Kunle Adelabu & Wale Jagun
-Residents petition Governor to observe IBILE principle
Residents across the Ikorodu Local Government and five other Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Ikorodu Division part of Lagos State have kicked against the exclusion of the division from the nomination list approved by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo – Olu for Lagos State Local Government Service Commission.
The Governor, on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, released a list of five nominees for the positions of Chairman and members in the Commission.
On the list are Hon. Kamal Baiyewu – Chairman, Hon. Taofeek Adaranijo (Member), Mr. Ahmed Seriki (Member), Engr. Biodun Orekoya (Member) and Hon. Akeem Bamgbola (Member).
While the nominated Chairman, Baiyewu is from Ajeromi/Ifelodun in Badagry Division; Adaranijo and Orekoya are from Agege and Shomolu under the Ikeja Division.
The duo of Hon Seriki and Bamgbola are from Epe and Lagos Divisions respectively.
However, while the statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Gboyega Akosile, stated that the nomination was done in accordance with the provisions of relevant State Laws and consequent to the expiration of the tenure of the former Commission Chairman and members, residents of Ikorodu have faulted the list on the ground that it did not conform with the relevant laws.
According to the Section 45(2a) of Local Government (Administration) Law of the State, it states that:
“The members shall be nominated from each division of the State and each nomination shall be confirmed by the House of Assembly”.
The five Divisions in the state are: Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos and Epe.
It is upon this basis that residents of Ikorodu division are calling for the redress in the omission by the Governor regarding the constitution of the Local Government Service Commission.
Residents in their reactions across the social media platforms related to Ikorodu, have, therefore, mandated their representatives in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade and Hon. Nurudeen Solaja, to oppose the nomination list should the Gov. Sanwo – Olu still go ahead to present the same to the Assembly.
Many of the residents also recalled how the Division was also schemed out of the Lagos State House of Assembly Commission (LAHASCOM) when the Commissioner 1 from Ikorodu, Hon. Sunmi Odesanya, was removed last year by the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, without replacing him with another nominee from Ikorodu.
They also charged political and traditional leaders to intervene and ensure that the Governor reconstitutes the membership of the Commission to include a nominee from Ikorodu.
Some of the leaders that spoke on the matter also condemned the list released by the Governor.
Alhaji Rilwan I Jinadu, former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said that there is lack of consultation and added that the concerned authority cannot be acting as if Ikorodu does not matter in the Lagos arrangement.
“In arriving at this kind of decision, Ikorodu leaders deserve the honour of consultation from the concerned authority. They cannot continue doing things as if we are not relevant in the scheme of things. If we fail to react, the worst of it will follow”, he warned.
Comrade Olalekan Oba Biliamin, Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Lagos chapter speaking with THE IMPACT that Ikorodu deserve to have its fair share of political appointments in Lagos.
He appealed to the Governor of Lagos State to correct the omission of the Division by including a representative from Ikorodu.
Comrade Soyiga Samuel Adeshina, the President, National Association of Ikorodu Division Students (NAIDS) said that it will be very disappointing if the representatives from Ikorodu in the Assembly accept the Governor’s list when presented before the House as it is.
“It means one of the five divisions in Lagos is having two representatives at our expense. I will be very disappointed if the State Assembly approves it”, he said.
“I will also be very disappointed if Hon S.O.B. Agunbiade, as the Majority Leader of the House,fails to ensure that the needful is done during debate on the list. I will be disappointed if Hon Solaja allows his division where he is elected to represent its people, to be cheated”, he added.
Some of the residents dismissed the submission that the Governor’s decision may be due to the emergence of Mr Tokunbo Abiru, who is from Ikorodu, as the Senatorial candidate of the All Pprogress Congress (APC).
Kunle Matti, a youth leader in Ikorodu and Ijede, also said that there have been instances where other Divisionshave produced numerous office holders without being denied their due share when such committees are set up.
“lt’s not about we are soon going to have our own son (Tokunbo Abiru) elected as senator. That has got nothing to do with the appointment in question.
“In the divisions where we have Senators, they also have Commissioners and many Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistant and other juicy appointments”.
Mr Owolabi Anifowoshe, a former aspirant for the Ikorodu Federal seat in the House of Representatives, stated that the appointments into such commission is based on the IBILE principlewhere the five Divisions that made up Lagos State must have a representative each in the commission.
“This has nothing to do with the Ikorodu division producing the Senator, even if the Governor is from the Ikorodu division. This is an appointment on the basis of IBILE principle….statutorily by law perhaps otherwise… .
“The omission contravenes the principle that created that commission and if allowed, it will jeopardize the essence of the principle which in future will be a bad antecedent… .
