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Appointment of Lagos Judges: THE appointment of judges to fill the seven vacancies in the Lagos State High Court has, in recent weeks, become a subject of intense controversy. Lawyers, who consider themselves qualified for a place on the appointment list, including those who have special interest in the appointment of particular magistrates, have apparently politicised the affair. Already, there are names being bandied in public places as victims of a ploy to strategically sideline non-indigenes of the state. There equally are names being suggested as Lagos indigenes whose nominations for appointment are at the expense of merit and judicial competence. There have been postulations of a list from the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, containing 14 names, of which more than half are indigenes. That is not all. Some lobbyists have claimed that the state's Judiciary Service Commission (JSC) had invited applications from candidates who wanted to be elevated to the bench, adding that 14 names were eventually drawn from a list of 30 applicants. The JSC's list, it is claimed, is different from the Governor's. Also, attempts are already afoot to praise-sing some of the supposed candidates, using unwitting media agencies, to give the public the opinion that they are the most qualified and their non-appointment would certainly amount to a parody of justice. But investigations made by The Guardian reveal that there is no list in place: either from the governor, the JSC or the Lagos State Chief Judge. In fact, the process that will eventually culminate in the production of a list has not begun. And at the moment, Lagos State does not have a Judiciary Service Commission, without which nominations, much less appointments, cannot be made. The process of appointing the judges almost began last year, and would have been completed by now, but the National judicial Council (NJC) - the body in charge of ratifying such appointments - claimed that the proximate past Lagos State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Adetula did not follow due process. He had, just weeks to the end of his departure from office, sent a list of nominees to the National Judicial Council (NJC) in Abuja. However, the minimum time frame he had to make such a request was six months to the end of his tenure. By the time the NJC would respond to the letter, Alabi's place as Chief Judge had been taken by Justice Inumidun Enitan Akande (Mrs.). Conveying its position to the Chief Judge, the NJC had, in a letter dated November 12, 2009 and addressed to Hon. Justice I. E. Akande, stated thus: "The National Judicial Council at its meeting, which was held on October 12 and 15, 2009, considered the Memorandum for the Appointment of seven High Court Judges for Lagos State, forwarded to it by the Judicial Service Commission under the Chairmanship of your predecessor in office, Hon. Justice Adetula Alabi, OFR." The letter, bearing reference number NJC/S.1/XVII/1105, further said: "In the course of its deliberation, Council noted that the exercise was done few weeks before His Lordship retired from office. In view of the foregoing, I have been directed to inform Your Lordship that Council has decided to defer consideration of the request for appointment of seven High Court Judges for Lagos State, until a fresh submission is made to it by the Judicial Service commission under your chairmanship, please." In less than three weeks, the new Chief Judge moved to commence the process afresh, as mandated by the NJC. This she did, by writing the Lagos State Governor, asking for a reconstitution of the Lagos State Judicial Service Commission. In a letter to the Governor on December 3, 2009, the new Chief Judge had said: "...a letter emanating from the National Judicial Council (copy attached) dated November 17, 2009, was received on Monday November 30, 2009. Going by its position as conveyed by the letter (Para. 2. Of letter refers, please), it appears we have to commence the process afresh, as we have been asked to make fresh submission of names of proposed Judges to be appointed; a process which cannot commence without a duly constituted Judicial Service Commission in place." The letter, addressed to Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) with reference number CJL/GLS/001Vol.II/51, concluded: "in view of this development, I hereby request Your Excellency, with all due respect, to take appropriate steps for having in place, a duly constituted Lagos State Judicial Service Commission as requested, to enable us make a fresh submission to NJC as quickly as possible." The reconstitution of the new JSC is still being sorted out, and until the Lagos State government takes full action on it, the nomination process will have to wait. The implication of all these is that there is no basis for the furore that has greeted a process that has not yet been initiated. Until the JSC is constituted, any list of possible nominations from the Governor, the Chief Judge or a yet-to-be-constituted NJC, is nothing but a phantom list. All the ongoing permutations and politicisation therefore have to wait.
Fashola Versus Lagos Assembly THAT all is well among political gladiators in the Action Congress (AC) in Lagos State is probably a message for the deaf. Consider the spat that has attended the advice by the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji, to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) to be wary of those singing his praises. Reflect on to the recent remarks by the duo's political godfather and former governor of the state, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that numerous advertorials against his person were published when he was the governor and he did not have to attribute any to his predecessor in office. And that he (Tinubu) has the right to advise the governor if he is not doing certain things the right way. The more the gladiators screamed 'no rift', the more unconvincing they become. If anyone was still in doubt, the reaction of the state Publicity Secretary of the Action Congress, Joe Igbokwe, to the innocent advice of The Guardian editorial should put such doubts in the thrash bin. Opposition political parties in the state - Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) - couldn't have performed better than Igbokwe did in repudiating the achievements of the Fashola-led AC government. National Chairman of the AC, Chief Bisi Akande's spirited effort at putting the public mind at rest by insisting that there was no rift between the governor and his predecessor in office or between the governor and the House of Assembly, has also met with little success. Then out of the blues emerged a group, True Face of Lagos, with allegations of financial recklessness against the state government. Like manna from the skies, the Assembly immediately lapped on the group's accusation and constituted a six-man panel on the same day the assertions came to the Assembly's notice through newspaper advertorials, to investigate the governor. Apparently to give credibility to the allegations and discourage accusation of the voice of Jacob but the hand Esau, the group claimed that members of the State Assembly were given N20 million each by the governor. Since then, there have been chains of events, with demonstrations in favour of the state governor, asking the Assembly to let him be. One such demonstration almost got uglier when attempt was made at molesting the Speaker. In the interim, a private legal practitioner has secured a Lagos High Court injunction, stopping the Assembly from carrying on with the investigation. The House has, however, opposed the injunction. Hearing in the matter has been fixed for March 16. It is also instructive that while The Guardian was waiting for the Speaker in his office last Tuesday, members of the New Face of Lagos curiously came to withdraw the allegations concerning members