Don’t distract Fashola, Mark warns - Lagos lawmakers boycott public sitting - Group warns against Fashola’s impeachment
Kunle Awosiyan and Adewale Ajayi, Lagos
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
APPARENTLY reacting to the rumour that some forces were making efforts to scuttle the development activities of Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Senate President, David Mark, has warned people not to distract the governor.




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According to Senator Mark, Governor Fashola was doing well and should not be distracted by anyone. He gave the advice at the two-day public hearing on the amendment of the 1999 Constitution by the Review Committee, South-West Zone, in Lagos, on Monday.

He said: “I was telling distinguished Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, who was sitting beside me in the car from the airport, that Fashola is performing well. He should not be distracted by anybody. He is doing well and should be encouraged, rather than be distracted.”

Mark said the conference would look at the arguments of all the participants and come out with a robust constitution that would suit the entire nation. “We do not have a position of our own. That is why we are here to listen to the comments of the people of the South-West,” he said.

Governor Fashola, speaking on the occasion, said the most ideal platform that could accommodate the differences in the country was a federal arrangement that would allow diversity to thrive, which would promote competition as the bedrock and basis for national growth and demonstrate concern and support for those who were not endowed with competitive abilities.

Fashola noted that the country still had the centralist tendencies, which were entrenched during the years of military dictatorship, while calling on the committee to work out ways to demarcate the executive and legislative functions and the distribution of accruable revenue between the states and the Federal Government.

“I think if the constitution can create room for these, it will advance this nation into an equitable, secure and progressive future. I believe that once we resolve this policy standpoint, controversies about resource control, revenue allocation, local government, regulation and taxation of interstate trade and commerce, management of highways and waterways, organisation of police and the court system will become much easier to resolve,” he said.

However, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, on Monday, boycotted the public hearing for the South-West zone on the review of the 1999 constitution held in Lagos.

The public hearing, which was held at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, had in attendance the state governor, Mr. Fashola; his deputy, Mrs. Sarah Sosan; three senators representing the state in the Senate, Olorunnimbe Mamora, Ganiyu Solomon and Muniru Muse and other eminent personalities across the geopolitical zone, which also included lawmakers from other South-West states.

The absence of the lawmakers might not be unconnected with a report in one of the dailies last week, in which the lawmakers complained that they were not invited to the meeting which was held last Wednesday.

Speaking on the absence of the lawmakers, a member of the House who preferred anonymity, said they were informed of the public hearing and their plan was to get there early enough to receive the Senate President, but most of the members who were told to report to the House before 10.00 a.m. did not get there until 12 noon.

“In fairness to Mr. Speaker, he told all of us to report here before 10.00 a.m., so that we can go and receive the Senate President, but most of our members did not get here until 12 noon, so that was why we were not present at the opening of the public hearing.”

He added that the amendments to the constitution would still pass through the state Assembly and then they could make their own input, adding that “it is our baby; it will still come before us, then we can add our input.”

The decision of the lawmakers to boycott the public hearing underscores the fact that all is not well between the state assembly and the governor. However, Nigerian Tribune gathered that the state governor had started sending emissaries to the lawmakers to pacify them, so that their differences could be resolved.

Another source added that the fate of the governor lay with his predecessor, Senator Bola Tinubu and whatever directive he gave to the House would determine their action.

Meanwhile, a warning has been handed down to the Lagos State House of Assembly, to desist from its planned impeachment of the state governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), in order not to derail the ongoing developmental project embarked upon by the government.

The Coalition of Oodua Self Determination Group (COSEG), at the end of its emergency meeting on Sunday, gave the arning in Lagos. The group, in a press statement by its director of media and publicity, Gbenga Soloki, advised the state House of Assembly to desist from this unpatriotic act in the interest of the people of the state, which they claimed to represent.

According to COSEG, ‘’after a careful appraisal of the performance of the Lagos State governor as well as investigations carried out by its resource persons, findings shows that there is no basis for the proposed impeachment against the governor due to the monumental achievement and accountability shown by the governor.

“It is an open secret that Governor Fashola is the most performing governor in the federation and has been adjudged as the best among other governors.” Furthermore, rather than instituting an impeachment move against the governor, the group advised the state House of Assembly to focus on enacting laws that would consolidate and enhance the achievement of the governor.

‘’While we recognise the constitutional role of the Assembly, especially its oversight function on the executive, an impeachment at this crucial period when Lagosians are applauding the governor for his landmark achievements would be counter-productive and the Assembly should equally ensure that whatever it does should be for the good of the people,’’ COSEG said.