Next speaker of Lagos Assembly must be indigene — ex-Minister Olanrewaju

Trustee of Omo Eko Pataki, a group of prominent indigenous Lagosians, Maj-Gen Tajudeen Olanrewaju (rtd), has said that the next speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly has to be an indigene, positing that the current speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obama, who had signified his intention to continue in office for another term, should, even though is at liberty to do so, be interested in equity and balance not to contest the position.

Maj-Gen Olanrewaju (rtd), who is also a former Minister of Communications, made the call on Saturday on behalf of the organization, saying that in making the call, he aligned with the position of a top chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Tajudeen Olusi, about the need for indigenes to take the centre stage in the state.

According to Olanrewaju, the position of Prince Olusi is a good assessment of the affairs of the Assembly, urging that the Lagos State House of Assembly should, with the best of intentions, promote the highest interests and best ideals of the five Divisions of the state in their business.

“The choice of the next Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly has to be an indigene. The current Speaker, Mr Obasa, has been in the news lately that he is interested in returning to the House of Assembly and continuing as the Speaker. He is at liberty, of course, to exercise his right to contest, but the interest of the indigenous people of Lagos must be respected.

“An indigene from Lagos State should occupy the speaker’s seat of Lagos State House of Assembly. Speaker Obasa should be interested in equity and balance not contest the position of the speaker. This is just my plea to our respected brother, Speaker Emeritus.

“From what I gleaned from the media, the position of Papa Olusi about the need for indigenes to take the centre stage is a good assessment of the affairs of the Assembly. With the best of intentions, the Lagos State House of Assembly should promote the highest interests and best ideals of the five Divisions of the state in their business,” he said.

The former minister quickly recalled that the issue of indigeneship in control of activities in the Lagos State House of Assembly had always been wished away since the beginning of the democratic dispensation in 1999, saying that the indigenes were always deprived of the majority and denied perspective participation.

General Olanrewaju said the Omoeko Pataki, of which he is a trustee, “would be keen to observe the process of business in the Assembly and encourage the members to promote the best possible ideals of our indigenous IBILE people of Lagos State, particularly in the employment into the civil and public services, empowerment and promotions to the senior cadres in government.”

This was just as the elder statesman noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu being a prominent politician and leader in Lagos State politics and state administration, if, with his current disposition and his intervention was necessary, “must be conversant with the agitation of the indigenes for the position of the Speaker,” declaring that the balance of opportunities should begin to swing as a matter of necessity and duty to favour the indigenes of the state.

“The balance of opportunities should begin to swing as a matter of necessity and duty to favour the indigenes of the state.

“I would want to observe a change, which will redefine the rules of marginalisation that underline almost every facet of employment in the public and civil service in the state. The general opinion held is that an indigene had been experiencing a long-standing history of obstacles to get to the top of his position,” he said.

The former minister expressed disgust with the recently concluded tests and interviews on new magistrate appointments, saying that the development left a bitter taste in the mouth.

According to him, the indigenes that did very well were not considered for engagement, and those appointed, apart from some of them being non-indigenes, did not perform better than the best indigenous choices, noting that this had been the pattern most of the time and was it was not certain if Governor Babajide Sanwoolu was aware of what the scene looked like at the Ministry of Justice.

“This is not a blame game, but there is a need for a dynamic transformation in the state government, by paying attention to demands of the indigenes for peace and development,” the former minister said.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Akinwumi Ambode resurfaces

Not many can boast of running into Lagos politician, Akinwumi Ambode, at any social gathering after the completion of his term as the Governor of…

My wife is too beautiful, I want divorce, man tells court

In a surprising twist, a man has brought his marital woes to a local court in Lusaka, Zambia, stating that he no longer desires his wife, Hilda Mleya, due to…

VIDEO: Why I rejected N5m to perform at Tinubu’s inauguration concert — Portable

Fast-rising singer, Habeeb Okikiola, better known as Portable, on Friday, lamented that organisers of the…

OFFCUT: ‘We can manage 70k successfully as family of four,’ Nigerians reveal

Nigerians have revealed how a family of four can spend the sum of seventy thousand naira judiciously as…

You’re not my president, Pastor Bakare tells Tinubu

Ahead of the May 29 inauguration, Pastor Tunde Bakare, the Serving Overseer of the…

Messi breaks Ronaldo’s record for most goals in Europe’s Top 5 leagues

Lionel Messi has broken the record for the most goals scored in Europe’s top five leagues, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo, during…