional and mental needs and under conditions, which ensure his dignity promote his self-reliance and active participation in the affairs of the community”.

     

    The House then resolved to call on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to direct the Ministry of Youths and Social Development, Lagos State task force and other relevant agencies to as a matter of urgency begin to remove these children from the street as well as assist parents of the erring children.