of the House of Assembly. But more curious, the group insisted on the accusation against Governor Fashola, which the House said it would pursue without let or hindrance. But how did matter get to this stage? When did the Assembly, which hitherto appeared to look the other way, suddenly find its boxing gloves? Is it true that as part of the conditions for his candidature, Fashola consented to only a single tenure in office, he is believed to be reneging? Could it be true that the governor is tired of using Lagos money to run the national affairs of the Action Congress, as alleged? Is it just a matter of a tree not wanting another tree to overshadow it? Or could Governor Fashola be Janus-faced? Could it also be true that the House of Assembly is genuinely tired of what some called artifact development in Lagos where emphasis is allegedly more on scoring cheap political goals among the elite to the detriment of rural development? Is anyone really after the governor? Could it all be preamble to who becomes the governor of the state next year? The House Speaker, Ikuforiji, is the central figure in the drama that is guaranteed to retain for Lagos, the state's more popular nomenclature, Eko for show. QOUTE Fighting and discord should not be the mainstay of a responsible legislative arm. We should be able to come to a roundtable with the executive arm and get the job done properly. We extended that hand of fellowship to the best of our ability. On many occasions we told Governor Fashola that we are going to give him full cooperation just like we did to his predecessor, Bola Tinubu. QOUTE Now, cooperation is cooperation. But notwithstanding the promise of cooperation, we will also not want to throw away our responsibility to the people; the expectation and the trust people had in us. If the need arises for us to ask questions, we will do so, no matter whose ox is gored. IKUFORIJI: Opposition To Investigate Fashola Mischievous How We Made The Governor No One Can Use Me Against Him The Public Needs Enlightenment Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji began the journey of life 51 years ago in the afternoon of August 24, 1958 at Epe. Before him, his father had had eight boys who all died. Ikuforiji attended the Local Authority Primary School, Epe, Epe Divisional Grammar School, emerging as the only scholar who made Grade 1. This earned him a scholarship to go abroad - to Romania for further studies. He read Cybernetics and returned to Nigeria in December 1982 for his Youth Service scheme at the Federal Housing Authority. Thereafter, he worked at the International Bank for West Africa, later Afribank. While he was there, he enrolled for a Masters in Business Administration programme at the University of Lagos between 1985 and 1986. He left Afribank in 1992 and went into private business. He had a computer-consulting firm in partnership with a friend. He also floated a trading company that was involved in import and export procurement. Ikuforiji enthuses that his computer firm produced the most comprehensive indigenous banking software package, which was used by some Nigerian banks way back. He ran his business until the regime of General Sani Abacha forced him to end it and thus found his way out of the country. He spoke to KAMAL TAYO OROPO on his stewardship as the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the duties of the House vis-?-vis its relationship with the executive arm of government and the Assembly's stand on a group's allegation of financial misappropriation against Governor Babatunde Fashola and the hoopla therefrom. SINCE the inception of this regime in 2007, how well will you say the House of Assembly has performed in its statutory responsibilities? How many Bills have been passed into law? Without sounding immodest, we pride ourselves as the number one House in the federation. This is not just the question of someone just bragging. If you go round the country, you will find out that the Lagos House has done a lot better than its counterparts in the country. Aside from the issue of the Bills, resolutions that we have passed that have direct impact on the lives of the people of Lagos are so many. We are also at alert in our duty of representing the people the way they want to be represented. We try as much as possible to ensure that the government is responsible to the yearnings of the people. Yet, the general notion at inception was that of a rubber-stamped House, which appears to be an appendage of the executive arm. That view is somewhat different today. What really influenced that transition from a toothless bulldog to the now rampaging bull? The fact remains that you cannot build a ten-storey building in just one night. No matter the amount of resources at your disposal, you do so gradually. And if you want the dividend of democracy to go to the people, cooperation and collaboration is very important. If the legislative arm does not collaborate with the executive arm, such government will not be able to provide the needed succour. When we started, we were conscious of the fact that this is Lagos, which is like a mini-Nigeria with all manners of interests present, with consequential challenges. We also consider it a rare privilege that we are ones of those representing the people of this state. This state is reputed to have at least two-thirds of professionals in the country. As such, the best one can do is to put in his or her best at all times. Fighting and discord should not be the mainstay of a responsible legislative arm. We should be able to come to a roundtable with the executive arm and get the job done properly. We extended that hand of fellowship to the best of our ability. On many occasions we told Governor Fashola that we are going to give him full cooperation just like we did to his predecessor, Bola Tinubu. Now, cooperation is cooperation. But notwithstanding the promise of cooperation, we will also not want to throw away our responsibility to the people; the expectation and the trust people had in us. If the need arises for us to ask questions, we will do so, no matter whose ox is gored. Talking of being a rampaging bull, no, I don't see us as such. But I do know that we are trying our best in performing our duties; carry out our constitutionally assigned roles to the best of our knowledge. Of course, performing our oversight functions is one of those responsibilities. Representing our people properly and adequately is also one of those responsibilities. But as I often tell people, people out there, and some so-called sympathizers exaggerate some of the things that are happening now; the issues and situations, seeking to give the House of Assembly a bad name. This kind of approach is largely derived from our background as a people, our background in monarchial system, which colonialism by the British, which is monarchial, too, helped to accentuate deeper. It's a system where a King is an all-in-all, the alpha and omega, which no one dares to question. He makes the law, interprets it and executes it. Sovereignty resides only in the King and not the people. This is where we are coming from. In Britain everything is done to the glory of the Queen. The Police that will arrest you are the Queen's Police, your lawyer is the Queen's Counsel and even the Judge is Queen's Judge. Our people are yet to fully imbibe the spirit of constitutional democracy. But we are in a situation where we have three arms of government constitutionally charged to perform the duties performed by just one man - the King. The man now at the centre, who is either the President or the Governor, is referred to as number one. But this number one is subject to another arm of government, the legislature. This number one must report to this arm. This constitutional arrangement appears not fully registered in our psyche. Yet, one would not blame the people that much. That is why when people pass insults on us in the House, especially on what is