The 10th Lagos House of Assembly was inaugurated on June 6, 2023 and Agege 1 representative, Mudashiru Obasa, was returned as Speaker for a third consecutive term of four years.
Since then, the House has made some significant decisions on behalf of millions of Lagosians.
In this report, Ikeja Record examines some of the key decisions taken by the House and the bills considered, one year into its existence.
- Taking a Yoruba stand
- Rejection of Commissioner-Nominees
- Oversight of state finances
- Land and property reform
- Security reform
- Tackling food security
- Transport reform
Taking a Yoruba stand
The 10th Assembly began its tenure in controversy.
Speaker Obasa, during the Assembly’s inauguration in June, said the House would pass laws to favour indigenes of Lagos, referring to people of Yoruba ethnicity.
“There would be laws…in the areas of economy and commerce, property and titles, and we will reverse all that is reversible to protect the interest of the indigenes,” Obasa said.
“Lagos is a Yoruba land as against the assertions of 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 the Yoruba language.”
Obasa’s speech was controversial given that Lagos – a metropolitan state hosting different ethnicities from across the country and beyond – had just emerged from a contentious general election where ethnicity took centre stage during the campaign and voting process.
In September 2023, the House proposed to the State Government to commence Yoruba Week, an annual celebration of Yoruba culture.
According to the House, Yoruba Week would help to preserve the cultural heritage of the Yoruba ethnic group.
In April 2024, Governor Sanwo-Olu approved the proposal.
The Week is scheduled to be held in the last week of September every year.
Also, the House queried the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) over its refusal to add Yoruba to languages it uses for announcements and instructions in its train service.
The House noted the importance of Yoruba language for passing information to passengers on the trains since it would help some of them, especially new users, easily understand what to do.
The House further noted that since 2017 when the bill on compulsory teaching of Yoruba Language in schools was passed, the State had made conscious efforts to encourage the use of the language in public places adding that this should be sustained.
Rejection of commissioner-nominees
Despite its reputation as a rubber-stamp parliament for the Executive, the House challenged the Sanwo-Olu administration in a number of ways.
Perhaps the most significant check on the Executive was its rejection of 17 commissioners-nominees selected by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
There was a plethora of speculations about why the House had rejected the nominees, including talk of a bitter war between Obasa and Sanwo-Olu.
But for the Speaker, it was about representation. The nominee list, the legislators believed, did not express the diversity of the All Progressives Congress’ political structure in the state.
“It is not about qualifications, it’s not about experience, it is not about exposure,” he said, defending the House’s decision. “We are the representatives of the people, the mouthpiece, the ears and the sight of the people.”
Oversight of state finances
In November 2023, the 10th Assembly amended the Appropriation Law of 2023 to authorise the reordering of N761 million.
The reordering was sequel to the letter sent to the House by the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu seeking authorisation of re-ordering of the Y2023 Budget.
The House approved the reordering after the Chairman of the Committee on Economic Planning and Budget, Hon. Lukman Olumoh, presented the report and recommendations of the Committee which were adopted as the resolution of the House.
Also in November, as part of its oversight functions, the House probed the 2022 Auditor-General’s report for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the state.
According to the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (State), Kehinde Olaide Joseph, the exercise was designed to guard against financial recklessness by MDAs in the State.
“The exercise will also ascertain the completion, accuracy, and reliability of the financial transactions within the sectors and confirm the level of compliance with financial regulations, relevant legislations, and accounting standards as well as reflect on each sector’s financial performance and position,” Hon. Joseph said.
“In addition, the committee would confirm the revenue and budget performances of all MDAs, capital expenditure, reconciliation of the financial records with the Oracle system of the MDAs, and ascertain the project management and control systems of MDAs in Lagos State.”
Of course, one of the House’s most significant milestones was the passing of the 2024 budget in January.
The Assembly approved a budget of N2.2 trillion.
During a plenary presided over by Obasa, the budget consisting of 58 percent capital expenditure and 42 percent recurrent expenditure, was approved following a unanimous voice vote by all the lawmakers present at the sitting.
“A bill for a law to authorise the issuance and appropriation of N952,430,566,998 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for Recurrent Expenditure and N1,315,545,553,871 from Development Fund for Capital Expenditure thereby totalling a budget size of N2,267,976,120,869 for the year ending 31st December 2024 be passed into law,” Obasa stated.
