The Lagos State House of Assembly, yesterday, approved 36 commissioners designate for the state.
The confirmation of the cabinet members took place during plenary of the Assembly, preceded by the presentation of the report of the 15-man adhoc committee set up two weeks ago to screen the nominees. The presentation was led by the Chairman of the committee, Hon. Wasiu Sanni Eshinlokun.However, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is expected by law, to inaugurate the state Executive council any moment from now by swearing in the appointees.
The only nominee who could not be screened originally because she was resident in the United Kingdom, Mrs Yetunde Onabule, was said to have rushed down to Lagos to beat yesterday’s public hearing. She was also screened and approved.
In presenting the report, Eshinlokun revealed that all the nominees were invited by the committee and that they all submitted copies of their Curriculum Vitaes, CVs, and certificates, which were thoroughly verified by the committee.
According to him; ‘’All the nominees submitted required document and original certificates for sighting and asked pertinent questions on issues that pertain to the state and that each of the nominees was endorsed by the lawmaker representing their constituencies, cleared by the committee and confirmed by the House. The lawmakers also took turns to commend the committee for the job.’’
The Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa after voice votes on confirmation, directed the Clerk of the House, Mr Ganiyu Abiru, to convey the House confirmation of the commissioners designate to the governor for appointments into the State Executive Council.
Governor Ambode on September 21, presented the names of intended cabinet members to the state House of Assembly for screening and approval.
The approved commissioners designate were Mr Gbolahan Lawal, Dr. Jide Idris, Mr Folarin Coker, Mr Seye Oladejo, Mr Ganiyu Johnson and Mr Babatunde Hunpe, Mrs Yetunde Onabule, Fela Bank-Olemoh, Mr Akinyemi Ashade, Mr Steve Ayorinde, Alhaja Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, Mr Kehinde Joseph, Prof. Ademola Abass, Dr. Akintola Benson, Dr. Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef, Dr. Mohammed Akinkunmi, Dr. Babatunde Adejare,Dr. Femi Onanuga, Dr. Dayo Mobereola.
Others are: Mr Adebowale Akinsanya, Mr Wasiu Anifowoshe, Mrs. Lola Akande, Mr Agboola Dabiri, Mr Ganiu Okanlomo-Sanni, Mr Anofi Elegushi,Mr Rotimi Ogunleye, Mrs Adebimpe Akinsola, Mr Femi Odubiyi, Alhaji Musiliu Folami, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, Mr Adeyemi, Mr Labinjo Toyin-Suarau, Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, Mr Deji Tinubu, Mrs. Mudirat Giwanson and Kehinde Bamigbetan.
END
Permit that this rejoinder to the subject of the newly approved 36 Commissioners for the running of public affairs in Lagos State be titled ‘Governor’s Commissioners: An Albatross? An Addition?!’
In this era and time, when the public moods and socio-economic mantra tend to reiterate and indeed reinforce leanness in government and right-sizing in business world, the Executive arm of Lagos State Government, with the unfortunate connivance of the State Legislature are poised at plunging the State into administrative ineptitude cum public mess with the approval of 36 Commissioners for the Governor.
Methinks the CHANGE the masses opted for in the last gubernatorial cum general election which produced these crop of State actors will take a sharp departure from this sort of frivolous and flamboyant disposition to the management of the State with 36 Commissioners which is perceived as conduits to milk away the resources of the State via over blotted ministries and parastatals.
The questions begging answers for the rationality and morality as regards the nomination by the Governor and eventual confirmation by the Legislators of this whooping numbers of Commissioners are: Why and What for?! Should one dub this as an albatross and/or an addition to the process of governance in State?
To discerning minds, such expansive but needless numbers of Commissioners, not to mention the growing but needless numbers of Special Assistants, Aides and Advisers being appointed and/or yet-to-be appointed to complement, nay, confuse elected politicians and selected officers of the State, is but an alibi for disaster in public administration.
Suffice to ask: How will the Governor and his 36 Commissioners ensure robust discussions when they seat to deliberate on critical issues of State matters? How and when will the Governor have the time and energy to thoroughly dissect and properly condense the barrage of Briefs, Reports, Memos and Circulars from 36 Commissioners just to arrive at and indeed take sound decisions?
One wonders how and what the State Executive Council meetings will look like when a Governor seats to discussing the Policy thrust of (t)his administration with the 36 commissioners. One senses entirely rowdy session and/or dumbly know-towing setting of ‘Yes-Men’ in an Emperor-like set up.
Maybe the State is returning to and poised at entrenching the old traditions and cultural vagaries but antiquated palace style of administration and domination as the ancient and somewhat contemporary King and Chiefs (Oba ati awon Ijoye re) were and are accustomed to in governing the locals within their domains.
The position of the Legislature and the Executive with regards to appointing 36 Commissioners is both laughable and pathetic in today’s efficiency-driven world of public administration and business management. Simplicity and not complexity is the rule to exceptional performance and that is what Lagos needs to take the State to greater height.
This sort of political misadventure, nay, eccentricity in governance calls for urgent retooling of the extant laws and legal frameworks on subject like this. One hopes that the crops of the ‘learned minds’ and the corps of the ‘lettered hands’ will rise up to the occasion and contest this shenanigan in politics which is but an affront to the collective sense of decency and normalcy in public administration.
To those that appreciate and would readily appropriate the nuances of efficiency and effectiveness in governance, having 36 Commissioners is far too much and crassly irrelevant in today’s administrative structure and hierarchy. The governing Party in Lagos State is somewhat getting it entirely wrong with this unsavory appointment of these large numbers of lieutenants approved for the Governor.
So, speaking out and standing up against this albatross in the style of governance as being adopted by this administration is at this time needful and necessary. To leave the running of the State solely at the wits of the Governor and/or callously at whims of the Godfather(s), especially when the State Legislature finds it cheaply convenient to approve such whooping and unsavory numbers of Commissioners for the State, is and would be great disservice to the overall well-being of all.
Morning shows the day, and this is the very reason all must take critical looks but objective stances at ensuring that this government gets it right from the start. All are critical stakeholders in what goes on in the State of Aquatic Splendor that is today adjudged the nation’s Centre of Excellence; globally reputed as the economic capital of Nigeria and the financial nerve-center of sub Saharan Africa. So the need to speak out and stand up for the destiny and prosperity of Lagos State.
Let not the Governor comes up later to tell the good people of Lagos that the emergence of these 36 Commissioners is not his own making – though close watchers of the polity knows that there are certain forces lurking downtown and remotely and/or openly controlling the supposed power that be. However, Lagosians will not tolerate nor accept excuses for nonperformance and/or bulk passing – traces of which are already cropping up in the areas of Security, Traffic Management and other social matters.
It behooves all to see Lagos WORKS and Lagos must WORK because it must not get bad nor left to get worse by the calculated actions and/or covert inactions of the political class and state actors who are always concerned with and primarily consumed by satisfying and gratifying their personal ambitions but parochial interests in lieu of the collective and the commonwealth.
Eko o ni baje ooo!!!