BEVERLY HILLS, July 10, (THEWILL) – The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has directed the Clerk, Sanni Azeez, to write a protest letter to the Senate, over Senator Danjuma Goje’s remark that Babatunde Fashola should not assume the National Assembly to be an institution he could control the way he controlled the Lagos House of Assembly as governor.
This followed a motion moved by Chairman of the House Committee on Information and Security, Tunde Braimoh, over a statement credited to Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Danjuma Goje, where he told Fashola, who is the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, that the National Assembly is not Lagos House of Assembly.
The senator was reported to have made this remark during the controversy over allocations made by the National Assembly to the ministry headed by Fashola in the 2017 budget.
Braimoh said: “The senator derogatorily referred to the Lagos State House of Assembly by saying the National Assembly was not Lagos State House of Assembly that could be controlled.
“The statement is derogatory, uncomplimentary and it is an insult on the Assembly. The Constitution does not give the Senate power to superintend the state Assembly.
“All the newspapers reported the story and it is an uncomplimentary and disparaging as well as unparliamentary statement. The contest in which the word was used smacks of slander.”
He said the statement brought the House to public ridicule and that it makes people to feel the House is a rubber stamp, adding that Goje ought to be more civil with words with his status.
The Assembly man added that if Goje had issues with Fashola, he should sort it out rather than insulting the House.
He pointed out that the National Assembly was more rubber stamp than the Lagos State House of Assembly and that he was disappointed that such a statement could come from a serving senator.
He however, said the House should write the Senate to reprimand the senator on the matter.
“What he said is an insult on the leadership of the House. The Senate should suspend him and we demand an apology from them,” he said.
In his contributions, Rotimi Olowo, the Chairman, House Committee on Budget and Economic Planning, said Lagos Assembly was an institution that people of other climes appreciate.
Mr. Olowo said that if Mr. Goje has issues with Mr. Fashola, he should sort it out rather than insulting the assembly.
He, however, said that the house should write the Senate to reprimand the senator on the matter.
In his remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on Finance, Yinka Ogundimu, described the statement as provocative.
Also, the Chairman, House Committee on Works and Infrastructure, Tobun Abiodun, said that there were certain expectations from lawmakers based on ethics of the office.
“What Goje said is an insult on the leadership of this House. We demand an apology from Goje and the senate,” he said.
The House later adjourned plenary session until Tuesday.