going on now, we just laugh over it and take it in good faith, knowing fully well that most of these people do not really know much about constitutional responsibilities, while some of them are clearly being mischievous. But for those who seem not to know, instead of getting annoyed, we need to continue explaining things to them, hoping that in the end, the interest of the state will be served to the best of our ability. In fact, we sympathise with the people; we really do. In today's system of government, the number one (Governor), as a matter of constitutional (arrangement), must seek the approval of the House of Assembly. But in carrying out this constitutional responsibility, there are impressions that the House of Assembly is acting under the influence of a particular interest, group or an individual, that you are probably taking instructions from a particular place. Why is this so? It's still the same thing; it is this mentality that you can't question the 'King'. The whole thing started during the last Budget presentation. Some people cannot come to terms with the fact that the 'King' can be advised to be wary of his friends. To many of our people, it's an anomaly; it is too much. You cannot tell the governor to take it easy, to be careful, to watch out. We are always in awe of 'His Excellency'. Our system has succeeded in bringing in so many anomalies, like this phrase, 'His Excellency'. But our Constitution is supposedly fashioned out of the American Presidential System of government. Have you ever heard of the American President referred to as 'His Excellency'? Mr. President is Mr. President. Did you follow President Bill Clinton's trials over the Monica Lewinsky's saga? He was reduced by the legislature to a regular human being, the ordinary man who is answerable to the people. But over here, it seems we are not used to such a system yet. The moment you try to carry out your oversight functions, people come up with 'ah, some people are behind it.' Why must anyone be behind anything for us to do what is constitutionally required in a given situation? You take a decision in the interest of the general public and some people say that decision is taken from one place or the other else. Take, for example, the issue of allegations made by a group, True Face of Lagos. But we only woke up to find these allegations on the pages of the newspapers, just like many other Nigerians did. Somebody brought it in to the House under 'Matters of Urgent Public Importance.' That was not the first time issues are raised on the floor of the House under Matters of Urgent Public Importance and there had never been one that had been so raised that had not been taken care of instantly! The records are there. But nobody took notice of that fact. But when it affects the governor, it becomes something else. In any case, I am very confident that we will get there. 'House Doesn't Want To Get At The Governor' THERE was also the issue of the Self-Accounting Bill you raised during that Budget Presentation occasion, when you demanded that the governor should pass it by last January. What is the state of the Bill? The state accounting law had been passed and signed into law in the fourth Assembly under Governor Tinubu, but it has not been fully operational. It was an understanding between the House and the governor then and that is what we carried to the sixth Assembly. There were some inconveniences that led the House to ask for the full implementation of that law. It does appear the House threw up this issue to get at the incumbent governor. Why will you want him to do that? The question is why will the House want to get at the governor? For what purpose? There is no reason the House would want to get at the governor. But for God's sake, 10 years after, we shouldn't be at the same spot; we should be moving ahead. You don't expect a child that is only two or three to think and act the same when he or she becomes 10 or 11 years old. Do you? We must allow democracy to have its footing properly on the ground in this sphere. We cannot continue to do it the way we were doing it. If we are asking for progress, forward movement, why should anyone now expect that the forward movement should be stationary? Talking about the True Face of Lagos allegations, why did the House wait for a group to make allegations against the governor, if the House were performing its oversight duties in the first instance? We could be friends for a few weeks or many years, we could be colleagues in the office, you are doing your job, I am doing my job, but there are still certain things that I may not know if you don't tell me. If someone tells me your shirt is blue on the surface but underneath it is red, what is wrong in me investigating? What is wrong in my finding out whether what I am told is right or wrong? It isn't as if we were not performing our oversight functions. In fact, one of those functions that we are supposed to perform is that when things like this come, we must investigate, we must ascertain the truth. We have been performing our oversight functions and it is not that we have not been having issues taken up with the government before, but this one has come and we need to do it. Some few months back, there was the issue of the Sunburn Yacht Hotel. It was there; we did not do anything until people started asking questions and it appeared on the pages of the newspapers and it was raised on the floor of the House and it was brought up just exactly as these allegations on our hands now. The Sunburn Yacht was tabled on the floor and at the end of the day, the House decided it was going to investigate the claims. It was right there that we called on commissioners and functionaries of government that we felt should know or should be questioned. If people are not just being mischievous, why didn't they come up then and tell us not to do the investigation? Why didn't they tell us that it is wrong to find allegations on the pages of newspapers and go ahead to raise it in the House? In the case of the Sunburn Yacht, we did not even set up a panel to go and investigate; the entire House did it. I don't know where everybody was when all these were going on? How come no one came up to say a thing, even when we came up with our verdict? So, why now? Could all these be about the politics of 2011? If that is the case, so be it. I don't know anything about that and it shouldn't be my headache. Mine is to perform my role as a legislator and that is what all of us here are doing. But the larger public has not appreciated this. For God's sake, your larger public may need some level of enlightenment. The larger public is not always as enlightened as you may think. If we were in other climes, it is the larger public that will be putting pressure on us to be quick on this issue and not castigating the House for doing its job. But what do you expect from the larger public that does not know much as it should? The instant debate started from the advice you gave to the governor during the Budget presentation. Couldn't the advice have been given privately? We are still on the same issue. The fact is that the society wants to live in the past while yearning for the future. There is absolutely nothing wrong in telling a friend of yours exactly what you feel. Why do I need to call the governor aside? The larger society should even be worried when they see that the House and the executive arm are dilly-dallying. There is nothing wrong in advising the governor. In fact, our oversight functions are clearly in the Constitution. Why exactly did you advise the governor to beware of sycophants and later-day friends? Because there are too many of them out there and they create more problems. Look at those who marched down to the House recently, saying the House should not do anything and they are lovers of the governors. Are they truly lovers of the governor? If your teacher accused your son of stealing in school, you first of all ask your child, 'did you steal or not, where were you, what happened?' You will ask him because you will want to ascertain that your boy has not become a thief. So, it is like that here. The House wants to ascertain that those allegations against the governor are a lie and cannot be true. And anybody that says don't ask him cannot be a true friend of the governor. 