BEING TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE ON STATE OF AFFAIRS IN LAGOS STATE TODAY THURSDAY 31ST JANUARY, 2019
Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, we welcome you to this historic press
conference as it relates to recent developments in Lagos Political space, vis-a-vis
Lagos House of Assembly and the sitting Governor of the state.
We received with trepidation and amazement, the recent impeachment threat
on the Lagos State Governor Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode by the Lagos State House
of Assembly on the premise that he failed to lay the 2019 budget before the
house, as customarily demanded of him but rather sent same to the speaker and had been expending
money without approval.
We are of the opinion that this perceived infractions of the Governor cannot
be equated to mean gross mis-conduct,hence, such subtle threat of
impeachment over an administrative matter that can easily be resolved by
mere notification of such oversight, except there is an innocuous undertone
which is unknown to the larger populace of Lagos and this is unwarranted.
As much as we are aware of importance of budget presentation before the House,
which is a yearly ritual as stated in the constitution, the provision does not
expressly state that it must be done by the executive Governor himself.
Suffice it to say that it can also be delegated by his authority to his Commissioner
for Finance, with examples which we have seen in the laying of budget by the
former Goodluck Jonathan administration, which was fone by the finance minister, before the senate.
We are not oblivious of the rumours of certain dealings wherein it has been alleged
that some members of the House of Assembly want the Governor to pick
their campaign expenses. Also the alleged anti-party activities of the Governor
which cannot be substantiated with documentary evidences so far, on both
sides.
We also don’t want to dwell on rumours or conjectures but what is within the
realm of what was made public.
We therefore demand inter alia:
1. That this negative voyage embarked on by the members of the
Lagos State House of Assembly be suspended forthwith and for them to find an
amicable way to resolve their differences without allowing the fortune of
the state to be fritered away over an egoistic political feud.
2. That the Governor Mr Akinwunmi Ambode endeavours to fulfil the
constitutional provision to lay budget, not necessarily by himself if need
be, also by proxy through the Commissioner of finance.
3. That the Legislators in this instance the Honourable of the Lagos State
House of Assembly, be more proactive and concentrate on how to
deliver dividends of democracy to the good people of Lagos State who
repose confidence in them by electing them as their representatives
and stop chasing shadows.
4. We call on all well-meaning Lagosians and elders to as a matter of
urgency prevail on the legislators to stop insinuation and subtle threat of
impeachment against the executive governor of the state in the interest
of their party wellbeing as well not to heat up the polity because the death
of a mad man will definitely reveal that he is of a noble family.
5. We finally urge the Honourable Speaker of the House to as a matter of
urgency, purge himself of allegation of financial malfeasance and mismanagement
of an humongous #28.4b being the running costs in the last one year
expended in the house under his leadership by responding to the
allegations as stated in the punch newspaper of 30th January,2019 by
another civil society group, failure to which we will have no other choice
than to petition the appropriate authority on financial crime to do the
needful.
Thank you and God bless.
Long live Lagos State
Long Live Federal Republic of Nigeria
*Adeola Samuel-Ilori Esq.
President, Vote for Service Initiative
*Alex Omotehinse
For: Civil Society Coalition Lagos
