Society Gists

The Lagos State House of Assembly, on Sunday, commenced the screening of the cabinet nominees sent to it by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday, July 28.

Twenty out of 39 nominees had been screened by the end of Monday by an ad hoc committee of the House constituted for the assignment in an exercise that started on Sunday.

It is expected that all the cabinet nominees would have been screened by Wednesday when the exercise is expected to end.

On Sunday, the committee led by the Chief Whip of the House, Mojeed Fatai, screened Mobolaji Ogunlende, Dr Olajide Babatunde, Lawal Pedro, and the immediate-past Special Adviser to the Governor on Parastatals Monitoring, Afolabi Ayantayo.

Others screened on Sunday were: Mr Jamiu Alli-Balogun, Olugbenga Olaniyi, Ogunwuyi Ekundayo, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, Ibrahim Layode, and an immediate-past lawmaker of the state from Badagry, Adetokunbo Wahab.

On Monday, the committee grilled the immediate-past Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Housing, Mrs Adetoke Benson-Awoyinka, and a former Executive Secretary of Yaba Local Council Development Area, Mrs Bola Lawal.

Others screened on Monday were Yakubu Alebiosu, Idris Aregbe, Abdul-Kabir Ogungbo, Dr Oreoluwa Finnih-Awokoya, Abiola Olowu, Dr Adekunle Olayinka, Mosopefolu George, and Aramide Adeyoye.

The Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, had recently constituted the 12-man ad hoc committee for the exercise.

At the commencement of the screening, the Chief Whip noted that the task before the lawmakers was in line with a provision of the 1999 Constitution.

“The House of Assembly has the mandate to screen and confirm the nominees for the position of commissioners and Special Advisers.

“Recall that on July 28, 2023, the Executive Governor of Lagos State submitted a total of 39 commissioners and Special Adviser nominees,” he said, adding that the recommendation of the committee would be presented to the House.

Members of the screening committee include Adedamola Kasumu, Ajomale Oladipo, Saheed Babafemi, Nureni Akinsanya, and Ajani Owolabi.

Others are Sa’ad Olumo, Sanni Okanlawon, Adewale Temitope, Ajayi Oladele, Abdulkareem Jubril, and Orekoya Abiodun.