'Critics Want To Take Off My Head' IN all these, can you say life has been normal? To me, life has been relatively normal, but the fact is that the job has taken much of my life, since I became the Speaker of the House; nothing has really changed. Yes, one gets some text messages from here and there, but they do not make any difference. I am someone who believes in what I am doing; I trust myself, and I know that I am always upright, and I put my all into whatever I believe in. So, it doesn't matter what anyone says; I don't care. I have read even your paper, and all the other comments and editorials; to me, it doesn't make any difference. There was even a time I passed a comment on the floor of the House, when (President Barack) Obama came to Ghana. I was seated right here watching him, and I shed tears because of all he was telling them: that they are becoming champions in Africa. The whole of Ghana is just like the size of Lagos State. Their economy is about half of that of Lagos. Look at what they are doing with themselves; they are moving. Industries are leaving here (Nigeria) going to Ghana, and these are people who came here some years back. But now industries are leaving here for the place and many of our elite have their children sent to Ghana for schooling, yet my people are not worried, bothered. I only passed a comment that, 'look, those of you in the media and those of us in the legislature, we have a lot of blame to carry.' If those two groups get it right in terms of fighting corruption, Nigeria will get it right. Really, I do not see the executive arm as being the problem, and to a large extent the judiciary has done a lot better than any other arm. I believe that if the media are up to the task and carry out this whole assignment properly to the best, the legislature will be put to task at all time, not in a vindictive manner, as we see so often. We invited Rueben Abati (The Guardian's Editorial Board chair) here to come and criticize my performance during our second anniversary. It was only a few weeks after then that the issue occurred because I said the media were not living up to expectation, and that the legislatures needed to also live up to expectation. They wanted to take (cut) off my head. Wherein lies our ability to assimilate criticism! How do you think we can get to that Promised Land if we fail, or are not ready to do a self-assessment? For me, I wouldn't love you as a friend if all you tell me are the beautiful things about me, and you fail to attract my attention to my shortcomings. What is the relationship between you and the party leadership? Has there been any pressure on the House to soft pedal? Honestly, I am proud of my party. The party leadership has invited us to meetings several times, and all they have told us is that we should do things in moderation, and that we should do our job. In fact, we were given clean slate to go and do our job properly. So, what is your relationship with the governor like? It is cordial; it is okay. Let me tell you, on Friday (February 12) I went to see the governor with some of my colleagues, to discuss issues about the budget and so on. We had our tete- a-tete; we laughed, discussed and sorted out the gray areas. It was a weekend and I said: 'Mr. Governor, we wish you happy weekend, I hope you will also wish us happy weekend.' And he did. And you know that when legislators say a governor must wish them happy weekend; that means he must give us transport fare when we are going. If we were enemies, we would not do that, and even if I tried to crack some jokes, he would not respond. The governor often calls you Egbon (Senior), why? Don't forget that he is Yoruba, and I am Yoruba; he is a Lagosian, and I am a Lagosian. In fact, we had worked together before, when he was the Chief of Staff to the former governor, and I was (the House) Speaker. Today, he is the governor, but it does not change that relationship. The relationship is still there. Could it be that there is rivalry? Rivalry? I am the last person that would go into rivalry with anybody because of anything. How can there be rivalry? I am a Muslim, and you know what that means. If God anoints someone, you will not meet with the approval and blessings of God if you fail to recognize that person. Rivalry is never part of me. I was part of him from the very beginning, and I am proud to say this anywhere. But are you disappointed in him? He has not disappointed me up till this moment. As an egbon, do you talk to him privately? Even when we went there on Friday, during the closing minutes, he called me aside and we had a one-on-one talk. Your dream was to be a Speaker, what else would you like to be after this? I wanted it (to be Speaker); I prayed for it. But that was only weeks or months to that time. Right now, the problem I have is like the problem of a leper - the man with leprosy who goes to the akara seller with N5, and a ball of akara is 50 kobo. And after selling, the woman says, 'come back, let me give you some bonus because you have bought N5 worth.' And the leper replied the woman; 'the first thing is for you to pray that I should get home with this one that I have bought with my money.' The leper said so because he knows that if any one of the akara dropped, it was lost. So, the leper is still praying to get home with the one he has bought with his money. Don't talk about extra yet, let me get home with this one. Here I am, still 15 to 16 months away as the head of the legislature in a place like this (Lagos)! Don't you think that I need a lot of prayers to have this job done successfully? You want me to start thinking of what will come after 15 months when I don't even know if I will be lucky to be alive in 15 hours? Is Mr. Speaker being used by anybody? I told you about my beginning. If that is the way I grew up, who, aside from my Creator, can make use of me? Nobody! My Life As Speaker, By Ikuforiji HOW did you become the leader of the House? Who anointed you? When I came back from abroad, as God would have it, I won election in the fifth assembly of the state representing Epe Constituency I. In the third year of the Assembly, on December 29, 2005, I was made the Speaker of the House. In April 2007, I contested for re-election and I was so re-elected. That was a landmark achievement as that was the first time anybody got re-elected as Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly. I enjoy the job I do and believe in the future of this country, notwithstanding our ups and downs. I seriously believe we have all it takes to get there; what we need is the will to do so. With good leadership and serious followers, we will definitely get to our desired destination. Can you recollect, in specific, the circumstances that led to your election as Speaker, against the backdrop of allegation of being anointed by s a particular political lineage? When I was about to leave the US, I had the ambition of becoming the Speaker and the campaign and efforts I put in are still there on record. But after the May 3, 2003 general election, from the morning of May 4, 2003, I started a very rigorous campaign among my colleagues to be the Speaker, going from one person to the next. But, of course, the leadership of the party also had its own idea on how things should be done. Eventually, I had to raise the hands of my brother, Honourable Jokotola Pelumi, to get him elected as the Speaker. I realised that if I continued with the stubbornness and intensity I was going, even if I got elected as the Speaker, it was not going to by in my long-term interest. Eventually, we