Press Releases

Fashola Urges Legislators To Maintain Close Relationship With Constituencies
• As Governor proclaims the 7th Lagos State House of Assembly

Jun 4, 2011 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), at the weekend inaugurated the 7th Assembly of the State House of Assembly with a call on the Legislators to maintain close relationship with their constituencies as the only means to meet the expectations of the electorates.

Addressing the new Assembly on Saturday at the Chambers of the House in Alausa, Governor Fashola said having been elected by the people, the legislators are duty bound to maintain very close links with those who elected them in order to know first hand what their expectations are at all times.

Governor Fashola, who said he had already commissioned a poll for experts to conduct a study of what the people expect from the Government, told the Legislators, "the summary of what they expect from their legislators in this House are your contributions to making good laws that will facilitate development in Lagos State; and the opening and running of a constituency office".

"I want to appeal here that we should all take the opening and running of our constituency offices very seriously and I will suggest, you may consider and agree at least one day that is common to all where everybody goes to their constituency offices", the Governor advised suggesting that they use their campaign offices for this purpose while their officials and personal and legislative aides could be very useful in connecting them to their constituents in their constituency offices.

Governor Fashola, who also took time to explain the concepts of Separation of Powers and Legislative Independence as well as Budgeting and Appropriation, emphasized that the idea of Separation of Powers is not meant to divide but only exists for promoting unity among the Legislative, Judicial and Executive arms of Government.

"They exist for defining the relationship and harmony between legislative, judicial and executive arms of Government for promoting unity and not disunity. The idea is what it is; a simple idea that must be dealt with in each contextual stage to regulate our inter-dependence rather than independence", the Governor said.

According to Governor Fashola, "Whilst each arm of Government has its roles defined and prescribed by the Constitution, the independence of each arm lies in its powers to regulate its own affairs to the extent permitted by law. The reality is that we are more inter-dependent than we are independent of one another. In other words, we are joined at the hip far more than we care to realize for the purpose of good governance".

"If we were not dependent on one another, why would the Constitution stipulate that the Governor proclaims the House? Why will I need to send list of appointees to you for clearance? Why would you consider Executive bills and pass them into law? Why would laws made by parliament require executive assent? The list of our inter-dependence is almost endless and we must use it for the purpose that it exists. Good governance and service to our people", the Governor noted.

On Budgeting and Appropriation, Governor Fashola, who acknowledged that the Government has not done badly in that area, declared, "For now it is important only to say first that the Executive arm has the responsibility to collect revenues to fund the budget and that it would seem it should not be saddled with a budget in excess of what it can reasonably fund".

The Governor who described the appropriation law as government's most important tool for service delivery and communicating its economic, social and investment policies explained further, "A budget is not cash. It is simply an approval to undertake projects and programmes up to a specific monetary limit in that budgetary cycle. The problem of raising the money is an altogether different problem which the executive deals with on a daily basis by its fiscal and monetary policies".

"Unlike in other Governments, Lagos State Government does not release cash to Ministries, Departments and Agencies after the budget is passed; on the contrary, each project is now subject to tenders, approvals and stage payments as the work progresses", the Governor said pointing out, "In our State it is not possible to either share a budget as it is sometimes reported or to lodge the proceeds in any account, because all payments are made from the State's Consolidated Revenue Funds as provided by our Constitution, and from accounts lawfully kept pursuant to the Constitution for work approved to be done".

Welcoming both returning and new legislators to the 7th Assembly of the House, Governor Fashola emphasized that the simple role of the legislator is to make laws adding, however, that apart from the fact that they are elected to represent certain geographical areas and constituents which make them a link between Government and the people, legislators actually enable society develop and prosper by the quality of laws that they make.

"It must be made very clear to our electorate that it is not the role of the legislator to build roads, hospitals or schools, but the kind of laws that they make can enable the quick and efficient delivery of those services and prosper society at large", the Governor said.

He commended the 6th Assembly for "its high legislative turnover and legislative quality", adding, "One of its most defining legislation was the Lagos State Security Trust Fund Law which did not only help make Lagos the safest State in Nigeria, it brought our State and country international recognition as high as the United Nations where one of its agencies was studying the law as a model to be recommended to other mega cities".

"In the closing chapter of its tenure, the 6th Assembly has passed some set of laws which when assented to and implemented will expectedly bring profound life changing benefits to Lagosians", Governor Fashola said .

According to the Governor, "Apart from representing their constituents and making laws, legislators are educators and communicators, who enlighten their constituents about Government policies and communicate progress of programmes; but, they must do so, not merely as a constituency representative, but as a member of parliament".

"This means that the legislator must recognize that his duty to his constituency will conflict sometimes with his larger responsibilities as a member of parliament. When this happens, history has shown that it is "the general good resulting from the general reason of the whole" that must prevail", he said.

Governor Fashola congratulated Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, a former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and Hon. Abike Dabiri for the passage into law of the Tobacco Control Act (for health) and the Freedom of Information Act initiated by the two legislators in the Senate and House of Representatives respectively.

"Our Party, the Action Congress of Nigeria must take enormous credit for the proud contributions of her legislators at State and Federal levels to our country's national development. These are the standards that the 7th Assembly must match and exceed, and with the quality of men and women that I see, I am certain that you will not let us down", Governor Fashola said.

In his address, after his election as the Speaker, RT. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji thanked his colleagues for tolerating him and re-electing him and the Governor for tolerating criticisms from the Hose of Assembly without fighting back.

Hon Ikuforiji added that in the federation, Governor Fashola is the only Governor who has given free hand to the House of Assembly to operate, pledging that the House of Assembly will continue to support and stand by him.

To his colleagues, the Speaker pledged not to betray their confidence and thereafter sought their cooperation and patience with him as he performs the duties of the Speaker.

While giving an assurance that his commitment to the doctrine of Separation of Powers remains unshaken, Hon Ikuforiji said the State House of Assembly will collaborate with the present administration and will also offer its support where necessary.

He said there is a need for the members of the House to act as authentic representatives of the people by upholding and defending the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at all times.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Clerk and Permanent Secretary of the House, Mr Taiwo Olatunji, commended the members of the sixth Assembly for distinguishing themselves with good legislations for the people of Lagos State and urged the incoming members to keep up the good work and legacy.

Mr Olatunji added that the sixth Assembly passed a total of 155 legislations with far reaching effects while it also held several public hearings that positively impacted the lives of the people.

The Clerk said in recognition of the impactful legislations of the State House of Assembly, many States are asking for laws of the State which they are all publishing verbatim.

He urged the new members who include seven female members to see their election by the people as an opportunity to serve them, stressing that everything must be done not to disappoint them.

The new Speaker was nominated by Hon Rasak Balogun representing Surulere Constituency II and was seconded by Hon Wahab Alawiye King representing Lagos Island II while Hon Kolawole Taiwo's nomination as Deputy Speaker was initiated by Hon. Olanrewaju Osun from Lagos Mainland II and seconded by Hon Dayo Fafunmi representing Ifako Ijaiye I.

Prominent among those who attended the inauguration ceremony were the First Lady, Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola, the Deputy Governor, Hon Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the State Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Chief Henry Ajomale, some National Assembly members elect, Chairmen of Local Government Councils and Council Development Areas, former members of the State Executive Council, the body of Permanent Secretaries, members of the Diplomatic Corps, traditional rulers, family members and friends of the new honourables.