Inauguration of 10th Lagos Assembly: Hopes, dreams, expectations

By Sunday Ani

On Tuesday, June 6, the 10th Lagos State House of Assembly was proclaimed and inaugurated, thus, signaling the smooth take-off of another four years of robust legislative engagement by the 40-member state assembly.

As early as 8am, dignitaries and personalities from across the state, and even beyond, had all found their way to the Assembly Complex at Alausa, Ikeja. Guests, ranging from royal fathers, to captains of industry, leaders and chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), community leaders, chairmen of the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas of the state; members of the diplomatic corps; market men and women, as well as youths all witnessed the historic event.

The Legislative Chambers was filled to the brim, with many who could not find seats in the chambers, including journalists, seated at various points outside to watch the event as it was streamed live on television mounted at strategic locations within the assembly premises. There were 20 returning lawmakers, comprising two women and 18 men, as well as 20 new members equally comprising two women and 18 men, bringing to 40 the total number of lawmakers that make up the Lagos Assembly. Also, 38 out of the 40 members belong to the ruling APC, while the remaining two, comprising a man and a woman, belong to the opposition Labour Party (LP).

At exactly 11:30 am, the 10th Assembly came alive with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s proclamation, thus rekindling the hope and expectation of a greater Lagos by Lagosisans, who over the years, have enjoyed the peace, progress and development, which the cordial working relationship between the executive arm of government and the legislature, have brought to the state.

Expectedly, Lagos residents, apart from looking forward to seeing a Lagos Assembly that would continue to work in harmony with the executive for the greater good of the state, would equally want to see an Assembly that would take its oversight functions seriously; an Assembly that would churn out laws that could help to sustain the state’s economic growth and development, and at the same time, preserve its status as the economic and industrial nerve centre of Nigeria’s economy, and in fact, the largest commercial centre in the whole of West Africa sub region.

This singular expectation of lawmakers taking their oversight function seriously seems to have received a boost from the member representing Agege State Constituency 1; Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa, who was again reelected as the Speaker of the 10th Assembly for the third consecutive time.

Obasa, who was first elected as Speaker during the Eighth Assembly in 2015, was reelected during the Ninth Assembly in 2019 and now, in the 10th assembly, making him the first to achieve the feat in Lagos, and possibly in Nigeria. He is also noted to be the longest serving state legislator in Nigeria, having won elections into the state legislative house first in 2003 and has remained in the House ever since then.

Obasa’s emergence followed Tuesday’s proclamation and inauguration of the 10th Assembly by the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. He was unanimously elected by the 40 members in the House after he emerged as the sole nominee to the position. Hon Adewale Temitope Adedeji, (Ifako Ijaiye) nominated him, while Hon Sylvester Ogunkelu (Epe 2), seconded the nomination.

In the same vein, Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda representing Apapa 1 was also elected the deputy speaker of the 10th Lagos State House of Assembly. Her election followed a unanimous decision by the 40 members after Olusola Desmond Elliot (Surulere 1) nominated her to assume the position.

In his acceptance speech, Obasa reiterated the preparedness of the 10th assembly to live up to the citizens’ hopes and expectations, especially as it relates to maintaining the independence of the legislature, as well as carrying out its legislative duties without let or hindrance.

He warned that the sanctity of the legislature as an independent body was adequately provided for in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in accordance with the principles of separation of powers, and as such, no other arm of government would be allowed or permitted to interfere with the functioning and independence of the legislature in a manner that would make it become subservient or subordinate. “It must be underlined that in any constitutional democracy, the legislature must be allowed to operate independently, especially in line with Section 101 of the Constitution, which confers on it the power to regulate itself, without violation. I stand ready to work with the 10th Assembly, collaborating to drive impactful policies, and foster an environment, where the hopes, expectations and dreams of every Lagosian can be realized,” he submitted.

