Tension as Lagos Assembly rejects 17 commissioner-nominees presented by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu

The Lagos State House of Assembly has rejected 17 out of the 39 commissioner-nominees Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu sent to the state lawmakers.

Some of the nominees rejected by the lawmakers served with the governor in his first term as commissioners and special advisers.

They are; Prof. Akin Abayomi (Health); Folashade Adefisayo (Education); Olalere Odusote (Energy); Gbenga Omotoso (Information and Strategy) ; Sam Egube (Economic Budget and Planning) ; Aramide Adeyoye ( Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure) and Cecilia Dada (Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation).

Other nominees include, Solape Hammond (Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on the Sustainable Development Goals and Investments); Yomi Oluyomi; Rotimi Fashola (Permanent Secretary on Agriculture); Olalekan Fatodu; Barakat Bakare; Seun Osiyemi; Rotimi Ogunwuyi; Mosopefolu George; Olumide Oluyinka and Folashade Ambrose.

However, the lawmakers confirmed 22 other nominees. The immediate past special adviser on education, Tokunbo Wahab, and the general manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Dolapo Fasawe made the list.

In a statement by the House’s information officer, Bisola Branco-Adekoya, the legislative arm said advised the confirmed nominees to serve the people and not individuals.

The statement reads in part, “Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, said the confirmation followed rigorous and detailed screening of the nominees by an ad-hoc committee led by the Chief Whip of the House, Fatai Mojeed.”

“He commended the committee for its effectiveness and urged the confirmed nominees to always remember that they are in office to serve the people of the State and not individuals.

Meanwhile, the Epetedo Indigenes Association has called on Governor Sanwo-Olu to review his list of commissioner-nominees, saying they feel short-changed by the list.

The association in a statement its Chairman, Alhaji Maroof-deen Oshodi, Vice chairman, Dr Babatunde Sarumi and General Secretary, Adegboyega Oshodi described the list as disappointing.

They condemned the “disposition of the governor to the people that stood for and with him when the going was rough.”

“With all sense of responsibility, we view with utmost dismay the lopsided distribution of the said list and strongly request an urgent review of the composition, so as to give all the much desired equity and sense of fairness,” the association said.

They, therefore, called on the state government and party leaders to review the governor’s list for equity and balance of distribution.