10th Lagos Assembly: Ex-minister kicks against Obasa’s emergence as Speaker
A former Minister of Communications and Trustee of Omoeko Pataki, a group of prominent Lagos indigenes, has frowned at the re-election of Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa as Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, saying that the reason offered for the decision was weak and unsustainable.
Obasa, an indigene of Ogun State had since 2003 been elected six times into the Lagos State House of Assembly, and had just been re-elected last Tuesday for the third term as Speaker of the State of Assembly, while Mojisola Lasbat Meranda was elected the Deputy Speaker by the lawmakers following proclamation of the 10th Assembly by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, accompanied by Deputy Governor Kadir Obafemi Hamzat and top government officials.
General Olanrenwaju, who had ahead of the inauguration pleaded that an indigene be made Speaker of the 10th Assembly in the state, in his latest reaction in a release by his Media Office, copy of which was made available to newsmen on Wednesday, described Obasa’s re-election as wrong footing and wrong choice for the indigenes of the state.
This was just as the former minister known for championing the cause of people of Lagos origin, dismissed the reason given by the Governor’s Advisory Council, the highest decision-making body in the ruling All Progressives Congress, for ignoring compassionate appeals to allow owners of Lagos State enjoy their constitutional right of participating in the day-to-day affairs of their state, describing such as unsustainable and a deliberate policy of marginalisation of the indigenes in the state.
“The clearance of Mr Obasa to return as the Speaker of the 10th Lagos State House of Assembly was premised on the need for stability and continuity in the Assembly by the highest decision-making body, otherwise known as Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC).
“This raison d’etre is weak and unsustainable because Mr. President, Bola Tinubu, was a beneficiary of a zoning and rotational policy of the National Working Committee of the APC government. The return of Mr. Obasa is a deliberate policy of marginalisation of the indigenes in the state,” Olanrenwaju said.
“No matter how the occupants of the three most important political offices of the State Administration today launder their curriculum vitae, they remain, indigenes of Ogun but residents in Lagos and incapable of claiming indigeneship of two states, because the Constitution does not allow it.
“In any case, by this re-engagement, our Assembly in Lagos has become ‘One Man Democracy’ (apology to Sonala Olumhense, a Punch Columnist). The return of Mr. Obasa is a big slap on the faces of the indigenes of the state.” he added.
General Olanrenwaju, who is prince of Lagos State, however, concluded his reaction with a quote by a prominent scholar, saying, “A man could become the next victim of the evil he celebrates today… Don’t defend evil because it favours you now. It could work against you the next minute.”