He commended the lawmakers for their dedication and cooperation in ensuring a quick passage of the Appropriation Bill while directing the Clerk of the House, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko, to forward a copy of the approved budget to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for assent.
Land and property reform
In March, the House passed a resolution to hold a public hearing on addressing the problem of land grabbing and forceful occupation of properties in the state.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion on matters of urgent public importance by Mr Kazeem Olayinka (APC-Mushin II) during plenary.
According to Speaker Obasa, land grabbing has become a serious and disturbing issue across the state.
“Many people have been killed, some maimed and some locked up without trial just because of the existence of some people who have turned themselves to land grabbers,” he said.
“I wonder how somebody would just invade people’s properties and still exude such boldness and confidence, kill the owner or bring police.
“I have seen cases where land speculators write petitions and with the connivance of security officials, the real owners of the properties were arrested.
“The owners were taken to Abuja and forced to sign undertakings that would bar them from the same land they bought from their toiling.”
Meanwhile, in May, the House proposed a Lagos Geographic Information Service bill that will harmonise all geographic information service projects in the state.
The bill is coming at a time when land ownership issues across the state are becoming more rampant.
As one of its purposes, the bill is expected to establish a digital, central database for all information relating to geospatial matters and related issues.
Presiding over the plenary session when the bill was discussed, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, who represented the speaker, Obasa, noted that when passed, the bill would help in improving governance and boosting professionalism.
“It is targeted at integrating governance with advancements in technology,” Ogundipe said. “This is something we hope to always take advantage of so that our state can continue to be ahead in the area of development,”
Security
In August 2023, the House passed a resolution urging Governor Sanwo-Olu to convene a security council meeting in the state.
The House said the meeting was in a bid to arrest the rise of killings by men in uniform.
“I quite agree with the prime mover of the motion to call on Mr. Governor to quickly hold a meeting with all heads of security agencies in Lagos State to nip this in the bud,” Speaker Obasa said.
“At least three people have been declared dead, said to be killed by men in either Police or Army uniforms and we cannot conclude if they are security men or otherwise.”
Meanwhile, like its predecessor, the 10th Assembly is in favour of state police.
In February, the House adopted a resolution urging the National Assembly to promptly initiate a constitutional amendment facilitating the establishment of state police.
According to Obasa, the nation’s security architecture is strained and state police may help to reduce insecurity.
“This time around, the National Assembly should be our focus,” he said. “They don’t have to wait till the twilight of their tenure to start a constitutional amendment.
“This administration is at the beginning of its four years. So the National Assembly should begin the amendment now and we should be part of it to put an end to the issue of state police.”
Tackling food security
In February, amid the rising prices of food across the state, the House passed a resolution urging Governor Sanwo-Olu to summon a stakeholders’ meeting to proffer solutions.
The House also resolved to invite the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Ruth Olusanya and the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi on their plans to reduce the impact on residents.
The House urged Governor Sanwo-Olu to subsidise transportation and food items in the state.
“No doubt, there is a challenge before us as representatives of the people and it is the duty of all of us to proffer solutions,” Obasa said.
“This is a situation that started long ago in Nigeria. It is unfortunate that we are facing this now.
“The dollar issue did not start now. The prices of food and how farmers had been prevented from going to farms as a result of insecurity did not start now.
“The most unfortunate thing about it has to do with the comments coming from some leaders of the country. Instead of using their wisdom to appeal to the people, they use their words to incite people against the government as if they have not been in the country before now.”
Transport reform
In November, the House passed a resolution to invite state officials responsible for road infrastructure in the state.
The lawmakers bemoaned the condition of roads in their various constituencies and sought the declaration of an emergency on roads by the state government.
Also in November, the House frowned at the alleged recklessness of some motorists operating in the state and the activities of some officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).
The House invited the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, to appear and give explanations concerning the incessant recklessness of drivers and the roles played by LASTMA officials.
“The Commissioner and others can be invited so we know what to do to change the current narrative,” Obasa said. “It is good that we also look at the law to see the penalties. Maybe this would reduce such recklessness on the roads.
“The driver who has been arrested must be prosecuted to the latter. If the driver is not found, the owner of the vehicle should be arrested where the driver is an employee of someone so as to serve as deterrent to other motorists.”
However, in March, the House passed a resolution commending Governor Sanwo-Olu for the successful completion of the Red Line Rail Project of the state.
The House also commended President Bola Tinubu for laying the foundations for the rail project.
