State executive screening pitches LAHA against LASG

By Lanre Adesanya

The recent move to fast track the emergence of Lagos State Commissioners with a given time lag seem to have hit the rock, as the expected synergy whittles considering recent realities.

Governor Ambode’s media aide in a recent release stated expressly that having forwarded the nominees list to the state’s Assembly, the would be ratified nominees for state executive positions will be inaugurated by October fifth.

At today’s plenary, which all expected to witness the beginning of the screening exercise so as to make good Governor Ambode’s stance on the state executives inauguration intent, turn out the opposite as a 15-man adhoc committee was put in place to look at the compliance of the nominees to the specified and required documents first and also adjourned session till October 13th.

This many viewed may pitch the legislature against the executive if not quickly addressed.

This is contrary to the feelers prior to sitting on Tuesday 29th September that the nominees would be screened by the Assembly during plenary, and this is regarded as a novel idea by observers.

Governor Ambode had last week sent the name of 23 nominees for the post of commissioners and 13 for the post of special advisers, but later that same day a release from the Governor’s media aide noted an update with one more name added to the list making it 37 all together.

Members of the 15-man screening committee, as announced by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa during plenary, include the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Wasiu Sanni Eshinlokun, who will serve as the Chairman, Hon. Olumuyiwa Wahab Jimoh, Hon. Omotayo Oduntan, Hon. Hakeem Bello and Hon. Lanre Ogunyemi.

Other members of the committee include Hon. Yinka Ogundimu, Hon. Bisi Yusuf, Hon. Segun Olulade, Hon. Saka Fafunmi and Hon. Oladele Adekanye.

The rest members are Hon. Olanrewaju Ibraheem Layode, Hon. Rotimi Olowo, and Folajimi Mohammed.

This development came as a shock to many observers as it had been stated in the press release from the Governor’s office containing the list of the nominees last week that the nominees would be sworn-in on Monday 5th October, 2015 as the House adjourned to Tuesday 13th October, when the committee is expected to submit its report.