By Ishola Kayode
Following the Lagos State legislature’s rejection of 19 of the 39 nominees sent to it for confirmation as commissioners by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Speaker Mudashiru Obasa has dismissed threats against himself and the Lagos State Assembly and warned that he is no ot inferior to Sanwo-Olu in actualising the Lagos project.
He also dismissed alleged misgivings over the rejection of some popular former commissioners including Prof. Akin Abayomi saying that the work of the former health commissioner in managing the COVID-19 epidemic must not be delinked with the entire health infrastructure in Lagos.
Speaker Onasa further warned detractors not to force to expose damaging information on the rejected nominees.
Obasa spoke during the session of the House on Monday and drew attention to his political capacity and tenacity in Lagos.
He also warned that “those who live in glass houses should be conscious not to throw stones.”
His words: “Before today, I had been reliably informed of the plan to attack the Speaker based on the decision of the House concerning the nominees of the Governor, particularly the rejected ones.”
Seemingly for more clarity, he emphasised that the House does not have any fight with the executive arm as pushed by some people, who may not be aware of the actual reasons for the rejection of the nominees.
“There is this erroneous belief that we are waging war against the Governor. There is no basis for me and the House to fight the Governor. I will continue to say that the Governor is a brother and colleague in the Lagos project and service to the people of our State,” he declared.
Speaker Obasa also noted that, “The Governor and I have been around in the system for long. While he was SA to the former Deputy Governor, Femi Pedro, I was in this House as chairman, Committee on Rural Development. He was SA on Establishment and Pensions and I was chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts (Local Governments). While he was heading LSDPC, I was chairman, Committee on Economic Planning and Budget. Then, I became the Speaker and when he became the Governor, I remained the Speaker. So it’s been a long journey together.”
