By Hassan Biodun Suleiman
With the swearing-in of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State for a second term in office, Lagosians waited patiently to know who was going to emerge as the new Speaker of the 10th Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA). Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa has been the Speaker since 2015 after the tenure of Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji.
Unlike in the previous LAHA, the newly elected legislators comprise 38 members who were elected on the ticket of the All Progressive Congress (APC), the ruling party in Lagos while two legislators from Labour Party emerged as minority members.
Over the years, the Lagos House of Assembly has been commendeda, especially for living up to its slogan of ‘above the common standard of excellence.’ The State House of Assembly was appraised by the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi for using the Yoruba Language in the deliberations. Again, the house has also enacted a law making the Yoruba language a compulsory subject in all schools (Primary, Secondary and even tertiary institutions in Lagos State). Again, the House has maintained cordiality with the state executive for effective governance of the state.
The inauguration of the 10th Assembly has come and gone. Obasa was elected again to steer the throne of the legislative arm of government for another four years. Obasa’s political career started in 1999 when he was elected as Councillor in Agege 11 under the banner of Action Congress. He became a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly in the 5th session. As a member of the House, he served as chairman of many statutory committees. He is one of the oldest members of the House. He is dogged, reliable and rugged.
There are expectations that Obasa’s leadership will guarantee Lagosian quality representation. It is therefore imperative to set an agenda for the incoming legislators with a view to providing quality legislation for Lagosians.
Due attention to the diverse nature of Lagos is necessary at this time. The outcome of the 2023 elections revealed the need for the 10th Assembly to work on a bill that will address the issue of settlers/indigenes. There is a compelling need for a law that guarantees harmonious coexistence of indigenes and settlers. Such laws must ensure that feathers are not ruffled over issues that cannot advance the course of development in the country. The rights of indigenes must not be trampled upon, so also is the right of the settlers.
Education should also be given due attention in the next session. The Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASU STECH) and Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) are three major tertiary institutions owned and financed by the state. It is high time the state government came up with a bill to give autonomy to these universities. The institutions have in recent times, experienced an increase in their enrolment. Though the state government has performed well in terms of providing facilities for these institutions, there is still a need to further raise the standards. There are more important areas that still need to be addressed. There is a need for more lecture halls, modern eateries and restaurants, more toilets facilities, upgraded recreational and sporting facilities and upgrading of the landscape of all the campuses of these schools. There is also a need to entrench collaboration between the relevant industries in Lagos State with the institutions of higher learning.
Sanitation is another key that needs attention. The legislature must strive to pass into law, a bill that will re-introduce environmental sanitation in the state at least once a month. The rainy season in Lagos has exposed the poor state of our environment. Residential houses, markets, recreational, praying grounds and even public toilets are in bad shape. These facilities have experienced uncontrollable deposits of waste. All these can be addressed if the state house of assembly should come up with an enabling law for upgrading. The legislators must also help the government of Babajide Sanwo-Olu in enacting laws for the establishment of plants that recycle most of the waste materials.
Security is also another area that needs adequate attention. The spiral head of kidnapping, banditry and armed robbery ravaging the country, calls for utmost concern. The incoming legislators must strive to pass into law, a bill that will strengthen collaborative efforts with the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies. They need to be equipped with modern weapons, artificial intelligence and other tools. Each community in Lagos should also be sensitized on the need to be security conscious.
There are other salient areas such as noise pollution, street lighting, clearing of drainages, and the need for community – support initiatives as well as rehabilitation of sporting and recreational facilities in the local government areas. For the first time since 1999, the ruling party in Lagos, APC also controls the Federal Government. All efforts must be put in place by the 10th Assembly to ensure the success of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Presidency.
• Suleiman, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer/Sub-Dean, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Lagos State University