elected him. But along the line, there were some rumbles in the House and he (Pelumi) was removed. Unlike in the executive arm of government, in the legislature, you can remove any of the principals without deferring to any individual or group and without much ado. The Constitution gives you freedom to the affairs of the House the way you deem fit. To get rid of the Speaker is the easiest thing to do. You really don't have to commit any serious offence. If he smiles too much that may be sufficient ground to remove him and, likewise, he can be removed if he frowns too much. There are feelings that it is not possible to attain the post you occupy without the support of a political leader(s) or godfather(s), as it is better known. Whose political godson are you? I don't know what you mean by godfather, but let me put it straight. Former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is one leader I have a lot of respect for. His entire politicking is such an inspiration. He is someone I really revere. But the issue of godfather is what I don't know about. I wanted to be a Speaker in May/June 2003, when Asiwaju was still the governor. But Tinubu together with other party leaders must have felt otherwise and as such, I did not get to be the Speaker. I can understand the situation. You cannot just join an organisation and just want to supplant the queue. In every organisation, there are rules, even as some are unwritten. It is the work of God that I eventually became the Speaker. Even the day I was elected the Speaker, the then Governor Tinubu was attending an event at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA). And when he got wind of what was happening in the House - that members are sitting to remove the then Speaker Pelumi - he was worried and was making consultations. But I emerged as the Speaker at the end of the day. The following day, I went to pay him a courtesy call; that was December 30, 2005. The picture you see over there (pointing to a photograph of himself and Tinubu on the wall) was taken during that courtesy call. Could that mean that you did not have to swear on oath or enter into written or unwritten agreement? There is nothing like that and I sincerely don't know anything like that. I don't know about other political parties, but within my own political party, the Action Congress, we don't do things like that. More so, I, as person, will not go into anything like that. I don't believe I need to do a thing like that to make it through to where I am destined to reach in life. Talking about your sojourn in the Assembly, there are feelings in some quarters that the constituency, Epe I, which you represent, has not benefited much from having you in the House. Do you agree? Yes, to an extent you are right; indeed that may not be far from the truth. But we need to have patience. But for how long? It does not matter. The issue is this: there was a time in the history of this state when all efforts were concentrated on the city of Lagos, when we had the CDP. Governor Tinubu devoted N17 billion or N19 billion to that project. Right now the thing is being extended into the hinterland. Yaba is being taken care of now, since Fashola came into power. Ikeja is coming up. And it goes on and on like that. I know very soon, it will be the turn of Epe. But that is not to say that we are going to fold our arms and say, 'until the government is ready,' no. Even then, the governor recently commissioned a water project in the Epe. And one of the things we lack mostly in that part of the state is drinkable water. It's really that nothing is being done. Comparing the pace with some other local governments, the pace may, indeed, be slow in Epe. Yes, you may want to conclude that we, in Epe, have not had much of accelerated development. But how do you really feel when you are the Speaker in the state and your own constituency appears stranded in the queue in terms of development? Epe may rightly still be in the queue, but it is not exactly as if the zone is not getting any benefit of having its own as the Speaker under the present dispensation. I can, at least, point to a few things. There was a time when, as a young man, all we used to dream of was that a particular recreational piece of land would be our own mini-stadium in Epe. It was the second month after I became the Speaker, in 2006, that we got the attention of the State Government to upgrading it into a modern edifice, fenced round with lawn tennis court, changing rooms and so on. There are one or two of such efforts, aside from other benefits like employment and dividends of democracy. Recently, members of the House came back, from their Town Hall meetings, with a report of neglect of the rural areas in favour of the urban centres. This does not appear to be in tandem with the widely held opinion, is it? To be honest and like in many other parts of the world, the rural areas do not often get as much governmental attention as the urban centres where many things are concentrated, including population, as well as its attendant challenges. Government also makes more money, in form of taxes, from the urban centres. As such, it makes sense that the rural areas cannot compete on equal terms with the urban centres. This is what you find all over. As for the Town Hall meetings, don't forget that before now, nobody had such an experience in this country. The people were excited that the 'government has come to us, to listen to us.' Even today (last Tuesday) as I talk to you, members are still working on the report. Just last Friday, we went to the governor to discuss the issue with him and he agreed with us that for even development, certain amount of money should earmarked for the members to execute projects close to the heart of their constituencies. We went round the constituencies and we found out that the people were happy with us, saying that the Action Congress (AC) government since the coming of this democratic dispensation had been doing very well. They, however, told us that there were certain areas they wanted us to look at. We knew very well that it is possible for us, as a government, to start thinking of siting, for example, a General Hospital in a particular area, but the people of that area are not too keen on such a project. Rather, they prefer to have pipe-borne water or drainage or roads or something else. So, the thing really is to get people involved in governance and carry them along. At times, you, as the government, may have a genuine plan on what to do for a given community, but that may not be the community's immediate need.
Lagos closes illegal drug stores In a major crackdown, the Lagos State Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods yesterday sealed off 10 drug shops and destroyed fake drugs worth over N10 million during the raid of the Ikorodu and Epe Local councils. The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris who disclosed this said the government was worried by the danger posed by the nefarious activities of illegal operators of patent medicine and pharmaceutical stores. He said the affected stores were sealed for various offences which ran contrary to the provisions of the law on the operation of pharmacies and patent medicine stores. Idris noted that the exercise was coming on the heels of the state government's sanitisation efforts to check the activities of illegal operators, drug adulterators and infiltration of the market by imported and locally produced sub-standard drugs. He, however urged operators of pharmaceutical shops and patent medicine stores to ensure that their activities were within the ambit of the law, while calling on Lagos' residents to always patronise registered pharmacies or patent medicine shops. The raid was conducted in conjunction with the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN), and National Agency for Foods, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and officers of the Nigeria Police.