He promised that the 10th Assembly would promote and strengthen legislative institutions from state to local government levels. “The 10th Assembly would also be recommitted to the establishment of a Centre for Democracy and Legislative Studies. The Assembly would review the old laws with a view to bringing them to modern reality, especially laws that established agencies and parastatals that are no longer viable; and to re-jig our regular legislative consultation; as well as ensure prudent fiscal and financial policies through robust and engaging legislation,” he said.

The Speaker, therefore, promised to work with the Executive arm of the government for greater progress of the state. He said: “We cannot achieve greatness working in isolation. Therefore, I encourage all the branches of government to work together in harmony to ensure that we build a Lagos State that we can all be proud of. Together, we have an opportunity to build a better Lagos; a Lagos that provides equal opportunities for all; a Lagos that is safe and secure, and a Lagos that is a model for sustainable development in Nigeria and the world.”

However, the Speaker seemed to have steered the hornet’s nest when he made allusion to the fact that Lagos belongs to the Yoruba and not a ‘no-man’s land’ as some people erroneously believe. He noted that laws would be made to protect the interest of the Lagos indigene even if it involves reversing some laws in the areas of economy, commerce, property and titles.

He said: “Lagos is a Yoruba Land as against the assertions by some people that it is a no-man’s land. Therefore, part of our legislative agenda is to ensure the translation of laws passed by this House to Yoruba language. We also aim at achieving our collective goals of creating a robust legal framework that protects the interest of our people. Going forward in this wise, we are going to employ all legal instruments for the support of the indigenous people of Lagos. There would be laws and resolutions in the areas of economy and commerce, property and titles, and we will reverse all that are reversible to protect the interest of the indigenous people.”

Dissecting the above statement, close watchers of recent developments in the state, particularly after the last general election, are of the view that the Speaker might have concluded plans to witch-hunt certain groups of people. They warned that if the 10th assembly goes ahead to church out such laws that would only protect the Lagos indigenes at the detriment of non-indigenes, the economy of the state would no longer be the same. They believe strongly that such moves would have devastating effects on the growth and development of the state’s economy as investors might no longer be willing to put down their money in the state. 

However, proclaiming the 10th Assembly, Gov Sanwo-Olu, also described the legislature as an indispensable pillar of democracy, saying, “It plays an essential role in the journey we have embarked upon. It is the embodiment of the hopes and aspirations of our people, a crucial partner in the quest for good governance, and a custodian of our shared democratic values.”

The governor maintained that he was neutral in the selection process of the House leadership, because his interest was on how the House could work together with the executive, irrespective of who assumes what role, to fulfill the shared responsibilities to the people of Lagos State. “Each one of you, regardless of position, brings unique value and perspective to this assembly, and it is through our collective efforts that we will achieve the extraordinary. As we look to the future, let us remind ourselves of the importance of cooperation, dialogue, and mutual respect. The Executive and the Legislature are partners in this democratic journey. Our shared goal is to create a Lagos where everyone thrives, where opportunities abound, and where our cultural diversity propels us forward,” he stated.

The Majority Leader of the House and the Deputy Majority Leader were nominated by the Speaker. Their nominations were unanimously approved through voice votes. They are Hon Noheem Adams (Eti-Osa 1) and Hon Damola Kasumu (Ikeja 2).

Also, the Chief Whip and the Deputy Chief Whip, Mojeed Fatai (Lekki 1) and David Setonji (Badagry 1) emerged through the same process as the Majority Leader and the Deputy Majority Leader respectively. They took the oath of office and that of allegiance after which the remaining lawmakers followed suit, thereby bringing onboard the 10th Lagos State House of Assembly.

With the 10th Lagos Assembly properly constituted alongside its principal officers, Lagosians expect that the Speaker would hit the ground running by constituting other relevant committees that would carry out oversight on the various ministries, parastatals and agencies of the government for the greater good of the people.

But, whether the people’s hopes and expectations would be met, and whether the Speaker and his colleagues would live up to their promises and constitutional responsibilities, can only be determined with the passage of time. In other words, the people’s expectations, hopes and dreams lie only in the belly of time.