‘We’re not fighting Sanwo-Olu’ — Lagos assembly speaks on refusal to confirm 17 commissioner nominees

The Lagos house of assembly has cleared the air over its refusal to confirm 17 commissioner nominees recommended by Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of the state.

On August 23, the state house of assembly declined to confirm 17 out of 39 commissioner nominees recommended by the governor.

Six former commissioners who served in the first term of Sanwo-Olu were among the nominees not cleared by the assembly.

The former commissioners are Gbenga Omotoso (information and strategy); Akin Abayomi (health); Cecilia Dada (Women affairs and poverty alleviation); Olalere Odusote (energy resources); Folashade Adefisayo (education) and Sam Egube (economic planning and budget).

After the decision of the assembly, the Christian Rights of Nigeria (CRN) accused the legislature of rejecting the nominees on religious grounds.

The group said the decision of the Lagos assembly was motivated by the comment of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), describing the house’s resolution as a move to “stoke religious tensions” in the state.

However, speaking during plenary on Monday, Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the assembly, said there is no fight between the house and the governor.

He added that the house is not going to be “threatened by the civil organisations who wish to protest”.

“There is no basis for the house or myself to fight the governor. The governor is a friend and colleague in serving Lagos state,” he said.

“Whenever the house says no to a governor’s request, it is interpreted as the house fighting the governor.

“We will continue to work together and there is no reason to fight. But we have constitutional rights to say yes or no to his nominees.

“If anybody wishes to know the reason for the decision, they should approach the house. We will not be forced to spill our observations, and we reserve the right to expose the report of the screening.”