“If we are to use the election result as justification, I don’t think the lkorodu division has asked for too much yet? In terms of infrastructures, lkorodu division is almost the most deprived”, he added.
A community developer and social media influencer, Ohi Obadan, called on the residents to stop what he described as insult and infractions on the Division.
“If our political establishment and traditional institutions would not rise up to redress this lopsidedness, we, as constituents and stakeholders, must stand up together against this infraction and INSULT on our sensibility.
“Enough is Enough!”, Obadan said.
A young political actor, Mr Ogunbiyi Doyin Jokotex, asked the Governor to adhere to the stipulated laws in respect of the appointments into the Commission.
“It’s very wrong, because there are laid down principles guiding the Commission. The principles stipulate that each of the Division that makes up the state must be represented in the Commission. We can’t just open our eyes and see things going the other way which is not the best for our division as a whole, and do nothing”.
Tosin Mabunmi, an executive of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ikorodu Local Government branch, called for a stakeholders’ meeting to chart a way forward on the matter.
“Let us call for an urgent meeting with all our representatives to chart a way forward before it’s too late or we send representatives ofthe youths and political leaders to meet with the governor to present our case”.
Alhaja Olanrewaju, a retired teacher, also called for fairness in the constitution of the omission.
“Congratulations to them but we don’t have any representative in the Commission. The normal thing is to have one representative per division.
“Every other division spent two terms as Chairman of the commission, but we (Ikorodu) just spent a term and yet, they denied us our membership. It is sad”, she lamented.
Toheeb Olayinka, in his own reaction, wondered why lkorkdu division is always denied its right despite its electoral value for the ruling government in the state.
“I want to believe our political leaders are not happy with this development too and are working towards amendment. Why is Ikorodu always shortchanged?” .
“During electioneering, we are promised heaven and earth, (Stadium at Laspotech, 4th Mainland bridge, Isawo, Igbe roads, etc) only for the promises to become white elephant projects or dumped entirely thereafter.
“Obviously, something is wrong somewhere and until it is addressed, we may remain where we are”.
In a release by the Ikorodu Ambassadors Group, titled, “ls Ikorodu Division Not Part of Lagos State?”, it was stated that they are constrained to ask the pertinent question because of the way and manner the Division is being treated by the powers that be in the state.
The group maintained that the principle of sharing political positions and projects on IBILE basis since the creation of the state in 1967, should be employed in constituting the Lagos State Local Government Service Commission.
“From 1967, when Lagos state was created, political appointments, projects sitting and others are shared equally among the Five (5) Divisions in the state viz Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos and Epe.
“This is how the IBILE acronym was formed”.
The group stated that the principle was maintained during the military regimes but that things started changing with the advent of the present democratic dispensation in 1999.
The group charged political leaders in Ikorodu to ensure that Ikorodu is allowed to be represented in the commission, while also warning the state government to allow justice to prevail or risk protests by the youths to the State House in Aausa.
“Political Leaders in Ikorodu Division should lead us well and ensure that what rightly belongs to Ikorodu Division is given to Ikorodu Division.
“The least the Lagos State Government can afford now is another demonstration in Alausa. But if we have to move, we’ll move”.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Ikorodu Division Students (NAIDS) has petitioned Governor Babajide Sanwo – Olu.
The petition was signed by the NAIDS President and Secretary, Comrades Soyiga Samuel Adeshina and Alliu Mubaraq Adekunle respectively.
In the petition, Ikorodu students called the attention of the Governor to what they termed “inadvertent Exclusion of Ikorodu Division representative from the newly approved members of Lagos State Local Government Service Commission”.
“The omission and approval connoteto the public and stakeholders of the State the spirit of unfairness and injustice among the entire structure of IBILE (IKORODU, BADAGRY, IKEJA, LAGOS ISLAND AND EPE), that makes up our dear State , Lagos”, the petitioned stated.
While reminding the Governor of how Ikorodu was denied membership of the Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission, they stated that this present omission will send the wrong signal if not corrected.
“The second reoccurrence of these omissions is sending a strong signal of non-inclusiveness in the State Governance to all the well meaning indigenes of Ikorodu Division and the State at large. If not corrected now, this may become a point of discord within the united state of Lagos.
“We, therefore, demand that this anomaly be immediately looked into and effect correction for the good people of Ikorodu Division to restore our joy, peace and our sense of belonging to the state.
“We hope that our demand will be immediately looked into and correction effected by our ever Pro-active Governor to prevent our union from mobilizing thousands of our members against the ruling party and the State Government”.
THE IMPACT also gathered that more petitions and resolutions on the omission of Ikorodu division from the Commission are still going to be submitted to the State House and Lagos Assembly.