Tinubu Not the Villain, Says Fashola By Omololu Ogunmade, Gboyega Akinsami and Femi Durojaiye Governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday absolved Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of complicity in the allegations levelled against him in a newspaper advert which is causing ripples in the state. In another twist, members of the committee set up by the state legislators to probe allegations of financial impropriety against the governor have alleged threat to their lives via phone calls and text messages. This comes as a coalition of pro-Fashola groups stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly complex to protest the purpoted impeachment moves against him. Fashola said: "I am concerned that the information highway has been used to malign the person of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a manner, which I humbly think, is undeserving. I wish to advise us to be very reluctant to cast the stone of judgment. Whatever may be our opinion, I am certain that we will not disagree on one fact. The fact is that, but for the Grace of God, the courage of Asiwaju and your votes, I would not be Governor." He stated that Tinubu is not the villain because some "unscrupulous" people are using the media to portray him in bad light. The governor described the advertorial placed in a national daily last week alleging financial impropriety by his administration as damaging the "reputation and integrity of members of different arms of our government, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and our leaders" in the state. He said there is no crisis in Lagos. The governor added that there are urgent national issues to be resolved and that attention must not be diverted from finding a solution. "Let us remember that the June 12 election was annulled by an unsigned press release like the faceless advert that was recently issued. We are yet to recover from it," he said. He expressed confidence in the members of the state House of Assembly and their ability to act in the best interest of the state. Meanwhile, members of the committee set up by the State Assembly to probe allegations against Fashola claim their lives are under threat. Sanai Agunbiade representing Ikorodu Constituency I on Monday, under Matter of Urgent Public Importance, informed the House about the protesters who stormed the Assembly to protest what they claimed to be a proposed move by the lawmakers to impeach the governor. According to Agunbiade, "it was discovered that those protesters (at the State Assembly) were sponsored. I don't know why investigation of alleged financial misappropriation against us and the Governor would mean impeachment. The governor is our governor, but surprisingly, there have been threat phone calls and messages flying around". Onibiyo Adelabu told the House he started receiving phone calls last Friday with someone asking him "why did l move the motion to impeach the governor. I was scared of going out because of what could happen, some people are not too sure of the intention of the House." On his part, Moshood Oshun, a member of the committee, said that since last Thursday when the committee was inaugurated, he had received several calls and most are threatening. "The fact that a committee was constituted does not mean we have started a move to impeach the governor," he explained. The Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, on his part stated that "whether hired or rented, the House should be opened at all times. If two or three people had agreed to protest to the House, they are free, inasmuch as they don't throw stones. They sang all sorts of songs; the right voice would be heard at the end. "We'll do our job; we'll not be intimidated and no number of them can stop the House of Assembly from doing what is right." Thee groups comprising Coalition of the Youths for Good Governance (CYGG), Move-ment for Good Governance (MGC), Lovers of Raji Fashola Forum (LORAF) among others, booed Ikuforiji. The speaker was asked to thread the path of honour that would promote peace and development in the state. A crowd numbering 3,000 and led by Bishop Abiodun Olugbenro, Mr. Olufemi Odusanya and Mr. Tola Odunlami peacefully marched to the Assembly complex, displaying placards. Some of the inscriptions read: "No Controversy, Fashola is our Governor; Fashola is the Best Man for the Job; For Governor Fashola, No impeachment."
Lagos Warns Owners of Defective Property LAGOS State government has expressed concern over the high rate of defective structures in Jakande Estate, Ipaja, Adeniji-Adele, Lagos Island, as well as other parts of the state. The state government expressed its desire and determination to prevent further loss of lives and property through proper monitoring and apprehension of owners of defective buildings in any part of the state. Speaking with journalists at the weekend, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, warned owners and occupiers of buildings that were suspected or found to be structurally defective to relocate and report to the government through the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development. He added that the state's law, which stipulates that owners of any collapsed building within the state shall forfeit such landed property to the government, was still in place.
AC Faults Allegation Against Fashola, Tinubu By Mudiaga Affe The Action Congress on Sunday said that the allegations of financial recklessness levelled against the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, and the alleged involvement of a former governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the state legislators in the financial complicity, was unfounded. The party's reaction came in response to a story published in ThisDay newspaper on Sunday. The story attributed those behind an earlier advertorial which revealed the alleged financial recklessness of Fashola to be working for Tinubu. In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and a separate telephone interview with Mohammed by our correspondent, AC said it was illogical for Tinubu to be behind an advertorial that sought to damage his own reputation. Specifically, the lead story in the newspaper stated, "The advertisement placed by a group known as "The True Face of Lagos" was signed by one Dr. Tunde George and Mr. Kasali Martins who are believed to be working on behalf of the former governor of the state." A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adelabu Onibiyo, had last Thursday said that he established contact with those behind the advertorial. He had said, "Immediately I finished reading through the publication, I called those that signed it and they told me that they stand by it and that they still have more to come." Asked if the party had contacted those behind the publication, the AC spokesman said it was not the job of the party to investigate such allegations or look for those behind it but that of the House of Assembly which was also indicted. Mohammed told our correspondent on the telephone, "It is not the responsibility of the party but that of the House to investigate such allegation. What we said was that the insinuation that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was behind the advertorial was false, illogical and irresponsible. The body institutionally vested with the power to investigate any allegation against the government or any public officer is the House of Assembly. That is exactly what they have set out to do. Our concern as a party is the attempt by anybody to destroy the coercion within the party and definitely the insinuation that Tinubu is behind the advertorial is a clear attempt to create disunity within the party." In the statement by Mohammed, the party further said, "To our surprise, the newspaper insinuated that a two-page advert, published in The Punch of January 28, making allegations of financial recklessness against Fashola was sponsored by Tinubu. "The AC finds this allegation absolutely baseless and irresponsible because the advert in question, placed by a faceless group, made reckless allegations, not only against Fashola but also attempted to tarnish the image of Tinubu, members of the state House of Assembly and indeed the members of our great party in Lagos State as a whole. According to AC, it was only natural that fifth columnists would try to penetrate the ranks of the party, instigate crises, and cause disaffection in order to destabilise the AC in Lagos State, as well as impede the tremendous progress made in the state over the last decade." The party said as far as it was concerned, the allegations levelled against Fashola, Tinubu and the Lagos legislators in the advertorial remained unproven. "Without prejudice to the constitutional responsibility of the House of Assembly to investigate any allegations against public officers, we affirm our faith and confidence in the integrity and credibility of the affected persons," the party said. The party also said another false and ridiculous aspect in the published story on Sunday was the claim that the House of Assembly had commenced impeachment proceedings against Fashola, based on the published allegations. It queried, "Can the Assembly commence impeachment processes against themselves since allegations were also made against them in the advert? Constitutionally, it needs one-third of the members of the House to sign a statement, starting the process. For the Lagos House, the number should be 14 members. How then can a 6-member administrative panel start "impeachment" proceedings? It is obvious that no such thing has been commenced in Lagos State. "We all know that impeachment of a chief executive can only commence after a petition has been formally received by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly. All we have now are unproven allegations by a largely unknown group to which the House has only understandably responded in the interest of its credibility, as well as that of our party." AC however expressed surprise that the report assumed that the anti-AC advert was planted by Tinubu, without any proof whatsoever. Mohammed also accused ThisDay newspaper of mischief over the report. He said, "The mischief of This Day is very clear on the matter. Or is This Day claiming that they did not know that to commence an impeachment process, you need at least two-thirds of the members of the House to consent to the plot. The one-third of the 40 member House is 14." The management of ThisDay, through a text message by its Editor, Mr. Simon Kolawole, however, said it stood by its publication. "We stand by our story and we shall reveal more information at our disposal as time goes on," the message stated.
