The Lagos State government has been thrown into serious confusion.
This follows the seeming stagnation of the workings of the government of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu by the lawmakers in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
On Wednesday, August 23, the state was thrown into confusion after a statement from the office of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, confirmed the successful screening of 22 commissioner nominees, while announcing the failure of 17 others to scale the process.
Interestingly, those who reportedly failed the screening included season professionals such as Gbenga Omotosho, a former Editor of The Nation Newspaper, and Prof. Akin Abayomi, Both Abayomi and Omitosho served meritoriously in the first tenure of the governor, and the fact that the assembly said they could not pass the screening has raised eyebrows.
Omotoso served as the the immediate past Commissioner of the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, while Abayomi was the immediate past Commissioner for Health in Lagos State.
Many would remember the exploits of Abayomi during the COVID-19 pandemic era, as the astute professional was at the forefront of every engagement meant to protect the lives of Lagosiams. That a man who served in such a capacity would also fail a screening said to have been done by voice voting at the behest of Obasa, is indeed shocking.
Others said to have failed the screening includes, Folashade Adefisayo, Yomi Oluyomi, Folashade Ambrose, Barakat Bakare, Olalere Odusote, Rotimi Fashola, Bolaji Dada, Sam Egube, Olalekan Fatodu, Solape Hammond, Mosopefolu George, Aramide Adeyoye, Seun Osiyemi, Rotimi Ogunwuyi, and Olumide Oluyinka.
Speaking on the development, Aro Abiodun, lawmaker representing Ikorodu Constituency II in the assembly told The Punch that he could not speak for the House but only for his constituency.
On his part, the chairman of the screening committee and Chief Whip of the House, Fatai Mojeed, simply said in a text message, “It was a decision of (all) 40 members (of the House).”
Gboyega Akosile, Chief Press Secretary (CPS), to the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu in a telephone conversation said, the outcome of the screening and confirmation had yet to be transmitted to the governor, hence the governor had yet to know the reason for the reported rejection of some nominees.
“Mr. Governor has not received it officially, but we are just hearing from the media. So, we will wait for when the Speaker transmits it to the governor, then we will know the appropriate reaction from the governor,” Akosile said.
A nominee may be rejected for several reasons including not having the party membership card or for presenting a controversial qualification. Also, a nominee could be rejected for security-related or criminal reasons.
As it stands, the governor is expected to send 17 names of new commissioner nominees to the House for screening exercise.
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