A Note To APC On Lagos Speakership; Putting Merit First

By Samson Olugbenga Shoneye (SOS)
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The distinguished legislative activities carried out by Lagos State House of Assembly since the return to democratic governance has no doubt made the House a standard template for other state Assemblies to emulate, in order to achieve a legislative excellence in their respective states.

This distinguished nature was achieved for Lagos State due to her ability to select an outstanding Leadership to man the Lagos State Assembly. The amiable working conditions between the legislative and executive arms in Lagos state justifies the competence of the leadership cadre in handling legislative affairs and setting uncommon standard of legislative excellent for the Centre of Excellence.

There is no gain saying that the efficient nature of the Lagos Assembly was achieved and maintained practically due to the fact that at crucial times the phenomenon of zoning is manipulated and override with competence and merit to achieve a workable and brilliant leadership cadre for a dignified Assembly, this can be aptly captured in the scenarios that played out is the leadership of Lagos State seventh Assembly. Leadership of the key positions in Lagos State used to be zone among the three senatorial districts of Lagos East, West and Central.

It is believed that once any of the senatorial districts produce the Governor and the Deputy Governor, the third district automatically produces the Speaker of the state Assembly for fair distribution, but under the current dispensation, the incumbent governor, Babatunde Fashola emerged from Lagos Central while his Deputy Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire came from Lagos West, however, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, in his first two terms came from Lagos East, but in 2011, he switched slot and fly his kite from Lagos West, having contested and won the Ikeja 1 Constituency seat. In addition, the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Kolawole Taiwo also came from Lagos West. These developments in my opinion put paid to zoning of the position of the speaker, particularly when it has to do with stability and general good.

This not is particularly written to the leadership of the All Progressive Congress(APC) Lagos State chapter, considering the roles it would play electing the leadership of the Lagos Assembly, which many interested members have began to signify their intention to contest for. One thing APC needs to put in mind is the question of who is the best candidate to head the Assembly at this point of democratic consolidation that would benefit majority of Lagos State residents.

The candidate must be articulate, intelligent, dynamic, innovative, proactive and endowed with the capacity to management crisis. Again, considering that the house will be welcoming twenty (20) new members out of wish eight (8) are from the opposition party. The party needs to tread intelligently in picking the next Speaker and leadership.

Since the beginning of the 4th Republic in 1999, sixteen (16) years ago, Ikorodu division as one of the five Divisions that make up Lagos State is yet to be favoured by the party hierarchy to hold a principal position in the Legislative arm of Lagos Government, hanging its argument on the basis that Ikorodu has never presented an experienced returning honourable in the Lagos State House of Assembly, thus, constituting a major hindrance to getting any of the Principal offices available in the law making chamber and backed up with the rule of the house that gives returning members more privilege than the first time honourables.

As it stands now for the 8th Assembly (2015 - 2019), Ikorodu people have not only voted for the party (APC) massively in the just concluded election but Ikorodu has also returned Hon. Sanai O. Agunbiade for the 3rd term, who is a ranking member of the house. Agunbiade is not only competent, The Nation Newspaper of 26th of April 2014, captured his ingenuity aptly, "If you want to talk of the brightest and the most articulate, intelligent, versatile and dynamic lawmaker in the Lagos Assembly, definitely it is the Ikorodu 1 Constituency representative, Sanai Agunbiade, a lawyer by profession. He is somebody who has displayed so much passion for the job of lawmaking and is recorded as the lawmaker who has moved the highest number of motions in his eight years in the Assembly."

In addition to the above, during the course of the 7th Assembly, S.O.B Agunbiade was awarded 'Best Male Lawmaker for the Year 2014' by a reputable online news medium, Gazellenews.com. He was also presented as the 'Best Male performing Lawmaker at Plenary' by Lagos State House of Assembly Correspondence Association (LAHACA) in 2014 among others. If the party is looking for a competent hand to coordinate and stabilize the Lagos State House of Assembly, then Honourable Agunbiade is the most suitable choice.

And going by how he handled the House committee on Judiciary, Human Right and Public Petitions, that made many aggrieved parties settle their case out of court as an Alternative Disputed Resolution (ADR), he has the requisite knowledge and maturity to handle the 8th Assembly.

Aside from moving motions and sponsoring bills that had positive impacts on the people as a legislator, he has also made some direct impacts on education, youths and women empowerment, environment, road infrastructures, electrification, water provisions, employment, health and security of lives and properties, and above all, practical and feasible representation to his people which his score card confirmed that.

It is very important that the party do away with pettiness that might disrupt electing a competent, active and brilliant leadership for the Lagos State House of Assembly, because the house has a huge task ahead of it to help that Akinwunmi Ambode led administration to fulfil it campaign promises to Lagos State residents.

Samson Olugbenga Shoneye (SOS),
writes from Lagos State
[email protected]

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