AC Fingers Fifth Columnists in THE National headquarters of the Action Congress (AC) has debunked speculations of a rift between Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola and his predecessor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The AC, in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, blamed fifth columnists for the rumours and media campaigns on the issue. In the meantime, a group of eminent indigenes under the aegis of "The New Face of Lagos" has stoutly defended Fashola over the barrage of attacks and allegations of maladministration and financial recklessness levelled against his government. The AC's statement was a reaction to a national newspaper report on the matter at the weekend. The party said: "To our surprise, the newspaper insinuated that a two-page advert, published in The Punch of January 28, making allegations of financial recklessness against Governor Fashola was sponsored by Asiwaju Tinubu. The AC finds this allegation absolutely baseless and irresponsible because the advert in question, placed by a faceless group, made reckless allegations, not only against Governor Fashola but also attempted to tarnish the image of Asiwaju Tinubu, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly and indeed the members of our great party in Lagos State as a whole. "It is obviously illogical for Asiwaju to be the one behind an advert that seeks to damage his own reputation and that of the party he has expended so much time, energy, intellect and resources to build. "The ThisDay story in question is only a continuation of recent media reports of alleged crisis between Asiwaju Tinubu and Governor Fashola. Both respected leaders of our party have issued widely publicised statements debunking these reports of any disagreement between them and as a party we affirm that the Lagos State chapter of our party remains harmonious, solid and utterly impregnable to mischievous political opportunists. "It is only natural that fifth columnists will try to penetrate the ranks of our party, instigate crises, and cause disaffection in order to destabilise the AC in Lagos State, as well as impede the tremendous progress made in the state over the last decade. The AC added: "As far as we are concerned, the allegations levelled against Fashola, Tinubu and the Lagos legislators in the advert in question remain baseless and unproven. Without prejudice to the constitutional responsibility of the House of Assembly to investigate any allegations against public officers, we affirm our faith and confidence in the integrity and credibility of the affected persons. "Equally false and ridiculous is the claim in the This Day report that the House of Assembly has commenced impeachment proceedings against Governor Fashola, based on the published allegations. Can the Assembly commence impeachment processes against themselves since allegations were also made against them in the advert? Constitutionally, it needs one-third of the members of the House to sign a statement, starting the process. For the Lagos House, the number should be 14 members. How then can a 6-member administrative panel start "impeachment" proceedings? It is obvious that no such thing has been commenced in Lagos State. We all know that impeachment of a chief executive can only commence after a petition has been formally received by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. All we have now are unproven allegations by a largely unknown group to which the House has only understandably responded in the interest of its credibility, as well as that of our party. "We must, however, express our surprise as a party that ThisDay's report assumed that the anti-AC advert was planted by Asiwaju Tinubu, without any proof whatsoever. We recall, for instance, that in August 2008, the newspaper published a story falsely claiming that all contracts in Lagos State were being cornered by Asiwaju Tinubu through Hitech and that the cost of contracts in Lagos State were not being disclosed. And in the news story currently in contention, the newspaper falsely insinuated that Asiwaju Tinubu is collecting the commission on revenue generated for Lagos State through Alpha Beta even when ThisDay had recently published an advert in which Governor Fashola strongly debunked this allegation. If this trend continues, we will be forced to speak more elaborately to the public on the issue. "As a party, we reaffirm our confidence in Governor Fashola, Asiwaju Tinubu and our Lagos State legislators. Those who are sponsoring negative media reports in a bid to factionalise and weaken our party are only wasting their time as Lagos State remains the most solid bastion of progressive politics and governance in Nigeria. Also, in a statement issued in Lagos at the weekend, the group of eminent Lagosians said it was "high time for people with integrity, high moral grounds and unquestionable character to stand up in defense of good governance against the onslaught on the man who is not only well meaning but has also shown in words and deeds that he is genuine in erecting an enduring legacy as evident in the infrastructure transformation going on all facets in the state, unprecedented open administration and deepening of the revenue base of Lagos State, resulting in making the electorate and the common man on the street valued partners in progress in the arduous task of building a new Lagos State." In the statement by its publicity secretary Mr. Tokunbo King, and an executive member, Mr. Bimbo Bank-Anthony, the group held that in redefining governance to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people of Lagos, Fashola has not only given governance a human face, but has also brought concrete and visible dividends of democracy to the doors of Lagosians, a development that had fetch a series of accolades to the governor both in Nigeria, where two national newspapers adjudged him "Man of the Year 2009" and in the United States where the prestigious Martin Luther King junior award for excellence and good governance was conferred on the governor. The group noted that since no one was perfect, Fashola's administration was open to criticism, "but in the name of decency, those calling for his head on account of his excellent performance as governor should come out openly and not hide behind the screen to engage in mudslinging but in genuine and constructive criticism." Describing Governor Fashola as a m an whom history would record to have brought a fresh breath of life in governance in Lagos State, the group declared that by any stretch of human imagination, his style of target-driven and result-oriented government was unprecedented.
