The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mudashiru Obasa

  • Lagos Assembly prescribes death penalty for kidnappers

    The Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday passed a bill aimed at checking the spate of kidnapping in the state into law, with stiffer penalties including death sentence for offenders.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lawmakers passed the Bill for a Law to Provide for the Prohibition of the Act of Kidnapping and for Other Connected Purposes after the third reading.

    The passage of the bill was also sequel to the adoption of a report presented by the Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, Petitions, Human Rights and Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Mrs. Adefunmilayo Tejuosho.

    Sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa, it prescribes death sentence for kidnappers whose victims die in their custody and life sentence for kidnappers whose victims do not die in the hands of their abductors.

    The bill states that any person, who kidnaps, abducts, detains, captures or takes another person by any means or trick with intent to demand ransom or do anything against his/her will, commits an offence.

    The bill also stipulates life imprisonment for anyone who makes an attempt to kidnap another person.

    NAN reports that the bill prescribes seven years imprisonment for anyone making false representation to release a kidnapped or abducted person.

    The lawmakers also approved 25 years imprisonment as penalty for anyone found guilty of threatening to kidnap another person through phone call, e-mail, text message or any other means of communication.

     

  • 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.”

  • Ultimatum for budget committee

    Ultimatum for budget committee

    The Lagos State House of Assembly has ordered the Committee on Budget and Economic Planning, headed by Mudashiru Obasa, to conclude work on the 2015 budget proposal by December 29.

    Speaking during the consideration of the second reading of the N489.6billion budget proposal, the Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, said the budget committee and other standing committees must complete their work before the said date.

    Obasa said issues affecting the budget would be ironed out during the budget defence by ministries and parastatals.

    He appealed to residents to pay their taxes regularly so that the government would have enough money to implement the budget.

    In his contribution, Fatai Mojeed (Ibeju/Lekki) said the budget was not clear on interest rate and the government’s loan repayment plans.

    “We need to know how much we owe contractors and the amount of money needed to pay outstanding liabilities,” he said.

    Yinka Ogundimu (Agege) said there was a need for general review of the budget proposal since there was a drop in the price of barrels of crude oil.

    The Deputy Speaker, Musibau Kolawole, urged the committee on budget and economic planning to look at the budget size due to the inflation rate.

    “It is a welfarist budget, but we should live within our means. The new method of the budget does not show the process of re-payment of loans as observed by Fatai Mojeed. The process should have been stated. We can cut the budget of some ministries for us to live within our means,” he said.