Recently the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa reacted through his Chief Press Secretary Tolani Abati, to what he called another set of fake reports carried out again “by Sahara Reporters, an online medium that has become infamous for blackmailing people rather than follow the true dictates of media ethics.”
The National Coordinator of the Tinubu 2023 Not Negotiable (TNN) Chief Mutiu Kunle Okunola has also condemned the online platform describing the publications allegation as frivolous and an orchestrated media revolution against Rt Hon Mudashiru Obasa the Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA) and Chairman Conference of Speakers in Nigeria
Okunola while speaking with Lagos Panorama on Wednesday stated that “I want to condemn the media trial of the Lagos state speaker who is also the Chairman of the conference of Speakers across the country”.
“I want to let you know that the media trial of the Lagos State speaker is a disrespect for all the 36 State Assemblies’ Speakers in Nigeria”.
“TNN as a body have reposed confidence in Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa. If anyone has anything against Obasa they should take it to court with all the evidence to prosecute, but bringing a frivolous allegation to the media to dismantle the political dynasty of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is absurd and will be resisted”.
“Recently Hon Abike Dabiri Erewa was also harassed because of her closeness to Asiwaju Tinubu. The loyal members of Tinubu political dynasty are now targets of some mischievous elements”.
“We at the Tinubu 2023 Not Negotiable 2023 will not fold our hands and watch all these deliberate attack against Asiwaju’s political camp as we get close to the 2023 general election”.
“Sowore lost at the poll, failed with the revolution now and he wants to use the media revolution, which I believe is more dangerous because with the social media everyone can be misinformed even in the corner of their room”.
“I believe his plan is to disrepute the presidency by starting with Lagos knowing that if he destabilized Lagos, then Nigeria can be easily destabilized. He is now using the media revolution to conquer Nigeria.
I want to use this medium to call on all the progressives’ loyalists of our party to see Sowore’s continuous attack on Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly who double as the Chairman of Conference of the 36 State Assembly Speakers as attack against all the progressives and our great party”.
“I want to also use this medium to call on the Lagos State Head of service Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola to also emulate the Head of Civil Service of the federation Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan who recently noted with displeasure the recent unfortunate publishing of unauthorized official documents on social media.
“Yemi-Esan described such irresponsible and reckless action as an act of serious misconduct, with a penalty of dismissal from service, as provided in Public Service Rules numbers 030401 and 030402”.
“She warned in a circular that henceforth, any public officer found guilty of such act of serious misconduct of releasing confidential documents would be severely dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the public service rules. So I urged Lagos State Head of Service to issue similar circular to curb this entire mischievous act”.
Yemi-Esan, therefore, directed permanent secretaries to draw the attention of their staff to the content of the circular and the consequences of breaking the public service rules.
“We at TNN are going to resist any further media attack on the person of Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa by Sahara Reporters. Any attack against Tinubu’s men is attack against Tinubu. They can’t continue with malicious, frivolous media attack against Obasa without any fact. Whatever they have against him they should take it to court, the media war against Obasa must stop. We will resist any further attack from the Sahara Reporters”.
“When Sowore was released on bail, was he allowed to go about with malicious attack on credible public officers” asked rhetorically.
On the recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari an Executive Order to grant financial autonomy to the legislature and the judiciary across the 36 states of the country Chief Okunola supported the initiative.
He stated that “this will enhance our democracy, as the legislature and judiciary can’t be under the whims and caprice of the executive power. This financial autonomy to the legislature and the judiciary across the 36 states will promote the check and balance, which in essence promote democracy. This is one of the laudable achievements of President Buhari”.
The order also mandates the accountant-general of the federation to deduct from source amount due to state legislatures and judiciaries from the monthly allocation to each state for states that refuse to grant such autonomy.
The TNN National Coordinator also noted that “the total autonomy to the local governments is also very important. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should also conduct elections into the local governments. It’s more important than restructuring”
On the chances of the Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) should INEC conduct the local government elections he averred that “presently they’re not yet local government pending the final approval by the National Assembly, so they will simply remain the the Local council Development Areas”.
However, it beats my imagination as to why now that we have All Progressives Congress (APC) at the center and yet our legislatures are not doing anything to have the Lagos LCDA accredited as local governments haven met all the constitutional requirements since they were created by the visionary leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to catalyze sustainable developments as witnessed in Lagos State since their creation in 2003” he concluded.