Lagos Alerts on Swine Flu Outbreak, Urges Vigilance By Kamal Tayo Oropo and Armsfree Ajanaku Onomo AGAINST the backdrop of a recently recorded death caused by the dreaded A/H1N1 and the subsequent confirmation of eight other cases, Lagos State government has called for calm and vigilance. The government said it would import vaccines to fight the dreaded scourge. Speaking at a press briefing at Alausa yesterday, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, listed the precautionary measures, which citizens of the state should adopt to prevent possible spread of the virus. The commissioner revealed that the government was set to import antiviral vaccines to combat possible spread of the disease. He said it would, however, take a period of about four weeks for the vaccines to arrive in the country. Confirming the death of the first victim, Idris noted that: "A case of suspected Influenza A/H1N1 (swine flu) was reported by a private hospital in Eti-Osa Council on January 5, 2010. Investigations revealed that a 38-year-old female patient resident in Lagos was brought to the hospital on January 2, 2010. The patient had earlier travelled to the United States about three months before that and developed a respiratory tract infection about six weeks ago". This is the third case of the virus that would be reported in the country, but this is the first death. Following laboratory reports after the patient's death, Idris disclosed that she was positive for influenza AH1N1. Following the report, he said a total of 52 samples of nose and throat swabs of close contacts to the deceased patient were taken to the laboratory for tests and the results revealed that an additional eight tested positive, out of the 46 results that had come out so far. Idris noted that those who tested positive have since been placed on the antiviral, Tamiflu. To prevent panic and unnecessary confusion among Lagos residents, Idris said the government had already begun public enlightenment to create awareness on the disease and what could be done to prevent it.
Lagos Warns Against Use of Unpainted Commercial Buses By Mansur Oladunjoye Lagos state government has given an ultimatum to operators of unpainted commercial buses in the metropolis to paint them with the government approved colour, or risk being impounded. The ultimatum ends on February 1, 2010. The special adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on transportation Mr. Kayode Opeifa disclosed that the state Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) had received complaints from the public that such vehicles were often used for criminal activities such as robbery, kidnapping and rituals. Fashola announced the ultimatum in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the ministry of transportation, Mrs. Adeyinka Gbemilade. He said, "The buses were also fond of flouting traffic rules and regulations as they always ply the expressway rather than the service lanes dedicated to commercial buses,'' adding that the directive became necessary because the state government also noticed that the number of unpainted vehicles commuting passengers in the state was on the increase. According to him, this was posing a serious security threat to the state and the state government was poised at further ensuring safety of lives and property of the residents, he said. Opeifa recalled that the state government gave operators of unpainted buses December 2009 to comply with the directive adding that anybody found wanting by the law enforcement agents would face the wrath of the law. He urged commercial motorcycle operators popularly called "Okada" riders in the state to always obey traffic rules and regulations, noting that the state government had concluded plans to launch "Okada" campaigns to educate the riders on why they should obey traffic lights, not riding against traffic ands not parking on medians. He urged LASTMA officials to be more committed toward serving the people through excellent performance and avoiding overzealousness, bribery and corruption. ``LASTMA officials should ensure that the training they had last year reflected in their dealings with the public so as to make them the new face excellence, as the state government would not hesitate to deal decisively with any official found to be indiscipline or who brings the name of the state government into disrepute," Opeifa warned.
Baby Chibogwu Emerges Lagos Baby of the Year The First Baby of the Year 2010 born at the Ayinke House, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital {LASUTH} Ikeja, at exactly 12 00 am Weighing 3.8 KG to Mrs. Taiwo Chibougwu, took place in Lagos yesterday. Photo shows the buncing baby boy at the Hospital yesterday.Photo by Bunmi Azeez.
Baby Chibogwu is the first child of 26 years- old Mrs. Taiwo Chibogwu and Mr. Tony Chibogwu of Delta State. He weighed 3.8 Kilogramme at birth. According to the hospital officials, baby Chibogwu was delivered through normal delivery without complications. Other babies are Baby Bala Joy delivered at 2:17am, Baby Hassan Eke delivered at 4:55am at Island maternity. Baby Oluremi Taiwo delivered at Ifako Ijaiye General Hospital at 12: 04am and weighed 3.4Kilogramme. Speaking to Vanguard, the Mother of Baby Chibogwu, Mrs. Taiwo Chibogwu who expressed joy at the birth of her baby also regretted that neither she nor her husband is gainfully employed at the moment. Mrs. Chibogwu hoped that the birth of her baby boy would bring a new song into the marriage that is barely a year old. Babay's Mother Mrs. Fashola advised all mothers to take good care of their children and lay a healthy foundation for them through exclusive breast feeding for the first six months after birth and also ensure that they receive all the necessary immunization at the appropriate time. Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idria who gave details of the first baby of the year in the state assured Mothers in the state that measures are being put in place to reduce Infant mortality and maternal deaths in the state. Idris therefore explained that the state decision to rebuild Ayinke house was in the interest of mothers as part of strategies to reduce infant and maternal deaths in the state. "Our intention is to ensure that pregnant women attend antenatal care and this is foremost in our agenda. State Government is focusing seriously to ensure we continue to celebrate a time like this. We are looking at the quality of care and temporary locations of Ayinke hospitals would continue to render the services that the hospital is known for." At Ifako Ijaiye Hospital, where three babies were delivered, first was delivered by 36 years old Mrs. Oluremi Taiwo at 12.04 A.M., the second was by Mrs. Lucy Christopher at 7:30Am amongst others. Briefing the gathering the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Ibironke Shodende lamented shortage of bed space as not less than 772 babies have been delivered by the hospital from January 2009 to date. |
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Governor Babatunde Fashola |
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Lagos State Population Languages Religious Belief Capital Local Government Areas State House |
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Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola and Captain of Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand with the state's Commissioner for Sports, Youth and Social Development, Prince Adeniji Adele with some youths during a novelty match between Team Fashola and Team Rio played at Astro Turf, Ikoyi, Lagos 7th June 2008. |
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