Oziegbe Okoeki
LAGOS State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday stressed the need for collaboration between the executive and legislative arms of the government.
He said it would bring about seamless governance.
Sanwo-Olu was addressing reporters at the opening of a three-day 15th Executive/Legislative Parley at Ikota-Lekki, Lagos.
The event attracted lawmakers from the Lagos State House of Assembly, senators and House of Representatives members from Lagos State, state exco members and state All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders.
The theme of the parley is: ‘Harmonious relationship among various arms of government: A necessity for a Greater Lagos’.
The governor said that the parley was held to see how governance had fared in the state and how both arms of the government could collaborate to realise the greater Lagos dream of Lagosians.
“It is a working relationship that will bring about development and governance that will be seamless for our people. At the end of the day, we will have a progressive and hitch-free understanding of ourselves once we realise that the roles and responsibilities are different.
“We are here to iron out and resolve things that are very contentious or if there is any advice we need to give ourselves and at the end of the day our citizens will be the beneficiaries,” he said.
The essence, Sanwo-Olu said, is to bring about positive and quality governance representation at the highest level where people will feel the dividends of democracy and they will see that “Lagos will continue to experience purposeful development.
“So it makes governance in itself seamless and a win-win situation for all of us at the various levels of governance.”
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He said that the parley was also for state representatives at the National Assembly to acquaint the state with the critical issues they were facing in Abuja and see what they could do to address some issues critical to the state in Abuja.
“It is also an opportunity for our party leaders to remind us of the promises we made to the people as well as the party manifesto and to ask us how we are faring.
“So, at the end, all of us will be better enriched, geared and motivated to go out there and deliver the dividends of democracy at all levels of governance, and we will continue to ensure that we foster a working relationship and understanding that everybody has a role to play and giving everybody the deserved respect and opportunity for everybody to begin to do well and play their role in governance and greater Lagos conversion we are talking about.”
Answering questions from reporters, House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa thanked the governor for sustaining the parley, saying it was a platform for a harmonious working relationship “where information, understanding and collaboration is a major factor in all that we are doing.”
He said that the parley would enable them to build on what they had achieved.
“We are supportive of the executive arm and we will continue to do that to ensure we serve our people. But this does not mean we will turn a blind eye to something we feel we must look into,” Obasa said.
He said the Assembly needs the collaboration of the state representatives at the National Assembly to amend the constitution, in order to achieve some of the things it has been clamouring for such as special status for Lagos, state police and a transportation system that will allow the state and neighbouring states to connect together.
“We need them to push that through,” the Speaker said.
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