•Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu
The Lagos State House of Assembly has urged the governor of the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to direct the state Head of Service, Bode Agoro, to terminate the appointments of heads of agencies who assumed duty without confirmation from the lawmakers.
The lawmakers further ordered that the State Accountant-General stopped the payment of the salaries and allowances of affected appointees, reports Daily Independent.
The House, however, summoned the HoS to appear before it to explain why some appointees were allowed to assume duties without the Assembly’s statutory approval.
Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, in his remarks, expressed displeasure that the matter had become a recurring issue, stressing that it was wrong for the executive to disregard legislative authority.
“It is unnecessary for the Head of Service to continue to ignore the directive of the House of Assembly. The House allocates funds to these agencies, yet their heads treat the Assembly with disrespect,” he said.
Hon. Olumoh lamented that agencies whose heads were not screened often resist oversight, sometimes claiming they are not under the Assembly’s supervision. He noted that some MDAs were operating illegally without legislative confirmation of their leaders.
Supporting the motion, Hon. Ogundipe said anyone seeking public office must be ready for legislative scrutiny. He added that the confirmation process not only helps to evaluate competence but also ensures transparency in governance.
The House resolution cited Sections 126 and 198 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which stipulate that certain public officers appointed by the executive must be confirmed by the legislature before assuming office. Lawmakers insisted that bypassing this process undermines the separation of powers and breaches extant laws of Lagos State.
